State medical records law
Georgia medical records laws
How do I get my medical records in Georgia, and what can a provider charge?
A Georgia provider must furnish your records within 30 days of receiving your request; Georgia's statute provides no extension. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-33-3 as adjusted by DCH effective July 1, 2026, providers may charge up to $25.88 for search and retrieval, $0.97 per page for pages 1–20, $0.83 for 21–100 and $0.66 beyond 100, up to $9.70 for certification, plus actual postage. DCH notes that requests by individuals for their own records are governed instead by HIPAA's reasonable cost-based fee rules.
- Response deadline
- 30 days
- Copy fees
- $0.97/page
- Retention
- No state rule found
How Georgia differs from federal HIPAA
- State fee schedule includes a search/retrieval fee HIPAA does not allow for patients; DCH says patients' own requests follow HIPAA fee rules.
- Providers must keep core records at least 10 years — HIPAA sets no medical-record retention period.
How long a provider has to respond
A Georgia provider must furnish your records within 30 days of receiving your request; Georgia's statute provides no extension.(O.C.G.A. § 31-33-2)
What a provider can charge
Under O.C.G.A. § 31-33-3 as adjusted by DCH effective July 1, 2026, providers may charge up to $25.88 for search and retrieval, $0.97 per page for pages 1–20, $0.83 for 21–100 and $0.66 beyond 100, up to $9.70 for certification, plus actual postage. DCH notes that requests by individuals for their own records are governed instead by HIPAA's reasonable cost-based fee rules.(O.C.G.A. § 31-33-3, Georgia Department of Community Health — Medical Records Request Notice, 45 CFR 164.524)
- Paper copies
- $0.97/page (pages 1–20), $0.83 (21–100), $0.66 (100+) as adjusted July 1, 2026 — for third-party requests; patients' own requests follow HIPAA cost-based rules
- search, retrieval and administrative fee (max, July 1, 2026 rate)
- Up to $25.88
- Electronic copies
- Statute does not separately price electronic copies; DCH states individuals' own requests fall under HIPAA fee rules.
- When copies are free
- The state fee schedule does not apply to records needed to complete an application for a disability benefits or vocational rehabilitation program.
A provider cannot refuse to give you your records because you owe money for treatment. Compare every state on the medical records fees by state page.
Minors and sensitive records
- Minors: No minor-specific access rule was found in §§ 31-33-2 or 31-33-3; under HIPAA a parent is generally the minor's personal representative.(45 CFR 164.524)
- mental health: The copying-fee and patient-rights provisions of § 31-33-3 expressly apply to psychiatric, psychological and other mental health records. A provider who reasonably determines disclosure would be detrimental to the patient's health may refuse, but must send the record to another provider the patient designates in writing.(O.C.G.A. § 31-33-2, O.C.G.A. § 31-33-3)
If a provider doesn't comply
Georgia Composite Medical Board
physicians and other Board-licensed professionals · (404) 656-3913
Georgia Department of Community Health — Healthcare Facility Regulation Division
hospitals and other licensed healthcare facilities
HIPAA violations by any covered entity, within 180 days
How to request your records in Georgia
- Ask the provider's medical records (health information) department for its request form, or write your own request with your name, date of birth, dates of care, the records you want, and the format (paper or electronic).
- Keep a copy and note the date — the 30 days clock runs from when the provider receives it.
- If the deadline passes or the bill exceeds the rules above, use the complaint routes on this page.
Templates and step-by-step help are on the records-access hub. Find a Georgia hospital's records office, or browse hospitals in Georgia.
Common questions about Georgia medical records
How long does a Georgia provider have to give me my records?
Georgia law requires providers to furnish records within 30 days of receiving the request.(O.C.G.A. § 31-33-2)
How much can I be charged for my own records in Georgia?
The Department of Community Health says requests by individuals for their own records are governed by HIPAA, which allows only a reasonable cost-based fee for labor, supplies and postage. The state schedule (up to $25.88 search fee plus $0.97 per page for the first 20 pages as of July 1, 2026) applies to other requesters.(Georgia Department of Community Health — Medical Records Request Notice, 45 CFR 164.524)
Are records free for disability claims in Georgia?
The state fee schedule does not apply to records needed to complete an application for a disability benefits or vocational rehabilitation program.(O.C.G.A. § 31-33-3, Georgia Department of Community Health — Medical Records Request Notice)
Can a Georgia provider refuse to give me my records?
Only if it reasonably determines disclosure would be detrimental to your physical or mental health; even then, it must send the record to another provider you designate in writing.(O.C.G.A. § 31-33-2)
How long are medical records kept in Georgia?
Providers must keep evaluations, diagnoses, prognoses, lab reports and biopsy slides at least 10 years from creation. Hospitals follow separate state hospital rules.(O.C.G.A. § 31-33-2)
Where can I complain about a Georgia provider?
Complaints about doctors go to the Georgia Composite Medical Board, (404) 656-3913; complaints about hospitals go to DCH's Healthcare Facility Regulation Division. HIPAA complaints go to HHS OCR within 180 days.(Georgia Composite Medical Board — How do I file a complaint against a doctor or hospital?)
Sources
Checked against official sources on November 3, 2026.
- O.C.G.A. § 31-33-2 — Furnishing copy of records to patient, provider, or other authorized person; retention (official text via a public mirror)
- O.C.G.A. § 31-33-3 — Costs of copying and mailing; patient's rights as to records; mental health records (official text via a public mirror)
- Georgia Department of Community Health — Medical Records Request Notice — Medical records copying fee rates effective July 1, 2026
- Georgia Composite Medical Board — How do I file a complaint against a doctor or hospital? — Complaints
- 45 CFR 164.524 — HIPAA right of access