Copy fees by state
Medical records fees by state
How much can a provider charge for a copy of my medical records?
It depends on the state and on who is asking. 45 of 50 states set their own copy-fee rules; elsewhere HIPAA limits a patient's own request to a reasonable, cost-based fee for copying labor, supplies, and postage. Among states that set a per-page rate, the starting rate runs from $0.25 (California) to $2.00 (Pennsylvania), and many add a flat or handling fee.
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Durjoy BhattacharjyaFounder & CEO, Healthcare TechnologyAll 50 states
Each state's guide gives the full rule and the statute or regulation behind it.
| State | Paper copies | Electronic copies | Deadline | Free when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $1.00 per page for pages 1–25; $0.50 per page after 25 | Cost-based (HIPAA) | 30 days (HIPAA) | — |
| Alaska | No state per-page cap; HIPAA reasonable cost-based fee | HIPAA cost-based fee (labor, supplies/media, postage) | 30 days | — |
| Arizona | No dollar cap; 'reasonable fee' for reproduction | Cost-based (HIPAA) | 30 days (HIPAA) | Free when sent to another provider for continuing care, given to the patient or health care decision maker to obtain health care, sent to the Arizona Medical Board/Osteopathic Board/health officer, or provided for a Social Security disability appeal (first request per calendar year; SSA-1696 required for a representative). |
| Arkansas | $0.50 per page for pages 1–25; $0.25 per page after 25 (paper) | Flat $75 production fee plus actual postage if required — the only fees allowed for electronic records | 30 days | — |
| California | Up to $0.25 per page ($0.50 per page from microfilm) | Must provide the requested electronic form if readily producible; fee limited to labor, plus supplies only if portable media is requested | 15 days | One free copy of the relevant records when needed for a public benefit claim or appeal, a U-visa petition, or a VAWA self-petition (not when a private attorney is paying costs) |
| Colorado | Patients pay the HIPAA cost-based fee; no state per-page amount for patients | Must be provided electronically on request if originals are electronic and readily producible; only actual electronic media costs | 30 days (HIPAA) | Inspection is always free. One free copy to an entity acting under the Laura Hershey Disability Support Act for a benefit application, appeal or reapplication. |
| Connecticut | $0.65 per page (all-inclusive) plus first-class postage | Statute does not separately address electronic copies; the $0.65/page cap is the only state rule, and HIPAA's cost-based limits also apply. | 30 days | Free when the record is needed to support a Social Security Act claim or appeal or a veterans' benefits claim and the request includes documentation of it; no charge for copying records the patient brought from another provider; hospitals/institutions may not deny records because of inability to pay. |
| Delaware | Tiered cap for physicians: $2.00/page (pages 1–10), $1.00 (11–20), $0.90 (21–60), $0.50 (61+), plus actual postage | Same per-page schedule applies to electronic records under the Board rule; HIPAA's cost-based limit also applies to patient requests. | 30 days (HIPAA) | — |
| Florida | Physicians: $1.00/page for the first 25 pages, $0.25/page after; hospitals: up to $1/page (paper) | Hospitals: nonpaper records up to $2. Physician rule does not separately address electronic copies; HIPAA cost-based limits apply. | 30 days (HIPAA) | Hospitals may not charge copying or search fees to patients whose records are copied or searched to continue receiving medical care. Physician records may not be conditioned on payment of a bill for services rendered. |
| Georgia | $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 | Statute does not separately price electronic copies; DCH states individuals' own requests fall under HIPAA fee rules. | 30 days | The state fee schedule does not apply to records needed to complete an application for a disability benefits or vocational rehabilitation program. |
| Hawaii | No state per-page cap — reasonable costs (HIPAA cost-based fee applies) | No state rule; HIPAA cost-based fee applies. | 30 days (HIPAA) | — |
