How to request assessment data from your local assessor

Last updated 2026-07-10

What is a public records request for assessment data?

A public records request is a written ask to a government office for records it holds. Every state has a statute forcing local governments, county assessors and appraisal districts included, to hand over most of the records they create and keep. ^[1] The names differ (freedom of information request, open records request, sunshine request), but the right is the same.

Here is why this matters for your tax bill. Assessors hold a mountain of data that never shows up on the notice in your mailbox. Field inspection cards, sales ratio studies, comparable sales databases, mass appraisal software settings, and the full assessment roll for every parcel in the county are all government records. Most of it is already public by law. You just have to ask for it.

The payoff is concrete. A field card (also called a property record card) lists what the assessor thinks your home contains: square footage, bedroom count, basement finish, year built, quality grade. One wrong number on that card can win your appeal by itself. A sales ratio study shows whether the assessor is systematically pricing your neighborhood above what homes actually sell for. Appeals boards respect that kind of systemic evidence because it comes from the county's own math.

Appeal firms send these requests as a matter of routine. Nothing stops a homeowner from doing the exact same thing.

Which state law governs your public records request?

Your state's open records statute governs, not the federal one. The federal Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. § 552) reaches only federal agencies, so it does nothing against a county assessor. ^[2] You need the law your state passed.

The names run all over the map. California calls it the California Public Records Act (Government Code § 6250 et seq.). Texas uses the Texas Public Information Act (Government Code Chapter 552). New York has the Freedom of Information Law (Public Officers Law Article 6). Illinois uses the Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140). Florida's Government-in-the-Sunshine Law (Chapter 119, Florida Statutes) is one of the broadest anywhere and lists property appraisal records as public. ^[3]

Response deadlines vary too. The table below lays out the response windows for several large states.

State	Statute	Business days to respond	Cost cap per page
California	Gov. Code § 6253	10 days (+ 14-day extension)	Actual cost of duplication
Texas	Gov't Code § 552.228	10 business days	$0.10/page standard
Florida	Fla. Stat. § 119.07	"Promptly" (no hard deadline)	Actual cost
New York	Pub. Officers Law § 89	5 business days to acknowledge; 20 to produce	$0.25/page
Illinois	5 ILCS 140/3	5 business days (+ 5-day extension)	$0.15/page B&W
Georgia	O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71	3 business days to respond	$0.10/page

If you cannot name your state's statute, look it up. Every state attorney general's office publishes a plain-language summary of open records rights. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press keeps a free 50-state guide at rcfp.org. ^[4]

One thing before you draft anything. Many counties now post a big chunk of assessment data online through a parcel search portal. Check the assessor's website first. What you can download for free in two minutes never needs a formal request.

What assessment records should you actually request?

This is where most homeowners blow it. They ask vaguely for "information about my property" and get back their own assessment notice, which they already have. A precise request gets usable evidence. A sloppy one wastes a week.

Here are the records worth naming by name.

Property record card (field inspection card) for your parcel. This is the assessor's internal record of your home's physical traits. It carries errors more often than you'd guess, and errors in your favor are the easiest wins in the appeal business.

Sales data for comparable properties. Ask for all arm's-length sales in your neighborhood (name the subdivision or set a radius) for the 12 to 24 months before your assessment date. Request address, sale date, sale price, and assessed value at the time of sale. That is the raw material for a comp-based appeal.

The full assessment roll for your neighborhood or tax district. This lists every parcel, its assessed value, and often its physical traits. It shows whether your property carries a heavier rate than similar neighbors, which is an equity argument in most states.

Sales ratio study or equalization study. Many assessors have to produce these internally, and some states make the revenue department audit them. ^[5] A sales ratio study measures assessed values against actual sale prices across thousands of deals. If your county's median ratio is 0.95 and yours is 1.12, that is hard evidence of overassessment.

Mass appraisal model or CAMA (computer-assisted mass appraisal) parameters. This one is advanced. CAMA systems set values with statistical models. Get the model's inputs (depreciation tables, neighborhood adjustment factors, cost schedules) and you can sometimes prove the model produces wrong results for your property type.

Any field inspection notes or photographs. If an assessor visited, their notes are a record. If those notes describe features your home does not have, you now hold documentary proof of error.

You don't need everything at once. Start with the property record card and the comparable sales data. Those two handle 80 percent of residential appeals.

