If a requester does not respond to an extension request, what happens to the OPRA request?

When a requester does not respond to an extension request under the Open Public Records Act (OPRA), the law stipulates that the request is deemed denied. This provision is in place to ensure clarity and accountability in the public records request process. If there is no communication from the requester, it implies that they do not wish to continue with the request or cannot agree to the extension, effectively leading to a denial of the original request for records.

This principle upholds the importance of timely responses and interactions between requesters and custodians of public records. If the custodian does not receive a reply within the specified timeframe for the extension, they are not obligated to proceed as if the request is still active; instead, they must treat it as a denial, allowing the requester to pursue further steps if desired. The other potential outcomes like fulfilling the request regardless or ignoring it do not align with OPRA's structured approach to handling requests and timelines.