All requests for information pursuant to the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) must be made in writing and submitted in person, by mail, or by email to the Town of Chapin. In addition, a copy of the driver’s license for the person requesting information is required. In order to assist citizens making FOIA requests, the Town of Chapin has developed the attached suggested FOIA Request Form.  It is preferred that all public records request be submitted to the Town of Chapin Municipal Clerk via the online form. Requests made by letter or in some other written form shall contain substantially the same information provided on the FOIA Request Form. Please be as detailed, specific, and descriptive as possible when filling out the request. Refer to Fee Schedule outlining reasonable costs that may be incurred by the requesting party during the Town of Chapin’s FOIA request processing.  

The Town of Chapin recognizes that the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (SC Code 30-4-10) enacted by the South Carolina General Assembly gives every citizen the right to access government meetings, documents and records. As such, many public documents are housed on the Town’s website.

By standardizing the Town of Chapin’s procedures for processing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and establishing reasonable fees for such requests, the Town will ensure its compliance with FOIA and provide greater transparency of Town operations and policies.

In accordance with recent updates to the state’s FOIA legislation, the Town of Chapin must respond to a written request within ten (10) business days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal public holidays) for records less than 24 months old.  For records older than 24 months, the deadline for a response from the Town is 20 days. Then upon receiving notification from the Town about receipt of the FOIA request, the Town has 30 calendar days to fulfill the request if the records are less than 24 months old. If the records are older than 24 months, the Town has 35 calendar days to complete the request. If a deposit is required, which will not exceed 25% of the reasonably anticipated cost for reproduction of the records, the Town must produce the records within 30 days/35 days of receiving the deposit.

A written FOIA request is not required to obtain the following:

• Minutes of meetings for past six months
• Any documents provided to a public body as part of a public meeting
• All reports related to the nature, location and substance of a crime committed in last fourteen (14) days
• Documents identifying individuals confined to any jail or detention center in past three (3) months (excluding restricted juvenile records)

Any questions about the Town of Chapin’s FOIA policy should be directed to the Municipal Town Clerk at 803.575.8504.