Federal law, specifically the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), requires that when parents or eligible students request inspection and review of education records, the educational institution must provide access to those records within a reasonable period of time, but not more than 45 days after receiving the request. Some states may have laws requiring a shorter timeframe, but the maximum federal limit is 45 days. The school must also respond to reasonable requests for explanations or interpretations of the records within this timeframe.