skeith5
Regular Member
I see a lot of people talk about FOIA requests. Unless you are asking a Federal Agency for public records FOIA does NOT apply. You should make the request under the state's open records law. Every state is a little different. I have worked with most of the housing agencies in all of the states in the course of my normal job. Please do not e-mail a state or local agency and make a request under FOIA. FOIA is not binding on them and there is a good chance they will IGNORE your request and there isn't much you can do about it. Here is a list of every state that I've compiled, the name of the state law and the actual code that covers their request. A few states might require you to be a citizen of that state, Arkansas is one. There is one Federal Circuit court that struck down the citizen requirement as unconstitutional, another circuit court said that it is OK.
If you are going to make a request take a look at the chart below. If you are making a request to AZ for example you would want to say something like, I am making this request under Arizona's Public Records Law (Ariz Rev Stat.Ann.39-121 to 1-24.) Make sure to FOLLOW UP, and if needs be go up the chain of command, including the attorney general of the state. If all else fails you will need to file a lawsuit to get the records (And possibly monetary compensation.)
Name of State Law for Public Records Requests Law Code
AK Public Records Act Alaska Stat. 09.25.100 to .220
AL Public Open Records Act Ala. Code 36-12-40 et seq.
AR Freedom of Information Act Ark. Code Ann. 25-19-101.
AZ Public Records Law Ariz. Rev. Stat.Ann.39-121 to 1-24, http://www.azleg.gov/ombudsman/public_records.html
CA Public Records Act Cal.Gov.Code 6250 to 6270
CO Open Public Records Law C.R.S. 24-72-201 et seq
CT Freedom of Information Act Conn.Gen.Stat.§1-200 et seq
DC Freedom of Information Act DC Official Code §§ 2-531
DE Freedom of Information Act 29 Del. C. § 10001 et seq.
FL Sunshine Law Fla.Stat.Ann. 119.01 to .165
GA Open Records Act Ga.CodeAnn. 50-18-70 to 76
HI Uniform Information Practices Act Haw. Rev. Stat. §92F-1 et seq.
IA Open Records Law Iowa Code Ann. 22.1 to .14
ID Idaho Public Records Law Id Code 9-338 to 350
IL Freedom of Information Act 5 ILCS 140/1
IN Access to Public records Ind.Code Ann. 5-14-3-1 to 10
KS Open Records Act Kan.Stat.Ann 45-215 to 225
KY Open Records Act Ky.Rev.Stat..Ann. 61.870 to .884
LA Louisiana Public Records Law La.Rev.Stat.Ann. 44:31, http://www.lla.state.la.us/userfiles/file/Public Records Law.pdf
MA Public Records Act Mass.Gen.Laws Ann. Ch.4, 7; Ch. 66,10
MD Public information Act Md.Code Ann., State & Govt, 10-611 to 628
ME Freedom of Access Act Me.Rev.Stat.Ann. 1-13 § 408
MI Freedom of Information Act MCL 15.231
MN Data Practices Act Minn. Stat. Ann. 13.03
MO Sunshine Law Mo.Ann.Stat. 109.180 to .190
MS Public Records Act Miss. Code Ann. 25-61-1 et seq
MT Public Records Act Mont.Code Ann. 2-6-101 to 111
NC Public Records Law N.C.Gen. Stat. 132-1 to 10
ND Open Records Statue N.D. Cent. Code 44-04-18 to -18.8
NE Public Records Law NEB. REV. STAT. 84-712
NH Right to Know Law NH Rev. Stat. 91-A:1
NJ Open Public Records Act N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq.
NM Inspection of Public Records Act 14-2-1 NMSA 1978 et seq.
NV Open Records Act Nev.Rev.Stat.Ann. 239.005 to .040
NY Freedom of Information Law NY Pub. Off. Law Sec. 84
OH Open Records Law Ohio Rev. Code. Ann 149.43
OK Open Records Act Okla. Stat. Ann. Tit. 51.24A.1 to .18
OR Public Recrods Law Or. Rev. Stat. Ann. 192.410 to .505
PA Right to Know Law Pa.Cons.Stat.Ann. Tit. 65, 66..1 to .4
RI Access to Public Records Act R.I. Gen. Laws 38-2-1 to -14
SC Freedom of Information Act S.C. Code Ann. 30-4-10
SD Sunshine Law S.D. Codified Laws Ann. 1-27-1 to -19
TN Open Records Act Tenn. Code Ann. 10-7-503 et seq.
TX Public Information Act Tx Code Ann.Secs552.001 to 552.353
UT Government Records Access and Management Act Utah Code.Ann. 63G-2-101 to -207
VA Freedom of Information Act Va. Code Sec. 2.2-3704
VT Public Recrods Law 1 V.S.A. Sec. 315-320
WA Public records Act Wash. Rev. Code Ann. 42.56.001 to .904
WI Open Records Law Wis. Stat. Ann. 19.31 to .39
WV Freedom of Information Act W.Va. Code Sec. 29B-1-1
WY Sunshine Law Wyo.Stat.Ann,9-2-407
If you are going to make a request take a look at the chart below. If you are making a request to AZ for example you would want to say something like, I am making this request under Arizona's Public Records Law (Ariz Rev Stat.Ann.39-121 to 1-24.) Make sure to FOLLOW UP, and if needs be go up the chain of command, including the attorney general of the state. If all else fails you will need to file a lawsuit to get the records (And possibly monetary compensation.)
Name of State Law for Public Records Requests Law Code
AK Public Records Act Alaska Stat. 09.25.100 to .220
AL Public Open Records Act Ala. Code 36-12-40 et seq.
AR Freedom of Information Act Ark. Code Ann. 25-19-101.
AZ Public Records Law Ariz. Rev. Stat.Ann.39-121 to 1-24, http://www.azleg.gov/ombudsman/public_records.html
CA Public Records Act Cal.Gov.Code 6250 to 6270
CO Open Public Records Law C.R.S. 24-72-201 et seq
CT Freedom of Information Act Conn.Gen.Stat.§1-200 et seq
DC Freedom of Information Act DC Official Code §§ 2-531
DE Freedom of Information Act 29 Del. C. § 10001 et seq.
FL Sunshine Law Fla.Stat.Ann. 119.01 to .165
GA Open Records Act Ga.CodeAnn. 50-18-70 to 76
HI Uniform Information Practices Act Haw. Rev. Stat. §92F-1 et seq.
IA Open Records Law Iowa Code Ann. 22.1 to .14
ID Idaho Public Records Law Id Code 9-338 to 350
IL Freedom of Information Act 5 ILCS 140/1
IN Access to Public records Ind.Code Ann. 5-14-3-1 to 10
KS Open Records Act Kan.Stat.Ann 45-215 to 225
KY Open Records Act Ky.Rev.Stat..Ann. 61.870 to .884
LA Louisiana Public Records Law La.Rev.Stat.Ann. 44:31, http://www.lla.state.la.us/userfiles/file/Public Records Law.pdf
MA Public Records Act Mass.Gen.Laws Ann. Ch.4, 7; Ch. 66,10
MD Public information Act Md.Code Ann., State & Govt, 10-611 to 628
ME Freedom of Access Act Me.Rev.Stat.Ann. 1-13 § 408
MI Freedom of Information Act MCL 15.231
MN Data Practices Act Minn. Stat. Ann. 13.03
MO Sunshine Law Mo.Ann.Stat. 109.180 to .190
MS Public Records Act Miss. Code Ann. 25-61-1 et seq
MT Public Records Act Mont.Code Ann. 2-6-101 to 111
NC Public Records Law N.C.Gen. Stat. 132-1 to 10
ND Open Records Statue N.D. Cent. Code 44-04-18 to -18.8
NE Public Records Law NEB. REV. STAT. 84-712
NH Right to Know Law NH Rev. Stat. 91-A:1
NJ Open Public Records Act N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq.
NM Inspection of Public Records Act 14-2-1 NMSA 1978 et seq.
NV Open Records Act Nev.Rev.Stat.Ann. 239.005 to .040
NY Freedom of Information Law NY Pub. Off. Law Sec. 84
OH Open Records Law Ohio Rev. Code. Ann 149.43
OK Open Records Act Okla. Stat. Ann. Tit. 51.24A.1 to .18
OR Public Recrods Law Or. Rev. Stat. Ann. 192.410 to .505
PA Right to Know Law Pa.Cons.Stat.Ann. Tit. 65, 66..1 to .4
RI Access to Public Records Act R.I. Gen. Laws 38-2-1 to -14
SC Freedom of Information Act S.C. Code Ann. 30-4-10
SD Sunshine Law S.D. Codified Laws Ann. 1-27-1 to -19
TN Open Records Act Tenn. Code Ann. 10-7-503 et seq.
TX Public Information Act Tx Code Ann.Secs552.001 to 552.353
UT Government Records Access and Management Act Utah Code.Ann. 63G-2-101 to -207
VA Freedom of Information Act Va. Code Sec. 2.2-3704
VT Public Recrods Law 1 V.S.A. Sec. 315-320
WA Public records Act Wash. Rev. Code Ann. 42.56.001 to .904
WI Open Records Law Wis. Stat. Ann. 19.31 to .39
WV Freedom of Information Act W.Va. Code Sec. 29B-1-1
WY Sunshine Law Wyo.Stat.Ann,9-2-407