Public records laws by state
Every US state has a law giving you the right to request records from government bodies, and almost every one calls it something different. Here is what each is named, with what it does and doesn’t reach.
51 jurisdictions · statutes verified
- AlabamaPublic Records Law
- AlaskaPublic Records Act
- ArizonaArizona Public Records Law
- ArkansasArkansas Freedom of Information Act
- CaliforniaCalifornia Public Records Act
- ColoradoPublic Records Act
- ConnecticutConnecticut Freedom of Information Act
- DelawareFreedom of Information Act
- Washington, D.C.Freedom of Information Act of 1974
- FloridaPublic Records Law
- GeorgiaGeorgia Open Records Act
- HawaiiUniform Information Practices Act
- IdahoPublic Records Act
- IllinoisFreedom of Information Act
- IndianaAccess to Public Records Act
- IowaIowa Open Records Act
- KansasKansas Open Records Act
- KentuckyKentucky Open Records Act
- LouisianaLouisiana Public Records Act
- MaineMaine Freedom of Access Act
- MarylandPublic Information Act
- MassachusettsPublic Records Law
- MichiganFreedom of Information Act
- MinnesotaMinnesota Government Data Practices Act
- MississippiPublic Records Act
- MissouriSunshine Law
- MontanaPublic Records Act
- NebraskaPublic Records Act
- NevadaNevada Public Records Act
- New HampshireAccess to Governmental Records and Meetings
- New JerseyOpen Public Records Act
- New MexicoInspection of Public Records Act
- New YorkFreedom of Information Law
- North CarolinaPublic Records Law
- North DakotaOpen Records Law
- OhioPublic Records Act
- OklahomaOklahoma Open Records Act
- OregonOregon Public Records Law
- PennsylvaniaRight to Know Law
- Rhode IslandAccess to Public Records Act
- South CarolinaFreedom of Information Act
- South DakotaPublic Records Open to Inspection and Copying
- TennesseePublic Records Act
- TexasPublic Information Act
- UtahGovernment Records Access and Management Act
- VermontPublic Records Act
- VirginiaVirginia Freedom of Information Act
- WashingtonPublic Records Act
- West VirginiaFreedom of Information Act
- WisconsinOpen Records Law
- WyomingPublic Records Act
Source
Statute names and citations were read one jurisdiction at a time from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press — Open Government Guide. Response deadlines and per-record custodians are deliberately not listed: they vary by record type and county, and a plausible wrong answer about your rights is worse than none.