You name the public record. We get it.
FileChase drafts, files and chases public-records requests to state and local agencies, then sends you an indexed PDF set with a one-page summary. Flat $149 a request. Agency fees at cost, only with your OK.
Who it's for
Businesses that need agency records but don't have a person to write the request, track the deadlines and argue the fee estimate down.
Government contractors and capture teams
Price your next bid from what actually won the last one.
- Winning proposals and price sheets from awarded state and local RFPs
- Evaluation and scoring sheets, bid tabulations
- Executed contracts, amendments and incumbent pricing
- Vendor performance and contract spend records
Law firms
Agency files without tying up a paralegal for weeks.
- Agency incident and investigation records, where releasable
- 911 / CAD call logs and dispatch records
- Building permits, inspections and code-enforcement files
- Agency policies, training materials, contracts and prior complaints against a business
Journalists and researchers
The same records from one agency or forty, with the clock tracked for you.
- Multi-agency campaigns (the same contract or dataset from many cities)
- Datasets and exports in native format (Excel/CSV)
- Texas Attorney General ruling step handled
- Installment tracking on long productions
How it works
One request means one agency and one defined set of records. Everything below is included in the flat price.
Tell us the record
Agency, what you need, and any identifiers (solicitation number, permit number, address, date range). If it's already online, we send you the link and charge nothing.
We draft, you approve
A request written under that state's law: existing records only, electronic copies, an estimate before any cost. You approve the wording before we file.
We file and chase
By email or on the agency's portal. We track every statutory deadline, answer clarification questions, and push back on fee estimates. No fee is paid without your written OK.
You get the records
An indexed PDF set and native data files, a one-page summary of what came back and what was withheld (and the agency's stated reason), and the full correspondence trail.
Sample requests
The kind of orders we take. Each line is one request to one agency.
| Buyer | Request | Typical agency |
|---|---|---|
| Contractor | Winning proposal, pricing form and evaluation scores for a named janitorial RFP awarded last year | City purchasing office |
| Contractor | Bid tabulation and executed contract for a road-maintenance IDIQ, with all amendments | County or state DOT district |
| Contractor | Incumbent's current rate schedule and FY spend under an IT staffing contract | State agency or school district |
| Law firm | Building permits, inspection results and code-enforcement history for a commercial address, 2018 to date | City development services |
| Law firm | CAD call log and calls-for-service summary for a property address over a date range | Police department |
| Law firm | Agency policy and training materials on a named procedure, plus the vendor contract | City, county or state agency |
| Newsroom | The same towing or jail-services contract and rate sheet from 15 Texas cities | 15 city records offices (campaign) |
| Newsroom | An existing data export of license complaints and outcomes, 2022 to date | State licensing agency |
Pricing
Flat fees. Agency fees are passed through at cost, with no markup, and only after you approve the estimate in writing.
Single request
- Drafting, filing, follow-ups, two rounds of clarification
- Fee-estimate handling
- Indexed records plus a one-page summary
First request: $99. (One per organization.)
Start your $99 first requestStarter retainer
- 5 requests a month ($120 each)
- Unused requests roll over one month
- Cancel anytime by email
Standard retainer
- 10 requests a month ($100 each)
- Shared tracker view
- Filed within 1 business day of approval
Desk retainer
- 15 requests a month
- Priority filing and a monthly status call
- First cleanup of each data production
Campaigns (one request sent to 10 or more agencies): $99 per agency. Follow-on request to an agency the first one referred us to: $99.
Refunds. Full refund any time before we file, if the record turns out to be already online, or if we can't take the order. After filing, the fee covers the work. A slow agency, an exemption or a "no records" answer is not refunded, but if an agency produces nothing at all you get a $75 credit toward your next request. If we miss a deadline we control, we re-file free and refund you in full.
Why us
We have filed dozens of requests with agencies in Texas, California, Washington, Wisconsin, Colorado and Illinois: police departments, licensing boards, city clerks, courts' administrative offices, and transit and port authorities. We know where each one's records actually sit.
Next business day
A 6,700-case municipal court report, produced the morning after the request.
10-13 days
City and county datasets of 13,000 to 40,000 rows, one of them produced free.
$1.90 to $454
The range of the fee estimates we've seen. That's why nothing is paid without your written approval.
What we don't do
No legal advice
We're a records-retrieval service, not a law firm. We report what the agency said and why; we don't give opinions on how exemptions apply to your matter.
No litigation
No lawsuits, mandamus or court filings. If an agency won't comply, we document it and you decide with your own counsel.
Not your own records
Records released only to a named person (your own medical, personnel or crash records, for example) need your own identity. We take those only if you sign the request yourself, and never medical or criminal-history records.
No people-finding
We don't build lists of individuals and we never use records to contact anyone named in them.
FAQ
Can't I just request these myself?
Yes. Anyone can request public records, usually free or for the agency's copying cost. You're paying us for the time: finding the right custodian, writing a request the agency can't easily refuse, tracking the deadlines, answering clarifications, and pushing back on estimates.
Will the agency know who the client is?
No. We file in our own name. Note that request wording is often public (many portals publish requests), so we write it so it doesn't reveal your strategy.
Can I really get a competitor's winning proposal?
For state and local awards, proposals and pricing are generally obtainable after award. Vendors can object to parts as trade secrets. In Texas, that sends the question to the Attorney General, and we file comments in that process. We can't promise what the agency or the AG will release; we promise the request is filed right and chased to the end.
How long does it take?
It depends on the agency and the records. Simple records such as bid tabulations, award memos, signed contracts and purchase orders often arrive within 2-4 weeks. In our own requests, about a third produced records within 3 weeks and most within 6-8. Big police departments, Washington agencies and large California cities can take 2-4 months. In Texas, a competitor's full proposal can take 3-4 months if the vendor objects and the Attorney General rules. We tell you the realistic timeline before you pay.
What about agency fees?
Many requests cost nothing. When an agency sends an estimate, we try to narrow it, send it to you with a recommendation, and pay it only with your written approval, at cost.
What if the agency says no records exist, or withholds them?
You get the agency's letter, the exemptions it cited, and a summary. If nothing at all is produced, you get a $75 credit toward your next request.
Which states do you cover?
Texas, California, Washington and Wisconsin are routine. Most other states are fine, quoted at intake. A few states limit their records laws to their own residents; we'll tell you if that applies.
Are you affiliated with any government agency?
No. FileChase is a private service operated by TS LaGrange LLC in Austin, Texas.
Start a request
Tell us what you need. We reply within one business day with the scope, the realistic timeline and a payment link. Nothing is filed until you approve the wording.