Open Government Resources
Open Government Resources
Florida has some of the strongest open government laws in the country, if you know how to use them. This page collects the manuals, the laws in plain English, and the request tools you need to see what your government is doing, from city hall to Washington.
Florida Resources
State and local government, Sunshine Law help, and the watchdogs.
Publisher of the Government-in-the-Sunshine Manual and the state’s open government mediation program.
Free guidance when a request is denied or an agency stalls, plus Sunshine Law training. floridafaf.org · (800) 337-3518
Nonprofit 501(c)(3) publishing the Florida Trident investigative newsroom and litigating public records and open courts cases across the state.
The University of Florida’s hub for freedom-of-information research and education.
National Resources
For reaching Washington: federal records, your members of Congress, and national press-freedom help.
The federal FOIA portal: find any agency’s FOIA office, file a request, and read records agencies have already released.
Enter your ZIP code to get your House member’s Washington office, phone number, and contact form.
Housed at the National Archives, OGIS mediates disputes between FOIA requesters and federal agencies as an alternative to litigation. (877) 684-6448
Free legal resources and a hotline for journalists.
Litigation and research defending the freedoms of speech and the press in the digital age.
The Sunshine Manual
Government in the Sunshine Manual
The official reference for compliance with Florida’s public records and open meetings laws, prepared by the Attorney General’s office in partnership with the Florida First Amendment Foundation.
Download the latest edition (2025, PDF)The Laws, Plainly
Public Records: Chapter 119, Florida Statutes
- Every person has the right to inspect or copy any public record made or received in connection with official business, unless a specific exemption applies.
- Requests do not have to be in writing and you do not have to state a reason, though putting it in writing creates a paper trail.
- Agencies must respond in a reasonable time. “Extensive use” fees may apply to large requests.
Open Meetings: Chapter 286, Florida Statutes (the Sunshine Law)
- All meetings of any board or commission where official acts may be taken must be open to the public.
- Reasonable notice must be given, and minutes must be taken and made available.
- The law covers discussions and deliberations, not just formal votes. Two members discussing foreseeable board business is a meeting.
File a Records Request
- Identify the custodian. Direct your request to the agency’s public records custodian or clerk.
- Be specific. Describe the records clearly: dates, subjects, document types.
- Put it in writing. Email creates a timestamped record. Keep a copy.
- Follow up. If there is no response in a reasonable time, follow up in writing and cite Chapter 119.
Template
Subject: Public Records Request Dear Public Records Custodian: Pursuant to Article I, Section 24 of the Florida Constitution and Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, I request the opportunity to inspect or obtain copies of the following public records: [Describe the records: e.g., all emails between X and Y from January 1, 2026 to March 31, 2026 regarding Z.] If any portion of this request is denied, please cite the statutory exemption and release the remaining non-exempt material. Thank you, [Your name] [Your contact information] [Date]
Federal FOIA
- Find the right agency at foia.gov and submit through the agency’s FOIA portal.
- Describe the records with dates, subjects, and offices involved. Request a fee waiver if you are a journalist or acting in the public interest.
- Track and appeal. Note your tracking number. If denied, file an administrative appeal before going further.
- Dispute? Contact the agency’s FOIA Public Liaison, or ask the FOIA Ombudsman (OGIS) at archives.gov/ogis to mediate, before considering litigation.
Transparency Tracker
- October 2026: The Florida Attorney General has not published a 2026 edition of the Government in the Sunshine Manual, the first gap since 1994. The 2025 edition remains the latest available.
Have a transparency story or a tip? Contact The Rotunda.