| Idaho | No state cap — HIPAA reasonable cost-based fee | No state rule; HIPAA cost-based fee applies. | 30 days (HIPAA) | — |
| Illinois | 2026: $1.38/page (pages 1-25), $0.92/page (26-50), $0.46/page (over 50); electronic copies 50% of the paper rate | Electronic records may be charged 50% of the paper per-page rate (about $0.69 / $0.46 / $0.23 per page in 2026 by calculation); this includes the CD/DVD or other media. Records must be provided electronically when requested. | 30 days | One complete copy free when used to support a claim for federal veterans' disability, Social Security/SSI, or Aid to the Aged, Blind, or Disabled benefits; updated records not in the original copy free with a valid authorization; the handling fee may not be collected from a personal representative obtaining a deceased patient's records under 8-2001.5. Indigent mental-health recipients get one free copy on written request (740 ILCS 110/4). |
| Indiana | $1.00/page (pages 1-10), $0.50/page (11-50), $0.25/page (51+), plus up to $20 labor fee | Cost-based (HIPAA) | 30 days | — |
| Iowa | No state per-page cap found; HIPAA reasonable cost-based fee applies | HIPAA applies: cost-based fee for labor, supplies and postage; no search or retrieval fee. | 30 days (HIPAA) | — |
| Kansas | Capped by Board of Healing Arts regulation (reviewed for inflation at least every two years) | Cost-based (HIPAA) | 30 days | If a court finds a provider failed to comply without just cause, the records must be produced without cost to the prevailing party. |
| Kentucky | First copy free; additional copies up to $1.00 per page | Not addressed by KRS 422.317; HIPAA cost-based limits apply to electronic copies. | 30 days (HIPAA) | A hospital or health care provider must give the patient one copy of the medical record free on written request. |
| Louisiana | $1.00/page (pages 1-25), $0.50/page (26-350), $0.25/page (over 350), plus up to $25 handling charge and actual postage | Records kept digitally must be provided digitally if requested, at the same per-page rate but capped at $100 plus actual postage; digital imaging media capped at $200 plus postage. X-ray/imaging handling charge: $20 for hospitals, $10 for other providers. | 15 days | A certification page attesting to completeness is free on request. Providers may waive or reduce fees when assisting with Social Security or Medicaid applications. |
| Maine | $5 first page + $0.45 each additional page (paper), max $250 | Must be provided electronically if the record exists electronically and it is reasonably possible; charge limited to actual staff time, supplies and postage, capped at $150, with no retrieval fee or technology/storage costs. | 30 days (HIPAA) | — |
| Maryland | Greater of $0.50 per page or a $5 flat fee, plus actual postage (CPI-adjustable) | The 2021 amendment repealed the separate electronic-copy fee schedule; the same base fee applies, and HIPAA's cost-based limits apply to HIPAA-covered providers. | 21 business days | No fee for copies used to support a claim or appeal under the Social Security Act or a state needs-based benefit program when requested by the patient, the patient's personal representative, a nonprofit legal-services or volunteer representative, or (since Oct. 1, 2024) the patient's attorney. |
| Massachusetts | $0.50 per page for first 100 pages, $0.25 per page after, plus $15 base charge and postage (CPI-adjustable) | Cost-based (HIPAA) | 30 days (HIPAA) | No fee may be charged when records are requested to support a claim or appeal under the Social Security Act or a federal or state needs-based benefit program. |
| Michigan | 2026: $1.60/page (pages 1–20), $0.80/page (21–50), $0.32/page (51+); no initial fee for patients | For records in a medium other than paper, the actual cost of preparing a duplicate. | 30 days | All fees must be waived for a medically indigent individual (one free set per provider); provider may require proof of public assistance. |
| Minnesota | $1 per page + $10 retrieval/copying fee (paper), with tiered caps up to $500 | A total of $20 for retrieving electronic copies; x-rays a total of $30. | 30 days | No fee when a patient requests records to review current medical care. For a Social Security disability appeal, only a $10 retrieval fee may be charged — and no fee at all if the patient receives public assistance (with proof such as an SSA benefits statement). |
