N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 18, § 340.6 – Requests for public access to records; procedure.

(1) A request for access to department records may be made by mail, in person or by telephone.
(2) The person making a request for access to records shall, to the best of his ability, supply information regarding dates, titles, file designations, or other information which may help identify the records.
(b) Manner of responding to records.
(1) Except under extraordinary circumstances, the records access officer shall transmit a response to a request for records within five business days after his receipt of the request, regardless of the manner in which the request was made. If, because of extraordinary circumstances, more than five business days are required to transmit a response to a request, acknowledgment of receipt of the request shall be transmitted within five business days after the request is received. The acknowledgment shall state the reason for delay and estimate the date when a reply will be made.
(2) A response shall state that the request for access or copies is granted or denied, or that the department is not the legal custodian of the record requested or that the record cannot be found. The response shall be in writing in all cases except where an oral request is granted.
(3) In complying with requests for copies of those records required by law to be made available, the records access officer shall make available upon payment of or offer to pay any fees required under this Part, one copy of the record requested, and, if the person making the request demonstrates good cause for needing additional copies and has no means of reproducing the record, a reasonable number of additional copies. Upon request, the records access officer shall certify that a transcript of a record which cannot be readily photocopied is a true copy of that record. A photocopy of a record shall be deemed to be a true copy thereof.
(4) Records shall be inspected in the presence of the records access officer, and shall not be removed from the office where they are kept without that officer's permission.

(a) Manner of making requests.