5 C.F.R. § 297.202 – Methods of access.

(a) The methods for allowing access to records, when such access has been granted by the Office or agency, are:
1. (1) Inspection in person in the designated office during the hours specified by the Office or agency; or
2. (2) Transfer of records at the option of the Office or agency to another more convenient Federal facility.
(b) Generally, Office of Personnel Management offices will not furnish certified copies of records. When copies are to be furnished, they may be provided as determined by the Office and may require payment of any fee levied in accordance with the Office's established fee schedule.
(c) When the requester seeks to obtain original documentation, the Office reserves the right to limit the request to copies of the original records. Original records should be made available for review only in the presence of the system manager or designee. An agency should consult with the Office when it receives a request for original documentation. Section 2701(a) of title 18 of the United States Code makes it a crime to conceal, mutilate, obliterate, or destroy any record filed in a public office, or to attempt to do so.