| Mississippi | $20 for pages 1–20, $1.00/page for pages 21–100, $0.50/page after; +10% postage/handling | Cost-based (HIPAA) | 30 days (HIPAA) | — |
| Missouri | $0.70 per page (2026 CPI-adjusted rate) | Same $30.32 + $0.70/page, or $132.89 total, whichever is less (when the provider keeps records fully in an EHR and you accept its electronic format). | 30 days (HIPAA) | — |
| Montana | $0.50 per page (paper copy) | Cost-based (HIPAA) | 10 days | Examining (inspecting) records during regular business hours is free. |
| Nebraska | $0.50 per page | Cost-based (HIPAA) | 30 days | Free when the patient requests records to support an application or appeal for child assistance, Medicaid (Medical Assistance Act), or Social Security Title II, XVI or XVIII benefits, with a statement from the agency. |
| Nevada | $0.60 per page (photocopies) | For electronically maintained records, the lesser of $40 or $0.60 per page; non-government custodians may charge a $5 minimum. | 10 business days | Free when records are needed to support a Social Security or other needs-based benefit claim or appeal (with documentation); due within 30 days and cannot be denied for inability to pay. A second copy for the same claim may cost up to $0.60/page. |
| New Hampshire | Requestor paper copies: $5 first page, $0.41/page (pp. 2–50), $0.30/page (51+); patient's own copies follow HIPAA | Requestor electronic copies: reasonable rate not to exceed $50; records stored electronically must be provided electronically unless paper is requested. | 30 days (HIPAA) | Free if not provided to a requestor within 30 days (absent force majeure); follow-up copies needed to complete an incomplete copy are free; transfers to the patient's health care provider are free. |
| New Jersey | $1 per page or $50 for the whole record (per admission at hospitals), whichever is less | Same caps apply; X-rays and other images: up to $15 per printed image or $30 per CD/DVD, plus a $10 administrative fee | 30 days | Free if you cannot pay and show income at or below 250% of the federal poverty level or enrollment in programs such as SNAP, SSI, Medicaid, or NJ FamilyCare; also free for certain Social Security disability claimants. Hospital billing records are free. |
| New Mexico | Physicians: max $30 for the first 15 pages, then $0.25 per page | Electronic records and other formats such as x-rays: actual cost of reproduction | 30 days (HIPAA) | — |
| New York | $0.75 per page (paper copies), not more than the provider's actual cost | No state per-page rate for electronic copies found; HIPAA's reasonable cost-based fee applies | 10 days | No charge when the records are needed to support an application, claim or appeal for a government benefit or program; access cannot be denied solely because of inability to pay |
| North Carolina | $0.75/page for pages 1–25, $0.50/page for pages 26–100, $0.25/page over 100; minimum fee up to $10 | No separate state rate for electronic copies found; HIPAA's reasonable cost-based fee rules apply to patient access requests | 30 days (HIPAA) | — |
| North Dakota | Paper: up to $20 for the first 25 pages, then $0.75/page; electronic: up to $30 for the first 25 pages, then $0.25/page | Up to $30 for the first 25 pages, then $0.25 per page | 30 days (HIPAA) | A free copy must be provided to another health care provider when needed for the patient's continuing care |
| Ohio | Reasonable, cost-based fee, not above Ohio's annually adjusted per-page caps; no search fee for patients; electronic copies max $50 total | Digital or electronically transmitted records: total cost including related services may not exceed $50 | 30 days (HIPAA) | One free copy (plus later treatment records) when the patient needs it for a Social Security Title II or XVI claim and includes proof the claim was filed; also free to BWC/Industrial Commission, Medicaid/county JFS and the Attorney General for crime-victim claims |