How do you write a public records request that actually works?

Keep it short, specific, and in writing. Most states accept email. A few counties still want a mailed letter, but most take email to a general records or assessor inbox.

Here is the structure that gets results:

1. Name the statute and section number for your state. 2. Identify the records by type, date range, and parcel number or address. Use the assessor's own words. "Property record card" beats "the file about my house." 3. Request records in electronic format where available. Electronic delivery is usually free. Paper costs per page. 4. Ask for a fee estimate before records are produced. Most states make agencies warn you when costs will pass a threshold (often $25 to $50) before they proceed. 5. Include your contact information and a response deadline tied to the statute.

A clean example opening: "Pursuant to [State] [Statute Name and Section], I request the following public records in electronic format at no charge where available: (1) the property record card for parcel [number], (2) all arm's-length residential sales recorded in [neighborhood/subdivision] from [date] to [date], including address, sale date, sale price, and assessed value at time of sale. Please notify me before incurring any reproduction costs."

That is the whole thing. No jargon. No essay about why you want it.

Send it to the assessor's office directly, not the tax collector or county clerk. Some counties have a dedicated public records officer, so check the assessor's website for the right email. If you can't find one, the county's main records officer will route it.

Keep a copy of every request and every response. If the agency blows its statutory deadline, most states let you complain to the state attorney general, and that complaint often shakes loose a fast reply.

How much does a public records request cost?

For digital records, usually nothing. Most states make agencies produce electronically stored records in electronic format without a per-page fee, because copying a file costs the county nothing. ^[3] Ask for the spreadsheet and you often pay zero.

Paper is where costs show up, and states cap those. Texas caps standard black-and-white copies at $0.10 per page. ^[6] Illinois caps them at $0.15 per page. New York allows $0.25 per page. Florida charges actual cost of duplication, which in practice means whatever running the copier costs.

Ask for electronic records and, if the assessor's data lives in a spreadsheet or database, request a CSV or Excel file. That should come free. The expensive path is paper copies or a huge volume of documents that eat staff time to compile. Some states let agencies bill staff time past a threshold. Illinois gives you the first 8 hours free. Some states set no threshold at all.

The practical move: ask specifically for electronic records, offer to accept a CSV or Excel export of the sales database, and demand a fee estimate before anything gets printed. For most residential appeals, total cost lands between $0 and $20.

What if the assessor denies your request or claims the records are exempt?

Denial happens, but it is rarer for assessment data than for personnel files or police records. Assessment records sit outside the sensitive exemptions in nearly every state's open records law.

Get the denial in writing. Most state statutes require a written denial that cites the exact statutory exemption the agency is invoking. ^[1] No specific exemption cited usually means the denial is improper.

The legitimate exemptions you might actually hit: certain personal financial information (though assessed value itself is public), active litigation records, and draft documents not yet finalized. A completed assessment roll is not a draft. A certified sales database is not confidential financial information in the sense that matters here.

If the denial looks wrong, your options run in order of cost and effort. First, appeal to the agency's records officer or the county attorney, quoting the statute. Second, file a complaint with the state attorney general's open records division, which is free and usually clears things up quickly. Third, sue in state court to compel production. Option three is rarely needed for assessment records and makes sense mostly for a self-represented commercial appeal with real money on the line.

There is a shortcut that skips the formal request. Many assessors post the full assessment roll as a bulk download, especially in larger counties. Cook County in Illinois, Los Angeles County, and plenty of others publish downloadable parcel databases with assessed values and property characteristics for every parcel. Check before you write a formal request.

How do you use comparable sales data from the assessor to appeal?

Once you have the sales data, build a comp table. The goal is simple: show that homes like yours, in size, age, condition, and location, sold for less per square foot than your assessed value implies.

Filter the sales to your neighborhood or a half-mile radius. Cut anything that clearly isn't arm's-length: foreclosures, sales between relatives, transfers at $0 or $1. Most states define arm's-length sale in their assessment code, and some assessors flag non-arm's-length deals right in the database.

From what's left, pick three to five properties that resemble yours in gross living area (within 15 to 20 percent), similar lot size, similar age, and same general condition if you can tell. Calculate the assessed value per square foot for each comp and set it next to yours. If your number runs consistently higher, that gap is your evidence.

