Missouri fee increase challenged in court as illegal

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A state judge is considering whether the Department of Revenue violated the law by sharply raising the fees it charges for vehicle and driver's license records.

Effective this month, the state began charging $7 per record -- up from $1.25. It also did away with a discount that allowed bulk purchasers to get the records for a fraction of a penny.

In Cole County court on Thursday, attorneys for businesses that purchase the records asked for an injunction against the fee increase on the grounds that it violates Missouri's open-records law. That law limits the cost government can charge for copying records and providing them to the public.

Attorneys for the state argued the Sunshine Law does not apply to vehicle and driver's license records.