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Getting your records — and the 30-day clock
Watch this episode on the MedicalRecords TV channel.
Full transcript below — no video required.
Under HIPAA you have the right to your own records, and providers have 30 days to respond. Here's how the right of access works and what to do if the clock runs out.
Transcript
You have a right to your own medical records. It's federal law — the HIPAA right of access, 45 CFR 164.524.
You don't have to explain why you want them. You ask, and the provider generally has 30 days to respond, with one permitted 30-day extension if they tell you in writing.
Any fee can only cover the cost of copying and postage — not a search fee, not a per-page markup beyond reason.
If the deadline passes and you've heard nothing, you can follow up in writing, and you can file a complaint with the HHS Office for Civil Rights. The clock is on their side to keep.
- Educator:
- Marcus Lee, health-information manager
- Review:
- Reviewed by a health-privacy attorney
- Published:
- 2026-06-08
- Last reviewed:
- 2026-06-08
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