Freedom of Information Ontario: FIPPA and MFIPPA Deadlines, Fees, and Appeals

For requests made on or after July 1, 2026, Ontario institutions covered by FIPPA and MFIPPA generally have 45 business days, not the old 30 calendar days, to respond to a freedom of information request, and the request itself still costs a $5 application fee whether you are asking for general records or your own personal information.

Information last verified on 2026-09-24. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

This article addresses Ontario's provincial and municipal freedom of information regime under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), RSO 1990, c F.31, and the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA), RSO 1990, c M.56. It does not cover the federal Access to Information Act or Privacy Act, which apply only to federal institutions; see ATIP requests in Canada for those, or the access to information hub for other provinces. It also does not cover requesting your own health record from a hospital, doctor, or other health information custodian, which is a different regime under Ontario's Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA); see PHIPA explained and accessing your medical records in Canada for that.

The New 45 Business Day Deadline, Effective July 1, 2026

FIPPA section 26(1) requires the head of an institution to respond to a request "within 45 business days after the request is received," either giving notice of access or giving written notice of refusal. That 45 business day figure has been in force since July 1, 2026, under an amendment made by 2026, c. 2, Schedule 7, and the IPC states that it applies to requests made on or after that date.

Before that date, the general timeline was 30 calendar days, and Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner states the change directly in its own guidance: institutions were previously required to respond within 30 calendar days, and as of July 1, 2026, FIPPA and MFIPPA institutions are generally required to respond within 45 business days instead. The same amendment converted the Act's other statutory processing timelines from calendar days to business days as well, not just the headline response deadline.

This is worth stating plainly because the change is recent enough that a great deal of existing commentary, and even some government pages that have not been updated, may still describe the old 30 day rule. If a source you are reading does not carry a 2026 date, do not assume it reflects the current deadline.

Extensions, Including the New Second Extension

Section 27 lets the head of an institution extend the response deadline "for a period of time that is reasonable in the circumstances" where either of two grounds applies: the request is for a large number of records and meeting the original deadline would unreasonably interfere with the institution's operations, or consultations with a person outside the institution are necessary to comply with the request and cannot reasonably be completed in time.

The July 2026 amendment added something new on top of that. Section 27(1.1) now lets the head, once the time limit has been extended under section 27(1), extend it one additional time in any of these circumstances:

• The person who made the request consents to the extension.
• The number of records identified as responsive is significantly more than the number initially identified.
• Knowledgeable employees are unable to assist with the response, or additional consultations become necessary, provided that circumstance was not reasonably foreseeable when the first extension was taken.

MFIPPA section 20(1.1) contains the same three circumstances for municipal institutions.

Fees Under Regulation 460

The application fee is set by Regulation 460 under FIPPA. Section 5.2 sets it at $5, and that $5 fee applies to both a general access request and a request for your own personal information. That is a meaningful difference from the federal regime, where a Privacy Act request for your own personal information has no fee at all; Ontario does not carry that carve-out.

Beyond the flat application fee, sections 6 and 6.1 set additional charges that can apply once an institution starts processing a request. Section 6 covers general records requests. Section 6.1 covers a request for your own personal information, and it does not include the search and preparation charges:

For a personal information request, section 6.1 also allows $15 for each 15 minutes spent developing a computer program or other method of producing the information from a machine readable record, and costs the institution incurs in locating, retrieving, processing and copying the information if those costs are specified in an invoice the institution has received.

Section 7(1) allows the institution to require a deposit if its fee estimate reaches $100 or more: it can ask for half of the estimated amount before doing any further work on the request. This article did not locate a confirmed allowance for a set number of free search hours in Ontario's fee regulation; do not assume one applies here on the strength of a rule you may have seen for a different province.

Appeals to the Information and Privacy Commissioner

A person who disagrees with an institution's decision, whether that is a refusal, a fee, or an extension, can appeal to Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner. Regulation 460 sets the appeal fee itself: $25 to appeal a decision on a general access request, and $10 to appeal a decision on a request for your own personal information.

