FOIA and public records requests
Workflows and templates for obtaining government records through freedom of information laws.
Understanding FOIA landscape
Jurisdiction overview
| Level | Law | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Federal | Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. § 552) | Federal executive branch agencies |
| State | Varies by state (e.g., OPRA in NJ, FOIL in NY) | State and local agencies |
| Local | Often covered by state law | Municipal, county, school boards |
Key federal exemptions (U.S. Federal FOIA)
## The 9 federal FOIA exemptions
1. **National security** - Classified information
2. **Internal personnel rules** - Agency housekeeping matters
3. **Statutory exemptions** - Other laws prohibit disclosure
4. **Trade secrets** - Confidential business information
5. **Inter/intra-agency memos** - Deliberative process privilege
6. **Personal privacy** - Personnel, medical files
7. **Law enforcement** - Could interfere with proceedings
8. **Financial institutions** - Bank examination reports
9. **Geological data** - Oil and gas well information
Note: Agencies must segregate and release non-exempt portions
State public records laws
All 50 states have enacted laws requiring certain government records to be open to the public.
State-specific resources
### State public records resources
#### Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
- Open Government Guide: rcfp.org/open-government-guide
- State-by-state analysis of public records laws
- Sample request letters by state
#### National Freedom of Information Coalition
- nfoic.org/state-freedom-of-information-laws
- State FOI organization contacts
- Training and resources
#### MuckRock
- muckrock.com
- File requests through platform
- Search previous requests/responses
- Agency response time data
Common state exemptions
State legislatures may be subject to different rules than the rest of their governing bodies:
- Exempt from public records statute (e.g., Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Oregon, Wyoming)
- Excluded from definition of public body (e.g., Georgia, Minnesota)
- Covered by separate statute (e.g., California)
- Allowed to set own policies (e.g., Mississippi, New York)
Court decisions and attorneys general opinions in some states have held that the separation of powers doctrine prevents courts from enforcing public records statutes against the legislature.
State-by-state reference
| State | Public Records Law | Legislative Exemptions/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | AL Code § 36-12-40 et seq. | AL Code § 29-6-7.1 Legislative confidential communication |
| Alaska | AK Stat. § 40.25.110 | AK Stat. § 24.20.100 Research and drafting services confidential |
| Arizona | AZ Rev. Stat. § 39-121.01 | AZ Rev. Stat. § 41-1279.05 Confidential records of auditor general |
| Arkansas | AR Code Ann. § 25-19-101 et seq. | AR Code Ann. § 10-2-129; § 10-4-422; § 25-19-105(b)(7) |
| California | CA Govt. Code § 7920 et seq. | CA Govt. Code § 9070 et seq. Legislative Open Records Act |
| Colorado | CO Rev. Stat. Ann. § 24-72-200 et seq. | CO Rev. Stat. Ann. § 24-72-202(6); § 2-3-505(2) |
| Connecticut | CT Gen. Stat. § 1-200 et seq. | CT Gen. Stat. § 1-210(b)(19); § 52-146r |
| Delaware | 29 Del. Laws, c. 100 § 10001 et seq. | § 10002(o)(16 & 19) Exempt records; GA emails |
| Florida | FL Stat. § 119.01 et seq. | FL Stat. § 11.0431(2); § 11.26; § 15.07 |
| Georgia | O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq. | General Assembly not included in definitions |
| Hawaii | HI Rev. Stat. § 92F-1 et seq. | HI Rev. Stat. § 84-12; § 92F-13(5); § 23G-4 |
| Idaho | ID Stat. § 74-101 et seq. | ID Stat. § 74-109 Draft legislation exempt |
| Illinois | 5 ILCS 140/1 | 5 ILCS 140/7(1)(f) Legislative documents exempt |
| Indiana | IN Code § 5-14-3-1 et seq. | IN Code § 5-14-3-4(b)(13) & (14) Staff work products exempt |
| Iowa | IA Code § 22.1 et seq. | IA Code § 2A.1(3); § 23.12 |
