Fees For Document Copying Plummet In New Jersey

In the past, copying documents at New Jersey agencies, towns, and counties cost a hefty bit of pocket change. In general, the typical price of a copy was 75 cents a page.

But now, in Montclair, the price of a copy of a letter has dropped to only a nickel while the price of a copy of a legal document has fallen to just seven cents. In other jurisdications, such as Camden, copies are actually being handed out for nothing.

The change was made on July 1, the deadline an appeals court placed on governments to begin charging "the actual costs of duplicating" a record.

"We do have a lot of people coming in and requesting documents under the Open Public Records Act," said Montclair's Municipal Clerk Linda Wanat. "I wouldn't say though that any more people are coming in this week than before the change was made."

The court had urged the Legislature to pass a new law so that entities charged "reasonable" fees, all part of an effort to promote good government. On June 28, the Legislature unanimously approved a measure establishing a nickel as the uniform rate with a two-cent rise for legal-size copies.

Critics such as the state Foundation for Open Government have long accused New Jersey of overcharging the public for copies. The ACLU, too, said that overcharging gives the appearance that governments are trying to hide something.