FIPPA section 50(2) sets the deadline: an appeal "shall be made within 30 business days after the notice was given of the decision appealed from by filing with the Commissioner written notice of appeal." MFIPPA section 39(2) uses the same 30 business day wording for municipal requests. A separate provision, FIPPA section 50(2.0.1), addresses cases where that time limit presents an accessibility barrier.

MFIPPA: The Same Rules for Municipal Institutions

MFIPPA governs requests to municipal bodies: cities and towns, police services boards, school boards, and conservation authorities, among others. Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner treats FIPPA and MFIPPA as amended together by the same July 2026 legislative wave, describing both Acts' institutions as generally required to respond within 45 business days.

That means the 45 business day deadline, the shift from calendar days to business days across other processing timelines, and the new second-extension rule described above apply to a request made to your municipality or local police services board the same way they apply to a request made to a provincial ministry. MFIPPA's own fee regulation, Regulation 823, sets the same figures as Regulation 460: a $5 application fee (section 5.2), appeal fees of $25 for a general request and $10 for a personal information request (section 5.3), 20 cents per page, $10 per digital storage device, and $7.50 for each 15 minutes of searching or preparing for a general records request (section 6), a personal information schedule with no search or preparation charges (section 6.1), and the same 50 per cent deposit once an estimate reaches $100 (section 7).

FIPPA/MFIPPA vs. PHIPA: Government Records vs. Health Records

A FIPPA or MFIPPA request goes to a government institution, such as a ministry, agency, municipality, or school board, for records that institution holds. That is a different regime from requesting your own health record from a hospital, doctor's office, or other health information custodian, which is governed by Ontario's Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) instead. If what you actually want is your own medical file, see PHIPA explained and accessing your medical records in Canada for how that separate process works, including its own fee and timeline rules.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information about Ontario's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, RSO 1990, c F.31, and Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, RSO 1990, c M.56, current as of September 2026, reflecting the deadline and extension amendments in force since July 1, 2026. It is not legal advice. It does not cover the federal Access to Information Act, other provinces, or Ontario's Personal Health Information Protection Act in depth. Consult the relevant institution, Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner, or a lawyer licensed in Ontario for advice on your specific situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does an Ontario institution have to respond to a freedom of information request?

Since July 1, 2026, FIPPA section 26(1) gives an institution 45 business days to respond. Before that date the general rule was 30 calendar days. If you see a source stating 30 days for Ontario without a 2026 date attached, it is describing the old rule.

How much does a freedom of information request cost in Ontario?

The application fee is $5 under Regulation 460, and that $5 fee applies whether you are requesting general records or your own personal information. Additional charges can apply once processing begins: 20 cents per page for copies, $10 per digital storage device, and, for a general records request only, $7.50 for each 15 minutes spent searching for or preparing a record. A request for your own personal information is not charged for search or preparation time.

Can an institution extend the 45 business day deadline?

Yes. Section 27 allows an extension where the request covers a large number of records or requires outside consultations. Since the July 2026 amendment, section 27(1.1) also permits one additional extension if the requester consents, if the number of responsive records is significantly more than first identified, or if an unforeseeable circumstance arises, such as knowledgeable employees being unable to assist or additional consultations becoming necessary.

Does the new 45 business day deadline apply to municipal requests too?

Yes. Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner treats FIPPA and MFIPPA as amended together, so a request to a municipality, police services board, school board, or conservation authority follows the same 45 business day deadline and the same business-day conversion as a request to a provincial ministry.

How much does it cost to appeal an Ontario freedom of information decision?

Regulation 460 sets the appeal fee at $25 for appealing a decision on a general access request, and $10 for appealing a decision on a request for your own personal information. An appeal must be filed within 30 business days after the notice of the decision was given, under FIPPA section 50(2) or MFIPPA section 39(2).

Is requesting my medical file the same as a FIPPA request?

No. Requesting your own health record from a hospital, doctor, or other health information custodian falls under Ontario's Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA), a separate regime from FIPPA and MFIPPA requests to government institutions.