Many boards also accept your own recent purchase price as a comp. If you paid $340,000 for a house assessed at $390,000, that arm's-length purchase is among the strongest evidence you can bring. The International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) standard says assessments should land within a coefficient of dispersion (COD) that reflects uniform treatment across similar properties. ^[5] Show that your assessment ratio beats the neighborhood median by more than 10 to 15 percent and you have an equity argument stacked on top of a value argument.

Check the assessor's own appeal instructions for what the local board expects. Gwinnett County's assessor in Georgia publishes specific guidance on the evidence it accepts. Bexar County in Texas runs under the Texas Property Tax Code, which sets its own rules for comp evidence.

If you want a structured way to turn all this into a finished appeal, the TaxFightBack DIY appeal kit walks through comp selection and the formal submission step by step, so you keep 100 percent of any tax savings.

For LA County property tax or Santa Clara property tax owners, the county portals already publish parcel-level data that partly substitutes for a formal request, though a formal request often pulls more granular sales detail.

Can you request assessment data for a neighbor's property?

Yes, in virtually every state. Assessed values are public records. They sit on the tax roll, a public document by design, because the whole taxing system depends on public oversight. ^[7]

What you can pull for any parcel: assessed value, property address, owner name (some states allow name redaction on request), property characteristics from the record card, and the tax bill amount.

What you usually cannot pull: the owner's personal financial information, any application for a homestead or income-based exemption (some states keep the supporting documents confidential even when the exemption itself is public), and sometimes the owner's mailing address if it differs from the property address.

This access is the engine of an equity appeal. If your neighbor's house is bigger, newer, and assessed for less than yours, that is an equity argument that writes itself. Pull three or four neighbors from the public roll, compare assessed values per square foot, and you have the spine of your case.

For Montgomery County property tax in Maryland, Hennepin County in Minnesota, and most large metro counties, the full assessment roll is searchable online for free. The formal request earns its keep when you want the underlying sales database or field inspection cards, which don't always live in the online portal.

How do sales ratio studies reveal systematic overassessment?

A sales ratio study measures a property's assessed value against its eventual sale price across a large sample. The math is plain: assessed value divided by sale price. A ratio of 1.0 means dead-on accuracy. A ratio above 1.0 means overassessment.

The IAAO publishes standards for what an acceptable ratio looks like. Its Standard on Ratio Studies holds that the median assessment level should sit between 0.90 and 1.10 for most jurisdictions, and the coefficient of dispersion (a uniformity measure) should be 15 percent or less for residential property in heterogeneous areas. ^[5]

Many state revenue departments run mandatory ratio studies of each county and publish them. Illinois publishes annual sales ratio studies by county through its Department of Revenue. California's State Board of Equalization reviews county assessments. New York's Office of Real Property Tax Services publishes equalization rates by municipality.

Show that your county's published study reveals systematic overvaluation in your neighborhood and that evidence carries real weight at a hearing, because it comes from the government's own analysis, not from an appraiser you hired.

Requesting the most recent ratio study from the assessor is a legitimate public records request. If the assessor never produced one internally, ask whether the state revenue department's study is on file. That document is almost certainly public.

How long does it take to get assessment records, and what if the deadline passes?

Most states give agencies five to ten business days to respond, with one possible extension. Georgia's law demands a response within three business days, among the shortest windows in the country. Florida's law says "promptly," which in practice runs from days to a few weeks depending on the county. ^[3]

If the deadline passes with no response and no written extension notice, send a follow-up email citing the deadline and the statute. Something like: "My request dated [date] falls under [Statute]. The [X]-business-day response window expired on [date]. Please advise on the status."

Still nothing? Contact the state attorney general's open government division. Most AG offices run a dedicated unit for this. Filing a complaint is free and usually triggers a call from the county attorney within days.

Time the request against your appeal deadline. Property tax appeal deadlines are hard in most states, running 30 to 90 days after the assessment notice is mailed. If your deadline is 30 days out and you send a records request today, some jurisdictions give you a shot at an extension when records don't arrive in time, but don't bet on it. Send the request the day your assessment notice lands, or sooner if you can.

Are there limits on what the assessor has to give you?

A handful of legitimate limits exist.

Personal privacy exemptions. Owner contact information (mailing addresses, phone numbers) may be redacted in some states if the owner asked for confidentiality or counts as a protected person (judges, law enforcement). Assessed value and property characteristics are almost never exempt.

