Public records laws by state

Find the law that gives you access to government records in every US state and Washington, D.C.-with its official name, statutory citation, and a practical guide to what public-records access does and does not cover.

ALAlabamaPublic Records LawAla. Code § 36-12-40
AKAlaskaPublic Records ActAS 40.25.110 et seq.
AZArizonaArizona Public Records LawA.R.S. §§ 39-121 to -128
ARArkansasArkansas Freedom of Information ActArk. Code Ann. §§ 25-19-101 to 25-19-109
CACaliforniaCalifornia Public Records ActCal. Gov't Code §§ 7920.000–7930.215
COColoradoPublic Records ActColo. Rev. Stat. § 24-72-201
CTConnecticutConnecticut Freedom of Information ActConn. Gen. Stat. §§ 1-200 to 1-241
DEDelawareFreedom of Information Act29 Del. C. § 10001 et seq.
DCWashington, D.C.Freedom of Information Act of 1974D.C. Code Ann. § 2-531 et seq.
FLFloridaPublic Records LawFla. Stat. §§ 119.01 to 119.19
GAGeorgiaGeorgia Open Records ActO.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq.
HIHawaiiUniform Information Practices ActHaw. Rev. Stat. ch. 92F
IDIdahoPublic Records ActIdaho Code §§ 74-101 to 74-126
ILIllinoisFreedom of Information Act5 ILCS 140/1 to 140/11
INIndianaAccess to Public Records ActInd. Code § 5-14-3
IAIowaIowa Open Records ActIowa Code ch. 22
KSKansasKansas Open Records ActK.S.A. § 45-215 et seq.
KYKentuckyKentucky Open Records ActKy. Rev. Stat. §§ 61.870–61.884
LALouisianaLouisiana Public Records ActLa. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 44:1 et seq.
MEMaineMaine Freedom of Access Act1 M.R.S.A. §§ 400–414
MDMarylandPublic Information ActMd. Code Ann., Gen. Prov. §§ 4-101 to 4-601
MAMassachusettsPublic Records LawMass. Gen. Laws ch. 66, § 10
MIMichiganFreedom of Information ActMich. Comp. Laws §§ 15.231–15.246
MNMinnesotaMinnesota Government Data Practices ActMinn. Stat. § 13.01 et seq.
MSMississippiPublic Records ActMiss. Code Ann. § 25-61-1 et seq.
MOMissouriSunshine LawMo. Rev. Stat. §§ 610.010–610.035
MTMontanaPublic Records ActMont. Code Ann. § 2-6-1001 et seq.
NENebraskaPublic Records ActNeb. Rev. Stat. §§ 84-712 to 84-712.09
NVNevadaNevada Public Records ActNRS 239.010
NHNew HampshireAccess to Governmental Records and MeetingsRSA ch. 91-A
NJNew JerseyOpen Public Records ActN.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq.
NMNew MexicoInspection of Public Records ActNMSA 1978 § 14-2-1 et seq.
NYNew YorkFreedom of Information LawN.Y. Pub. Off. Law § 84 et seq.
NCNorth CarolinaPublic Records LawN.C.G.S. §§ 132-1 to 132-10
NDNorth DakotaOpen Records LawN.D.C.C. § 44-04-18
OHOhioPublic Records ActOhio Rev. Code § 149.43
OKOklahomaOklahoma Open Records Act51 O.S. §§ 24A.1 to 24A.33
OROregonOregon Public Records LawORS 192.314
PAPennsylvaniaRight to Know Law65 Pa. Stat. § 67.102 et seq.
RIRhode IslandAccess to Public Records ActR.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-1 et seq.
SCSouth CarolinaFreedom of Information ActS.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-20 et seq.
SDSouth DakotaPublic Records Open to Inspection and CopyingSDCL § 1-27-1
TNTennesseePublic Records ActTenn. Code Ann. § 10-7-503
TXTexasPublic Information ActTex. Gov't Code § 552.001 et seq.
UTUtahGovernment Records Access and Management ActUtah Code § 63G-2-201
VTVermontPublic Records Act1 V.S.A. §§ 315–320
VAVirginiaVirginia Freedom of Information ActVa. Code Ann. § 2.2-3700 et seq.
WAWashingtonPublic Records ActRCW 42.56
WVWest VirginiaFreedom of Information ActW. Va. Code § 29B-1-1 et seq.
WIWisconsinOpen Records LawWis. Stat. § 19.35
WYWyomingPublic Records ActWyo. Stat. § 16-4-201 et seq.

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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.

Public records laws by state

Verified, without guessing

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