State Public Records Laws

= The State FOIA/Public Records Project =

This page is dedicated to tracking state public records law. The table below gives an overview of state public records laws. For more details about individual states, see the individual pages below. There you will find information about the law, pending legislation, and new articles related to public records laws. This page was last updated August 2011.

= State Public Records Laws =

Criteria

 * Governor : Does the public have a right to access records maintained by the Office of the Governor, or the governor himself beyond state agencies?
 * Legislature : Does the state legislature subject itself to the FOIA/public record law?
 * Court : Can the public use the public records law to access court documents? (Note: Many states recognize a doctrine of separation of powers, which does not allow the legislature to set rules for how the court operates. States that do not subject courts to FOIA/public records requests may still make some court information public).
 * Advisory Committees : Are quasi-governmental advisory councils or committees subject to FOIA/public records requests? Is the definition of agency, government body, or government official employed by the act broad enough to include these boards?
 * Time? : Is there a specific time limit on how long an agency or government body has to respond to a request?
 * How much time? : What is the amount of time? (Note: N/A means that the state does not have a time limit)
 * Search Fee : While all states allow agencies or government bodies to charge fees to cover the cost of duplication, some states are allow to charge search fees that can become prohibitive to public access.
 * Commissioner or Ombudsman : Does the state have an independent mechanism for citizens to petition or resolve disputes with agencies?

= Individual State Laws =


 * Alabama Public Records Law
 * Alaska Public Records Law
 * Arizona Public Records Law
 * Arkansas Public Records Law
 * California Public Records Law
 * Colorado Public Records Law
 * Connecticut Public Records Law
 * Delaware Public Records Law
 * Florida Public Records Law
 * Georgia Public Records Law
 * Hawaii Public Records Law
 * Idaho Public Records Law
 * Illinois Public Records Law
 * Indiana Public Records Law
 * Iowa Public Records Law
 * Kansas Public Records Law
 * Kentucky Public Records Law
 * Louisiana Public Records Law
 * Maine Public Records Law
 * Maryland Public Records Law
 * Massachusetts Public Records Law
 * Michigan Public Records Law
 * Minnesota Public Records Law
 * Mississippi Public Records Law
 * Missouri Public Records Law
 * Montana Public Records Law
 * Nebraska Public Records Law
 * Nevada Public Records Law
 * New Hampshire Public Records Law
 * New Mexico Public Records Law
 * New Jersey Public Records Law
 * New York Public Records Law
 * North Carolina Public Records Law
 * North Dakota Public Records Law
 * Ohio Public Records Law
 * Oklahoma Public Records Law
 * Oregon Public Records Law
 * Pennsylvania Public Records Law
 * Rhode Island Public Records Law
 * South Carolina Public Records Law
 * South Dakota Public Records Law
 * Tennessee Public Records Law
 * Texas Public Records Law
 * Utah Public Records Law
 * Vermont Public Records Law
 * Virginia Public Records Law
 * Washington Public Records Law
 * West Virginia Public Records Law
 * Wisconsin Public Records Law
 * Wyoming Public Records Law