State Public Record Guides

North Dakota public records are government-created documents, databases, filings, and communications maintained by state and local agencies that are broadly accessible under both the North Dakota Constitution and the state’s open records statutes, codified primarily at N.D.C.C. §§ 44-04-17.1 through 44-04-29. North Dakota’s constitution, Article XI, Section 6, and the Supreme Court’s Administrative Rule 41 … Read more

Wyoming public records are government-created documents, databases, filings, and communications maintained by state and local agencies that are broadly accessible to the public under the Wyoming Public Records Act (WPRA), codified at Wyo. Stat. §§ 16-4-201 through 16-4-205. The law establishes that all public records shall be open for inspection by any person at reasonable … Read more

Montana public records are government-created documents, databases, filings, and communications maintained by state and local agencies that are broadly accessible under both a constitutional guarantee and the Montana Public Records Act, codified at Mont. Code Ann. §§ 2-6-1001 through 2-6-1014. Unlike most states where open records access is purely a statutory right, Montana’s 1972 Constitution … Read more

Idaho public records are government-created documents, databases, filings, and communications maintained by state and local agencies that are broadly accessible to the public under the Idaho Public Records Act, codified at Idaho Code §§ 74-101 through 74-127. The law establishes an explicit presumption that all public records are open at all reasonable times for inspection: … Read more

Nebraska public records are government-created documents, databases, filings, and communications maintained by state and local agencies that are generally accessible to the public under the Nebraska Public Records Statutes, codified at Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 84-712 through 84-712.09. The law establishes a strong presumption that all government records are open, and Nebraska courts have directed … Read more

West Virginia public records are government-created documents, filings, databases, and communications maintained by state and local agencies that are generally accessible to the public under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act, codified at W. Va. Code §§ 29B-1-1 et seq. The law establishes a broad presumption that all government records are open to inspection … Read more

Louisiana public records are government-created documents, recordings, and data maintained by public bodies that are accessible under the Louisiana Public Records Law, codified at Louisiana Revised Statutes (La. R.S.) Title 44, Chapter 1. Louisiana is uniquely distinguished by having its public records right constitutionally guaranteed — Article XII, Section 3 of the Louisiana Constitution states: … Read more

Kentucky public records are government-created documents, data, and materials maintained by public agencies that are accessible under the Kentucky Open Records Act (KORA), codified at Kentucky Revised Statutes (KRS) 61.870 through 61.884. The Act, enacted in 1976 and substantially revised in 1986, 1992, and 1994, declares that “the free and open examination of public records … Read more

South Carolina public records are government-created documents, recordings, and data maintained by public bodies that are accessible under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), codified at S.C. Code Ann. §§ 30-4-10 through 30-4-55. The Act declares that “it is vital in a democratic society that public business be performed in an open and … Read more