Florida Open Records

Florida laws and court cases

Florida Open Records Statute

Open Government Guide to Florida's Open Records legislation by The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

Letter Generator

Create open records request that conforms to Florida requirements

Exemptions

Document types exempted from public access in Florida.

Contacts (where to file requests)

See here for a list of FL School Superintendents. Also scroll down to the bottom of the page...the Florida portal website has a type of privacy statement that I have not seen before.

Blogs, websites and resources that use open records

Brechner Center for Freedom of Information

FireInATheater.com (Open government and free speech blog at TheSequitur.com)

First Amendment Foundation

Partly Cloudy

Government in the Sunshine

Sunshine Troublemaker of the Week

Florida residents Hugh Taylor, Margaret Pass and Sal Sciarrino have each received the coveted STOTW award. Read their stories, and see what other states have citizens that who earned the award, here.

Sunshine Activist Interview

Florida citizen Hugh Taylor is not only a Sunshine Troublemaker of the Week, he is a Sunshine Activist. Read his interview, and those from other Sunshine Activists, here.

Press

Head to Sunshine Review for the most recent open record updates in Florida.

2008

October 30, 2008: Editorial: Floridians deserve more access to their government

October 28, 2008: Rule could affect availability of court information in Fla.

October 22, 2008: Records panel urges Florida to collect less personal information

October 8, 2008: Eglin: Val-P's FOIA request will cost $1.5 million

September 27, 2008: Records lawsuit headed to a trial

September 26, 2008: Senators to force disclosure of Alligator Alley privatization plans

September 23, 2008: Dems, Reps trade barbs over public records request

September 19, 2008: Attorney for zoo files public records request

September 16, 2008: It's public record, unless it's a problem

September 11, 2008: Venice officials reject deal on Sunshine suit

August 31, 2008: Red flags with ex-county employee go back three years

August 28, 2008: ACLU Sues Santa Rosa Over Prayer; Seeks Records From Escambia Schools

August 27, 2008: High cost to having a strong records law

August 22, 2008: Smile. The city is watching

August 20, 2008: Florida State must stop stonewalling

August 17, 2008: Judge orders Jefferson County tax collector to release public records

August 1, 2008: Inappropriate e-mails sent by Collier County employees not subject to open records laws, judge rules

July 30, 2008: Gables manager admits public records violation

July 17, 2008: City to fetter public records?

July 17, 2008: Lawyer wants more records following inappropriate e-mail firings

July 11, 2008: Inappropriate e-mail incidents in Collier County could prompt public records suit

July 9, 2008: Public-Private Divide

June 28, 2008: Sunshine For Today's E-mails

June 28, 2008: Editorial: 'Sunshine' kept comments on Lee superintendent public

June 20, 2008: 'Sunshine' suit may extend to advisory board

June 18, 2008: E-mail training is being called insufficient

June 17, 2008: Defense Tries To Bar Release Of Records In Lutz Triple Homicide

June 14, 2008: Nation watches open-records case

June 12, 2008: Judge: City officials must hand over home PCs

June 4, 2008: Sheriff’s office amends records charges after decades of overcharges

June 3, 2008: Bringing sunshine in proves too costly

June 2, 2008: Public Records: Back to Earth

May 30, 2008: City reviews police reports' cost to public

May 28, 2008: Public records are a hot topic

May 26, 2008: Open-records laws weather Florida's Legislative Session

May 16, 2008: 'Nonexistent' public records surface

May 11, 2008: Colby Back In Court Wanting FHREDI Records

April 27, 2008: Public record access getting easier in NSB

April 25, 2008: 'Public record' laws debuted in lawsuit against Alachua

April 20, 2008: School stonewalling

April 17, 2008: Public records at the click of a mouse...

April 16, 2008: Suspect's statements public record, judge rules

April 16, 2008: School system may charge for records; officials disturbed by copying costs

April 15, 2008: Editorial: Coach search exposes major flaws with public-records practices, credibility in St. Lucie

April 12, 2008: Shining the light on records

April 10, 2008: City Hall flush?