Pending litigation. If a parcel is in active litigation, some assessors claim its records are exempt as attorney-client material or work product. This argument is stronger for commercial properties than for standard residential parcels.

Draft or deliberative records. An assessor might argue that an internal working analysis used before finalizing an assessment is a protected draft. Finalized assessment rolls and property record cards are not drafts.

Trade secrets in CAMA software. If the assessor runs proprietary mass appraisal software, the vendor's algorithm may be exempt. The inputs and outputs used for your specific property are not the vendor's trade secret. They are your assessment record.

Proprietary bulk data. Some counties charge a higher fee for bulk parcel exports and treat them as a commercial product rather than a simple records request. Bibb County's assessor in Georgia and many rural counties fit this pattern. The fee is usually modest, but budget for it if you want the whole roll.

The National Freedom of Information Coalition tracks common exemption disputes state by state at nfoic.org. ^[8]

What should you do with the records once you have them?

Sort the records into two piles: evidence of error and evidence of overvaluation.

Evidence of error comes from the property record card. If the card claims a finished basement you don't have, document it with photos and a written description of the actual space. If it shows 2,200 square feet and you measure 1,950, grab a tape and a floor plan. Physical errors on the record card can cut assessed value by far more than comparable sales adjustments ever will.

Evidence of overvaluation comes from the sales data and the ratio study. Build a simple table: your assessed value per square foot, then three to five comparable sales with their own assessed value per square foot at the time of sale. If yours runs 12 percent higher, that spread is your argument.

Most boards want evidence in a specific format. Check your assessor's appeal instructions. Some counties hand out their own evidence forms. Others take a written statement with attachments.

For NYC property tax appeals, the process runs through the NYC Tax Commission with evidence rules that differ from most other places. For St. Louis County personal property tax, the process and the records you need differ from real estate appeals.

If you want the TaxFightBack appeal kit, now is the moment. It includes templates for the records request, the comp table, and the formal submission, so the data you just gathered flows straight into a finished filing.

One last thing: keep copies of everything. If the assessor amends your value after the appeal, you want a record of the original assessment and every piece of evidence you submitted.

Frequently asked questions

Does the federal Freedom of Information Act let me request county assessor records?

No. The federal FOIA (5 U.S.C. § 552) covers only federal agencies. County assessors are local government offices, so you need your state's open records law. Every state has one. The name varies: Public Records Act, Freedom of Information Act, Sunshine Law, or Open Records Act depending on the state. Your state attorney general's website will name the right statute.

What is a property record card and why do I want it?

A property record card, sometimes called a field card or data card, is the assessor's internal record of your property's physical characteristics: square footage, room count, construction quality grade, basement finish, outbuildings, and year built. If the card contains errors, those errors inflate your assessment. Correcting them is often the fastest path to a lower assessment, because it does not require a market argument, just proof of what your property actually contains.

How do I find my state's open records law?

Search for your state name plus "public records law" or "open records act" on your state attorney general's website, which publishes a plain-language guide in every state. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press also maintains a free 50-state open records guide at rcfp.org. You need the state statute, not the federal FOIA, for any local government records request.

Can I request assessment records for properties other than my own?

Yes. Assessment rolls are public records in every state, so assessed values, property characteristics, and tax amounts for any parcel are available to anyone. You need this access to build an equity argument: if similar neighboring properties are assessed at lower rates per square foot, that disparity is evidence of unequal treatment. Some states redact owner mailing addresses, but assessed values and property characteristics are almost never exempt.

How long does the assessor have to respond to my records request?

It depends on state law. Georgia requires a response within three business days. Illinois and New York give agencies five business days to acknowledge and up to 20 business days to produce records. California and Texas allow 10 business days with one extension. Florida has no hard deadline but requires a "prompt" response. If the agency misses its deadline, send a written follow-up citing the statute, and file a complaint with the state attorney general's open records division if needed.

Will the assessor charge me for assessment records?

For electronic records, usually nothing. Most states prohibit charging per-page fees for digital files because there is no duplication cost. Paper copies run $0.10 to $0.25 per page depending on state law. Staff time may be billed if the request requires extensive compilation, though some states exempt the first several hours. Ask for records in electronic format and request a fee estimate before anything is printed.

