FAQs Kansas Open Records Act (KORA)

HOW TO OBTAIN OPEN RECORDS

Record requests must be in writing and may be delivered in person or by mail to:

Leavenworth County Sheriff's Office
601 S 3rd St.
Suite 2007
Leavenworth, KS 66048

by completing an Open Records Request form on this site by clicking here.

You should identify the record(s) you seek with as much specificity as possible.
This office has no obligation to create a record that does not already exist.
Pursuant to our record retention schedule, a record that previously existed may have since been destroyed, and the office is not required by law to recreate it.

COMMON EXCEPTIONS TO THE KANSAS OPEN RECORDS ACT
Generally speaking the following types of records - among others - are protected from disclosure pursuant to the KORA:

Criminal investigation records
Criminal intelligence information
Laboratory reports and files
Information that would reveal the identity of any undercover agent or informant
Records that would reveal the identity of the victim of any sexual offense
Records protected by the attorney-client privilege
Most personnel records
Records closed by the rules of evidence
Notes and preliminary drafts
Medical records
Records containing information of a personal nature
Standard Arrest Reports (SARs) and standard Offense Reports (SORs) -SARs are not subject to disclosure and only the first page of an SOR may be obtained through the local law enforcement agency that filed the report
Body camera video and dash camera video may be viewed by appointment only. Please contact (913) 682-5724 to make an appointment

IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE LEAVENWORTH COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO:

Appoint a Freedom of Information Officer (FOIO) to assist in resolving issues related to KORA requests.
Act on record requests within three business days following their receipt and to provide the requestor notice if additional time will be required to locate or compile requested records.
Estimate the charge for providing requested records and obtain advance payment prior to fulfilling the request.
Redact personal information from an otherwise public record before releasing it, and/or protect from disclosure records covered by KORA exceptions.
Determine the format (paper, electronic or other media) in which a record will be produced if the record is maintained in an electronic database and/or contains some information that may need to be redacted prior to release.
Refuse a record request if it places an unreasonable burden on the office.

IT IS YOUR RIGHT TO:

Inspect or request copies of public records retained by this office, which are not exempt from disclosure by a specific law, during regular business hours.
Be provided an estimate or statement of the reasonable costs the office will charge to provide requested records, prior to charges being incurred.
Receive the records you request, or at least a response to your request, within three business days after it is received by the office.
File a complaint with the Kansas Attorney General's Office if you feel you are wrongly denied records.

PROHIBITED USES:
K.S.A. 45-230 prohibits the use of names and addresses derived from public records for certain commercial purposes. Violation of this law can result in a civil penalty of as much as $500 per incident.

A complete copy of the KORA may be found at http://www.kslegislature.org, click Statutes; the KORA begins at K.S.A. 45-215.

Click here to view our Open Records Brochure.

The Kansas Attorney General's
Office maintains an outline regarding
KORA, as well as frequently asked questions on its website, at www.ksag.org.

A NOTE REGARDING CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD INFORMATION

By law, criminal history record information (CHRI) is not subject to KORA. Kansas CHRI checks are fee-based and may be performed by contacting the KBI Records Management Section:
Internet: www.kansas.gov/kbi/criminalhistory/
Mail:
Kansas Bureau of Investigation
Attn: Records Management Section
1620 SW Tyler
Topeka, KS 66612-1837
Phone: (785) 296-2454
Email: record_check@kbi.state.ks.us