Plain-language articles on Florida public records law. Each piece answers one question or walks one step. Newest first.
FOIA is a federal law that reaches federal agencies only. Florida records fall under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. Here is how to pick the right law for the agency you are asking.
A Florida public officer who violates Chapter 119 faces a $500 noncriminal fine. A knowing violation of the inspect-and-copy duty is a first-degree misdemeanor plus possible removal from office. Here is what Section 119.10 actually says.
Florida has a free Attorney General mediation program for public records disputes under Section 16.60, F.S. A Florida Bar member acts as the neutral. Learn when it helps, when it cannot, and how to use it.
Florida law puts the duty to release public records on every agency person with the power to do so, not only the named custodian. Here is who that is, what they must do, and how to address your request.
A private company can be subject to Florida public records law when it acts on behalf of a public agency. Florida courts use the totality of factors test and the delegation of function test. Learn when a contractor's records are public and how to request them.
In Florida, emails, text messages, databases, and spreadsheets are public records subject to the same access rules as paper. Learn what electronic records are covered, whether metadata is a public record, and how to ask for records in the native format.
Florida agencies must follow state-adopted retention schedules and cannot destroy public records whenever they choose. Learn which schedule applies, what happens when records are destroyed outside the schedule, and what to do when an agency says it no longer has a record.
Florida's right to public records is written into the state Constitution. Learn who it covers, how exemptions must be created, and what it means for a request you send today.
Florida courts read public records exemptions narrowly, agencies bear the burden of proving an exemption applies, and doubt is resolved in favor of disclosure. Here is what that means for your request.
Only the Legislature can create a Florida public records exemption. Article I, Section 24(c) sets three conditions, and the Open Government Sunset Review Act sunsets most exemptions every five years.
Florida seals and expunges some criminal records by court order. Once that happens, the record is closed to the public, the custodian cannot even confirm it exists, and in most cases you can lawfully deny the arrest ever happened.
Florida law gives you two separate rights: a right to inspect public records in person, which is usually free, and a right to receive copies, which the agency can charge a limited statutory fee for.
Florida law requires an agency to give you a public record in the format you asked for, but only if the agency already keeps the record in that format. Here is the rule, the exceptions, and how to ask correctly.
Florida law makes a court shift attorney fees onto an agency that wrongly refused public records, but only if four conditions are met. Here is what those conditions are and the traps that can wipe out the award.
Florida law requires a separate written notice to the agency's records custodian at least 5 business days before you file a public records lawsuit. Miss it and you can win the case and still pay your own lawyer.
Florida's default is disclosure. A public employee's personnel file is a public record. Exemptions exist only for specific data fields in certain job categories, not for entire files.
Florida's content-based test applies to texts the same way it applies to emails. If an elected official texted about government business on any device or app, those messages are public records.
Florida's enforcement tool is a writ of mandamus filed in circuit court. Before you file, you must send a separate 5-business-day notice. Win, and the court orders the agency to open the records within 48 hours.
When a Florida agency says it has no responsive records, you have options. Learn the agency's search duty, the three real reasons records disappear, and the follow-up moves that test the answer.
Which records you can get right away after an arrest in Florida, what the active-investigation exemption holds back, and how to request from the right agency.
A fillable Florida public records request letter with line-by-line annotations explaining what to include, what to leave out, and how to send it.
Florida's Public Records Act covers every state, county, and local agency, plus private contractors acting on behalf of the government. Here is how to tell whether the entity you need records from is reachable.
Florida crash reports are confidential for the first 60 days after filing. Learn who can get one during that window, what the sworn statement requirement means, and how to request your report from FHP or a local agency.
Florida's Public Records Act tests content, not device. Emails sent or received in connection with official business are public records, even on personal accounts and personal devices.
A stage-by-stage guide to when Florida's active criminal investigation exemption lifts under §119.011(3), so you can time your public records requests correctly.
Yes, 911 audio is generally a public record in Florida. But caller identifying information and victim details are redacted before release. Here is what you can get, what gets cut, and how to request the audio.
Yes. Florida arrest records are public. Booking, charges, mugshots, and the PC affidavit are open under Chapter 119. The active investigation file is separate. Sealed records are confidential. Expunged records get a stronger rule.
Body cam footage of your arrest is usually a public record in Florida. But the active criminal investigation exemption often delays release until your case closes. Here is what the statutes say and how to send the right request.
Florida agencies can quote a large cost estimate hoping you will walk away. Here is the step-by-step playbook: demand a written breakdown, challenge the labor rate, narrow the scope, try free AG mediation, and use the §119.12 pre-suit notice if you have to.
Florida sets no fixed deadline for public records responses. The standard is a reasonable time under the circumstances. Here is what that means and how to time your follow-ups.
Florida law caps public records fees. Inspection is free. Standard copies cost 15 cents per page. Certified copies cap at one dollar. Staff time is only billable for extensive requests and only at actual cost.
Step-by-step moves after a Florida agency denies your public records request: get the denial in writing, read the exemption narrowly, ask for redaction, escalate, and use AG mediation before suing.
What a Florida agency can and cannot ask before producing public records, including whether you have to identify yourself or explain your purpose.
When Florida body-worn camera footage is a public record, when §119.071(2)(l) keeps it sealed, and how to ask for it without getting a five-figure invoice or a flat denial.
Which parts of a Florida active criminal investigation are exempt under §119.071(2)(c)1., which categories are always public, and what unlocks access at each stage of a case.
How to send a Florida public records request, what to expect back, and what to do if the agency stalls or denies. Plain language. Step by step.
When a Florida agency can charge for staff time on a records request, what the invoice has to show, and how to push back on a number that looks inflated.
Florida law has no fixed deadline for public records responses. Here is the escalation ladder when the agency stalls, from a follow-up nudge to a §119.12 mandamus action.
The plain-language Florida definition of a public record, why format does not matter, and which materials fall outside it.