| Kansas | K.S.A. § 45-215 et seq. | K.S.A. § 45-217(l)(3)(B); § 45-221(a)(20)-(22) |
| Kentucky | KRS § 61.870 et seq. | KRS § 7.117; § 7.119; § 7.120 |
| Louisiana | LA Rev. Stat. § 44:1 et seq. | LA Rev. Stat. § 44:4(6); § 44:4.1; § 44:2 |
| Maine | ME Rev. Stat. Tit. 1 § 400 et seq. | ME Rev. Stat. Tit. 1 § 402(3)(C) Legislative exception |
| Maryland | MD General Provisions Code § 4-101 et seq. | MD State Govt. Code § 2–1226 |
| Massachusetts | MA Gen. Laws Ch. 66 § 1 et seq. | Ch. 66 § 18 General Court exempt |
| Michigan | MI Comp. Laws § 15.231 | MI Comp. Laws § 4.1109 LSB confidentiality |
| Minnesota | MN Stat. § 13.03 | MN Stat. § 3C.05; § 10.46; § 3.098 |
| Mississippi | MS Code Ann. § 25-61-1 et seq. | MS Code Ann. § 25-61-17 Legislature regulates own records |
| Missouri | MO Rev. Stat. § 610.010 et seq. | MO Rev. Stat. § 610.010(6); § 610.021 |
| Montana | MT Code Ann. § 2-6-1001 et seq. | N/A |
| Nebraska | NE Rev. Stat. § 84-712 et seq. | NE Rev. Stat. § 84-712.05(14) |
| Nevada | NV Rev. Stat. § 239.001 et seq. | NV Rev. Stat. § 41.071; § 218F.150 |
| New Hampshire | NH Rev. Stat. § 91-A:1 et seq. | NH Rev. Stat. § 91-A:5(IX) |
| New Jersey | NJ Rev. Stat. § 47:1A-1 et seq. | NJ Rev. Stat. § 47:1A-1.1; § 52:13D-22(d) |
| New Mexico | NM Stat. § 14-2-1 et seq. | NM Stat. § 2-3-13 Services confidential |
| New York | NY PBO Article 6 § 84 et seq. | NY PBO Article 6 § 88; Article 4 § 74(c) |
| North Carolina | NC G.S. § 132-1 et seq. | NC G.S. § 120 et seq. Confidentiality of communications |
| North Dakota | ND Cent. Code § 44-04-18 et seq. | ND Cent. Code § 44-04-18.6 |
| Ohio | OH Rev. Code § 149.43 | OH Rev. Code § 101.30 Staff confidentiality |
| Oklahoma | OK Stat. Tit. 51 § 24A.1 et seq. | Legislature not a public body under OORA |
| Oregon | ORS § 192.001 et seq. | ORS § 192.311(6); § 192.355; § 171.405 |
| Pennsylvania | 65 Pa. Stat. § 67.101 et seq. | 101 Pa. Code § 3.6 |
| Rhode Island | R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-1 et seq. | R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-2(4)(K & M) |
| South Carolina | SC Code § 30-4-10 et seq. | SC Code § 30-4-40(a)(7 & 8) |
| South Dakota | SD Cod. Laws § 1-27-1 et seq. | SD Cod. Laws § 1-27-1.5(12 & 19); § 19-19-508 |
| Tennessee | Tenn. Code Ann. § 10-7-503 et seq. | Tenn. Code Ann. § 3-12-105; § 3-12-106 |
| Texas | TX Stat. Gov. Code § 552.001 et seq. | § 306.003; § 323.017-018; § 325.0195; § 552.106; § 552.111; § 552.146 |
| Utah | UT Code § 63G-2-101 | UT Code § 63G-2-305(19-22); § 63G-2-703; § 63G-2-208 |
| Vermont | 1 V.S.A. § 315 et seq. | 2 V.S.A. 403(b)(1) Legislative council requests confidential |
| Virginia | VA Code § 2.2-3700 et seq. | VA Code § 30-28.18; § 2.2-3705.7(2) |
| Washington | RCW 42.56 | RCW 1.08.027; RCW 40.14.180; RCW 42.56.280 |
| West Virginia | WV Code § 29B | WV Code § 4-1A-6; § 4-1A-7; § 4-1A-12 |
| Wisconsin | WI Stat. § 19.21 et seq. | WI Stat. § 13.91 et seq.; § 16.61(2)(b)(1) |
| Wyoming | WY Stat. Ann. § 16-4-201 et seq. | WY Stat. Ann. § 28-8-116 |
Source: National Conference of State Legislatures, Updated April 2025
NJ OPRA reforms (P.L. 2024, c. 16) — effective Sept. 3, 2024
Senate bill S2930 (signed June 5, 2024; effective Sept. 3, 2024) changed New Jersey's Open Public Records Act in five ways that make requesting harder:
- Fee-shifting weakened. Prevailing requesters now receive attorneys' fees only when a court finds the agency's denial was in bad faith or knowing and willful. Previously, prevailing requesters were entitled to fees in most successful suits.
- Anonymous requesters lose standing. Requesters must identify themselves by name and address; agencies may reject anonymous requests.
- Deadline tiers introduced. The standard 7-business-day response window remains, but agencies can extend timelines for "voluminous" or "complex" requests under defined criteria, and may treat certain commercial requests differently