April 9, 2008: Bill may ease access to DCF records

April 3, 2008: Clash over schools' records could raise cost

April 1, 2008: Gov. Crist has point person for openness, why not cities?

March 31, 2008: COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS: Local students, congregants debate open government

March 28, 2008: Lawyer Sues To Access CSX, DOT Negotiation Records

March 22, 2008: A call on government to open up

March 20, 2008: Public records belong to you

March 16, 2008: Open Records: Check on Officials

March 16, 2008: Open records: Government transparency essential

March 16, 2008: Sunshine Sunday calls attention to Florida's open records and public meetings laws.

March 15, 2008: Phil Lewis: Whining? No, just a call for open records

March 14, 2008: Marco Island releases list of 15 candidates for city manager

February 8, 2008: NEW: Kiester guilty of Sunshine Law violation

January 27, 2008: Access to records critical to democracy

January 22, 2008: Shelter concerns lead to confrontation

January 22, 2008: Clear response from City Hall

January 18, 2008: Legal defense fund established for Marco councilman accused of public records violation

January 18, 2008: Kiester responds to Sunshine Violation allegations

2007

December 23, 2007: Marco councilman vows to fight charges

December 23, 2007: Missing E-mails Case Abandoned

December 14, 2007: Newspaper recoups attorney fees for fight

December 14, 2007: Fort Pierce Mayor Bob Benton accused of violating open-records law

December 13, 2007: Everglades cleanup could dodge public records laws

Decmeber 10, 2007: Access takes leap into 21st century

December 5, 2007: Marco case shows laws still apply in e-mail age

December 4, 2007: State accuses Marco councilman of public records violation

December 4, 2007: Public Records:  My Opinion (by Hugh Taylor)

December 4, 2007: State, Google partner to open records

November 26, 2007: Governor signs open government bill of rights

November 24, 2007: Crist opens up Florida

November 24, 2007: Open records law hurts our public safety employees

November 19, 2007: Should school data come with a fee?

November 19, 2007: Open records law good for public

November 19, 2007: You’re entitled to public records, and here’s proof

November 16, 2007: Gov. Crist signs bill of rights to open records

November 13, 2007: Free public records rule approved for county officials

November 10, 2007: State rep's staffer steps down amid information request flap

November 8, 2007: Post sues school board over records requests

November 8, 2007: Family Of Murdered Student Want Security Records

November 8, 2007: Slain teen's parents sue for school records

October 21, 2007: Lee County court records invite ID theft

October 3, 2007: PIP bill a hit to public records?

September 22, 2007: Ledger's Perez Honored for Tenacity

September 20, 2007: Suit seeks prison system records on inmate death, assaults

September 18, 2007: Florida's Sunshine Law is for the public, not for the news media

September 17, 2007: Following the FEMA money

August 31, 2007: Sunshine information at a cost

August 30, 2007: How did Alachua spend the money it received after City Hall burnt down? They won't tell us.

August 27, 2007: Another Freedom of Information Request Made to Commissioner

August 27, 2007: Open government joins the 21st century

August 24, 2007: Nuclear Regulatory Commission considers opening nuclear fuel site records to public

August 24, 3007: DCF Pushing for More Open Records

August 23, 2007: Sunshine requests rain on city

August 23, 2007: Crist panel meets to discuss open-government laws

August 18, 2007: Problem obvious? Good. (Opinion column)

August 16, 2007: Marco support staff union attempts hit snag

August 10, 2007: New hope in the fight to open records

July 29, 2007: Sink to switch to paperless records

July 28, 2007: Technical problems mean governments don't always have the records to open

July 18, 2007: Rays of sunshine (Opinion column)

July 1, 2007: Open Government Defending your right to know (Opinion column)

June 29, 2007: Meetings, records must be open (Opinion column)

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