(1) The department's records are diverse in nature and are preserved in a wide variety of formats. Thus, it would require significant time and resources to compile actual costs of providing records. The needed resources to do a cost study are not currently available and, therefore, the department finds that it would be unduly burdensome to calculate the actual costs of copying public records.

(2) The department may charge the default fees for copies of paper and electronic public records as established in RCW 42.56.120.

(3) No fee shall be charged for the inspection of public records.

(4) The public disclosure officer may waive fees for copies of public records when collecting the fees would not be cost effective to the department.

(5) Before beginning to copy public records, the public records officer may require:

(a) A deposit of up to ten percent of the estimated costs of copying all the records selected by the requestor;

(b) The payment of the remainder of the copying costs before providing all the records; or

(c) The payment of the costs of copying an installment before providing that installment.

(6) The department will not charge sales tax when it makes copies of public records.

(7) Payment must be made by cash in the exact amount charged, check, or money order to the department.