| Oklahoma | $0.50 per page (paper); $0.30 per page electronic, max $200 | $0.30 per page for records reproduced from an electronic health record and requested/delivered electronically, total not to exceed $200 plus postage or delivery | 30 days (HIPAA) | — |
| Oregon | Up to $30 for the first 10 pages, $0.50 per page for pages 11–50, $0.25 per page after that | No Oregon-specific electronic rate found; HIPAA cost-based limits apply. Films/x-rays and other non-written records: actual reproduction cost. | 30 days | Oregon Medical Board licensees may not deny a patient copies or summaries because of inability to pay. |
| Pennsylvania | 2026 maximums: $2.00/page (pages 1–20), $1.48/page (21–60), $0.52/page (61+); no search fee for your own records | State per-page maximums apply to paper or electronic reproductions; for a patient's own electronic copy, HIPAA limits the fee to labor cost (no search/retrieval). | 30 days (HIPAA) | — |
| Rhode Island | Statutory cap: up to $25 handling (incl. retrieval and shipping) plus $0.50/page for the first 100 pages and $0.25/page after, page charges capped at $100; patients cannot be charged retrieval or certifying fees | Electronic copies: handling fee up to $25 inclusive of shipping, data retrieval and storage device, plus the same per-page rates; a $10 special handling fee is allowed for delivery within 48 hours. | 30 days | No charge for school-entry immunization records; records supporting Social Security or other needs-based benefit claims or appeals (e.g., Medical Assistance, RIte Care, TDI, unemployment); civil court certification or workers' compensation claims; and provider-to-provider transfers for consultation. |
| South Carolina | July 1, 2026 maximums: $0.90/page for the first 30 pages, $0.68/page after, plus up to a $34.76 clerical fee | Same per-page and clerical maximums; total capped at $208.63 per request for electronic records (paper: $278.16), plus postage and sales tax. Records may be provided electronically only if stored electronically and producible at no added cost. | 30 days (HIPAA) | Free when the patient is referred to another provider for continuing treatment of a specific condition (§ 44-115-80(B)). No search fee may be charged to a patient when no record is found. |
| South Dakota | Paper: up to $10 for the first 10 pages, then $0.33 per page; electronic: up to $0.25 per page | Up to $0.25 per page; imaging on CD/DVD/portable media up to $15; printed imaging up to $10. Patient-portal access must be free. | 30 days (HIPAA) | No fee may be charged to access records through a patient portal (SDCL § 36-2-16.3). |
| Tennessee | Your own records: HIPAA cost-based (labor, supplies, postage). Other requesters: paper $25 for up to 5 pages + $0.50/page after; electronic $25 for up to 10 pages + $0.25/page, max $90 | Electronic copy must be provided on request if records are kept electronically. Patient's own: HIPAA cost-based. Others: up to $25 for 10 pages or less, $0.25/page after, $90 maximum; imaging $25 per CD/DVD/USB or $15 by email/portal. | 10 business days | No fee for records requested by the Department of Health during a complaint, inspection or survey. |
| Texas | Physicians: $25 for first 20 pages, then $0.50/page; hospitals: up to $30 base (includes first 10 pages) + $1/page (11-60), $0.50/page (61-400), $0.25/page after, CPI-adjusted | Physicians: max $25 for 500 pages or less, $50 for more than 500 pages. Hospitals: retrieval/processing fee up to $75 (statutory base amount, CPI-adjusted) plus actual delivery cost. | 15 business days | Hospitals may not charge a patient to examine their own records, for an itemized bill (with a limited exception), or for workers' compensation information except as the Labor Code allows. |
| Utah | Your own records: reasonable, cost-based fee (HIPAA). Attorneys and other third parties (2026): $0.65/page for the first 40 pages, $0.39/page after, plus a $36.53 locating fee | Electronic copies for third-party requests are charged at 50% of the per-page fee (2026 Utah courts fee table). | 30 days (HIPAA) | — |
| Vermont | $0.50 per page or a $5 flat fee, whichever is greater | Not addressed by name; X-rays, films, disks, tapes and other formats may be billed at a fee reasonably related to cost. For patient requests to HIPAA covered entities, HIPAA's cost-based limit also applies. | 30 days (HIPAA) | No charge for records requested to support a claim or appeal under the Social Security Act or any other federal or State needs-based benefit or program. |
