Open Government Guide
The Open Government Guide is a complete compendium of information on every state’s open records and open meetings laws. Each state’s section is arranged according to a standard outline, making it easy to compare laws in various states. If you’re a new user of this guide, be sure to read the Introduction to the Open Government Guide. The Open Government Guide covers state laws. We also have a separate FOIA Wiki that covers the federal government.
Please note: We have not yet received the following chapters from our guide authors: Alabama, Florida, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. You can find the 2011 guides for those states here.
See something that needs updating? Please email guides@rcfp.org, so we can fix it!
If you are asking for government records or data, the go-to guide for your efforts.
If the “sky is falling” claims of cybersecurity experts are credited (which I suspect largely are correct), then government information is more accessible than not. It’s all there for a little hacking.
Using open record laws for states or FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) for the federal government, affirms their right to decide what the public may or may not know, delays your obtaining of the information and, and, acts as a filter on what is ultimately disclosed.
An enormous amount of great work has been done using such laws, MuckRock being one of the best examples. But it’s an information lossy proposition.
If you are going to be “…Dorthy, the small and meek” and ask for information, this is your handbook. Otherwise, you may discover information the government would rather its citizens did not know.
PS: When visiting government offices, be alert for open network or USB ports. Observe the color and markings on any removable media in use.