What is a sales ratio study and how does it help my appeal?

A sales ratio study compares assessed values to actual sale prices across thousands of transactions in a jurisdiction. The ratio is assessed value divided by sale price. The IAAO standard says residential assessments should fall within a median ratio of 0.90 to 1.10. If your county's study shows a median ratio above 1.0 for your neighborhood, it is the government's own evidence that properties like yours are being overvalued. You can request this study as a public record from the assessor or state revenue department.

What if the assessor denies my public records request?

Ask for the denial in writing with the specific statutory exemption cited. Most state laws require this. If the stated exemption does not apply to assessment records, appeal to the county records officer or county attorney. If that fails, file a free complaint with the state attorney general's open records or sunshine law division. Assessment data is rarely legitimately exempt, and AG complaints usually produce a fast resolution without litigation.

Can I use a public records request to get data before I file an appeal?

Yes, and you should. Send the request the day you receive your assessment notice, because appeal deadlines run from that notice date and are typically 30 to 90 days. Getting comparable sales data and your property record card before you file gives you time to evaluate whether your assessment is worth appealing and to build your evidence before the hearing, rather than scrambling after you have already filed.

What is CAMA data and can I request it?

CAMA stands for computer-assisted mass appraisal. Assessors use CAMA software to value all properties in a county using statistical models. The model's inputs and outputs for your property, including the cost schedules, depreciation tables, and neighborhood adjustment factors applied to your parcel, are government records you can request. The vendor's proprietary algorithm itself may be exempt as a trade secret, but the specific values applied to your property are your assessment record.

Does requesting assessment records create any risk for my appeal?

No. Making a public records request does not trigger a reassessment or flag your property for a field inspection. Assessors receive records requests routinely and have no legal basis to retaliate. The only practical risk is timing: if you request records and get them after your appeal deadline, you may miss your window. Send the request immediately after receiving your notice so you have data before the deadline closes.

How do I know which comparable sales to pick once I have the data?

Filter for arm's-length sales in your neighborhood within 12 to 24 months before your assessment date. Remove foreclosures, estate sales, and related-party transfers. Then pick three to five properties with gross living area within 15 to 20 percent of yours, similar lot size, age, and general location. Calculate assessed value per square foot for each. If your ratio is materially higher, that spread is your comparable equity evidence.

Do I need a lawyer or appraiser to make a public records request?

No. Public records requests are designed for the public. Any person can submit one directly to the assessor's office by email or mail. No legal training is required, and agencies cannot require you to explain why you want the records in most states. A clear, specific written request citing the state statute is all you need. Legal help makes sense only if the agency improperly denies a request and you need to pursue it in court.

Sources

1. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Information Policy: Overview of the Freedom of Information Act: FOIA covers federal agencies only; state and local agencies are governed by state open records laws
2. Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute: 5 U.S.C. § 552: The federal Freedom of Information Act applies to agencies of the federal government, not local governments
3. Florida Legislature: Chapter 119, Florida Statutes (Public Records Law): Florida's public records law explicitly covers property appraisal records and requires prompt production
4. Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press: Open Government Guide: 50-state guide to state open records laws, statutes, deadlines, and exemptions
5. International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO): Standard on Ratio Studies: IAAO standard holds median assessment ratios should be 0.90 to 1.10 and residential COD should be 15 percent or less in heterogeneous areas
6. Texas Legislature: Government Code Chapter 552 (Texas Public Information Act): Texas Public Information Act caps standard black-and-white paper copies at $0.10 per page and gives agencies 10 business days to respond
7. National Conference of State Legislatures: Property Tax Overview: Assessment rolls are public records in all states, reflecting the public oversight function of the property tax system
8. National Freedom of Information Coalition: NFOIC provides guidance on common state-level exemption disputes in public records law
9. California Legislative Information: Government Code (California Public Records Act, § 6250 et seq.): California Public Records Act gives agencies 10 days to respond with a possible 14-day extension; electronic records provided at actual cost of duplication
10. New York State Committee on Open Government: Freedom of Information Law, Public Officers Law Article 6: New York FOIL requires agencies to acknowledge requests within 5 business days and produce records within 20 business days; paper copies capped at $0.25 per page
11. Georgia General Assembly: O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71 (Open Records Act): Georgia's Open Records Act requires a response within three business days and caps paper copies at $0.10 per page