| Virginia | Patient's own request: reasonable cost-based fee (copying supplies/labor + postage). Litigation requests: $0.50/page (first 50), $0.25/page after, + up to $20 search/handling | Patient's own request: same cost-based standard. Litigation requests: $0.37/page (first 50), $0.18/page after, up to $20 search/handling, total capped at $160 per request; imaging up to $25 per study plus up to $10 search/handling. | 30 days | Under § 8.01-413, one free copy per calendar year of electronic health records for certain Social Security or needs-based benefit claims. |
| Washington | $1.24 per page for the first 30 pages, $0.94 per page after that | WAC 246-08-400 sets no separate electronic rate; HIPAA-covered entities may not charge fees HIPAA does not authorize (45 CFR 164.524 cost-based limits apply). | 15 business days | One free copy (paper or electronic, provider's choice) if you are appealing a denial of federal SSI or Social Security disability benefits; not required again if a free copy was given within the preceding two years. |
| West Virginia | Patients: HIPAA cost-based fee (no fixed per-page cap); non-patient requesters: up to $0.40/page paper, $0.20/page electronic (CPI-adjusted), plus $20 search/handling | Records stored electronically are delivered electronically unless paper is requested; for non-patient requesters, max $0.20/page and $150 total including search fee (plus taxes). | 30 days | No charge to an indigent person (or authorized representative) for records needed to support a Social Security Act claim or appeal; limited to one set per provider. |
| Wisconsin | Paper: $1.48/page for pages 1–25, $1.10 for 26–50, $0.72 for 51–100, $0.42 for 101+ (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027) | The statute's fee list does not include electronic formats; the 2025 annotation to § 146.83 summarizes Banuelos (2023 WI 25) as barring fees for electronic-format records. | 30 days (HIPAA) | No fully free category. Medical assistance (Medicaid) patients: no more than 25% of the applicable fee for one set. SSDI/SSI denial appeals: no more than what the Social Security Administration reimburses for copies. |
| Wyoming | No state per-page cap; HIPAA reasonable cost-based fee applies | HIPAA cost-based fee (labor, supplies, postage) applies; no state rule. | 30 days | — |
Lowest starting per-page rates
- California — $0.25/page
- New Mexico — $0.25/page
- South Dakota — $0.33/page
- New Hampshire — $0.41/page
- Maine — $0.45/page
Starting rate only; many schedules are tiered by page count and add a flat or handling fee.
Common questions
How much do medical records cost?
It depends on the state and on who is asking. 45 of 50 states set their own copy-fee rules; elsewhere HIPAA limits a patient's own request to a reasonable, cost-based fee for copying labor, supplies, and postage. Among states that set a per-page rate, the starting rate runs from $0.25 (California) to $2.00 (Pennsylvania), and many add a flat or handling fee.
Can a provider charge a search or retrieval fee for my own records?
Not under HIPAA. For a patient's own request, a provider may charge only for the labor of copying, supplies, and postage — not for searching for or retrieving the records. Some state schedules include a search or handling fee that applies only to attorneys, insurers, and other third parties; each state page says which.
Are medical records ever free?
Yes. 33 states require free copies in at least some situations — most often when the records support a Social Security or other benefits claim, or when the patient cannot pay. The table lists them.
Can a provider refuse to release my records because I owe money?
Not for unpaid treatment bills. Under HIPAA your right of access does not depend on paying an outstanding balance, though a provider may require the permitted copy fee for the copies themselves.
The federal rule
HIPAA's fee limit for a patient's own request is in 45 CFR § 164.524(c)(4). See the state guides for deadlines and other rules, or the records-access hub for how to request your records.