Contact Us

You can contact the Office of the Public Access Ombudsman directly:

By Email: pia.ombuds@oag.state.md.us

By Phone: (410) 576-6560

By Mail: Office of the Public Access Ombudsman, c/o Office of the Attorney General, 200 St. Paul Place, Baltimore, Maryland 21202

By Twitter: @MPIA_Ombuds

Please click any of the following topical links to jump to the section of interest to you:

• PIA Dispute Resolution (Mediation)
• Make a PIA Request to the Ombudsman
• Training/Presentation Request
• Comments

PIA Dispute Resolution (Mediation)

General questions can be directed to the Ombudsman’s dedicated mailbox at pia.ombuds@oag.state.md.us. For instructions on how or to use the web form to submit a request for mediation assistance, please visit the Ombudsman’s Request Mediation page or download the Ombudsman’s Mediation Assistance Request Form.

Make a PIA Request to the Ombudsman

The Administrator is the PIA Custodian for records maintained by the Office of the Public Access Ombudsman. PIA requests can be submitted:

By Email: pia.ombuds@oag.state.md.us

By Mail: Office of the Public Access Ombudsman, c/o Office of the Attorney General, 200 St. Paul Place, Baltimore, Maryland 21202

Please include “PIA Request” in the subject line of your correspondence. Please note: records that pertain to mediation with the Ombudsman, whether actual or potential, are not public records and, pursuant to the Maryland Mediation Confidentiality Act, these records are not subject to disclosure under the PIA. See Md. Code Ann., Gen. Provisions §§ 4-101(k)(3)(ii) and 4-301(a)(2)(1); Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. §§ 3-1801(c) and 3-1803(a)(2).

The Ombudsman also maintains a list of readily available documents for the public to download free-of-charge in accordance with the Office’s Policy of Proactive Disclosure.

If you are looking to file a PIA request with another state, county, or local government agency, please refer to Appendix J of the PIA Manual for custodian contact information.

Training/Presentation Request

If you would like to request a training/presentation for your group or agency on the Public Information Act or the services offered by the Ombudsman, please send your request to pia.ombuds@oag.state.md.us with the following information:

• First & Last Name
• Group/Agency Name
• Email Address
• Phone Number
• Dates/Times Requested
• Location of Training/Presentation
• Estimated Group Size
• Specific Requests (including general topics and/or issues to be covered)

Please note: Due to staffing and resource limitations, the Ombudsman is unable to offer one-on-one specialized training. The Ombudsman does not offer certificates of course completion or continuing education unit (CEU) credits. The Ombudsman will not discuss during training any matter that may potentially become or is an active mediation with the Office of the Public Access Ombudsman. The information shared in these trainings is a public service and is not legal advice.

You may also visit the Ombudsman’s YouTube Channel to view video recordings of previous public trainings that are available to view at your convenience. Click here to learn more about and register for the Ombudsman’s upcoming brown bag virtual training on July 19 at 12:30pm covering “Making an Effective PIA Request.”

Comments or Suggestions

We want your feedback. In order to improve the Ombudsman’s program, we welcome your suggestions/comments/criticism on any PIA-related topic including the services offered by the Ombudsman. Thank you for helping us to improve the Public Access Ombudsman program. Please send an email to pia.ombuds@oag.state.md.us or fill out the form below: