List of who can make public record requests by state
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Each state has laws governing public access to governmental records. These laws are sometimes known as open records laws, public records laws, or FOIA laws after the federal Freedom of Information Act. These FOIA laws define the procedures that people can use to obtain access to these records.
This page contains information related to who is allowed to submit FOIA requests as mandated by the laws in each state.
Who can make FOIA requests
State FOIA laws regulate who can request public documents. In most states, "any person" is able to request documents regardless of their citizenship. However, seven states (Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, New Jersey, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia) require requesters to be state residents. Incarcerated persons, felons, and persons otherwise convicted of a crime are barred from submitting requests by some states' FOIA regulations. For example, everyone "except those persons incarcerated in state or local correctional facilities" can request public records in Michigan.[1]
Click on a state below to see its regulations concerning who may submit FOIA requests:
See also
Footnotes
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