Legal Library
Statute citations, response deadlines, and best practices for all U.S. jurisdictions.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Always consult with a qualified attorney or your agency's FOIA officer regarding specific legal questions.
Jurisdiction Quick Reference
Click any jurisdiction to see its agency list, or see the Request Map for a geographic view.
| Code | Jurisdiction | Statute | Response Deadline | MuckRock Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AK | Alaska Public Records Act | Alaska Public Records Act (Alaska Stat. §§ 40.25.100–40.25.295) | 10 10 business days | 111 days |
| AL | Alabama Open Records Act | Alabama Open Records Act (Ala. Code §§ 36-12-40 to 36-12-41) | No fixed deadline | 181 days |
| AR | Arkansas Freedom of Information Act | Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (Ark. Code Ann. §§ 25-19-101 to 25-19-109) | 3 3 working days | 124 days |
| AZ | Arizona Public Records Law | Arizona Public Records Law (Ariz. Rev. Stat. §§ 39-121 to 39-126) | No fixed deadline | 134 days |
| CA | California Public Records Act | California Public Records Act (Cal. Gov't Code §§ 7920.000–7931.000) | 10 10 days | 113 days |
| CO | Colorado Open Records Act | Colorado Open Records Act (Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 24-72-201 to 24-72-402) | 3 3 working days | 59 days |
| CT | Connecticut Freedom of Information Act | Connecticut Freedom of Information Act (Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 1-200 to 1-259) | 4 4 business days to acknowledge | 92 days |
| DC | D.C. Freedom of Information Act | D.C. Freedom of Information Act (D.C. Code §§ 2-531 to 2-540) | 15 15 business days | 163 days |
| DE | Delaware Freedom of Information Act | Delaware Freedom of Information Act (Del. Code Ann. tit. 29, §§ 10001–10005) | 15 15 business days | 227 days |
| FL | Florida Public Records Law | Florida Public Records Law (Fla. Stat. § 119.01–119.15) | No fixed deadline | 87 days |
| GA | Georgia Open Records Act | Georgia Open Records Act (Ga. Code Ann. §§ 50-18-70 to 50-18-77) | 3 3 business days | 187 days |
| GU | Guam Sunshine Act | Guam Sunshine Act (5 Guam Code Ann. § 10101 et seq.) | No fixed deadline | — |
| HI | Uniform Information Practices Act | Uniform Information Practices Act (Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 92F-1 to 92F-42) | 10 10 business days | 102 days |
| IA | Iowa Open Records Act | Iowa Open Records Act (Iowa Code §§ 22.1–22.14) | No fixed deadline | 77 days |
| ID | Idaho Public Records Act | Idaho Public Records Act (Idaho Code §§ 9-337 to 9-350) | 3 3 working days | 40 days |
| IL | Illinois Freedom of Information Act | Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/1–140/11) | 5 5 business days | 48 days |
| IN | Access to Public Records Act | Access to Public Records Act (Ind. Code §§ 5-14-3-1 to 5-14-3-10) | 7 7 days for mailed requests | 75 days |
| KS | Kansas Open Records Act | Kansas Open Records Act (Kan. Stat. Ann. §§ 45-215 to 45-250) | 3 3 business days | 107 days |
| KY | Kentucky Open Records Act | Kentucky Open Records Act (Ky. Rev. Stat. §§ 61.870–61.884) | 5 5 business days | 98 days |
| LA | Louisiana Public Records Act | Louisiana Public Records Act (La. Rev. Stat. § 44:1–44:41) | 3 3 business days | 159 days |
| MA | Massachusetts Public Records Law | Massachusetts Public Records Law (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 4, § 7, cl. 26; ch. 66, §§ 10–18) | 10 10 business days | 90 days |
| MD | Maryland Public Information Act | Maryland Public Information Act (Md. Gen. Provis. §§ 4-101–4-601) | 30 30 days | 117 days |
| ME | Maine Freedom of Access Act | Maine Freedom of Access Act (1 M.R.S.A. §§ 401–434) | 5 5 working days to acknowledge | 73 days |
| MI | Michigan Freedom of Information Act | Michigan Freedom of Information Act (Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 15.231–15.246) | 5 5 business days | 107 days |
| MN | Minnesota Government Data Practices Act | Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (Minn. Stat. §§ 13.01–13.99) | No fixed deadline | 99 days |
| MO | Missouri Sunshine Law | Missouri Sunshine Law (Mo. Rev. Stat. §§ 610.010–610.225) | 3 3 business days | 37 days |
| MS | Mississippi Public Records Act | Mississippi Public Records Act (Miss. Code Ann. §§ 25-61-1–25-61-17) | 7 7 working days | 99 days |
| MT | Montana Public Records Act | Montana Public Records Act (Mont. Code Ann. §§ 2-6-101–2-6-111, 2-6-201–2-6-405) | No fixed deadline | 40 days |
| NC | North Carolina Public Records Act | North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 132-1–132-10) | No fixed deadline | 163 days |
| ND | North Dakota Open Records Act | North Dakota Open Records Act (N.D. Cent. Code §§ 44-04-17.1–44-04-18.18) | No fixed deadline | 66 days |
| NE | Nebraska Public Records Act | Nebraska Public Records Act (Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 84-712–84-712.09) | 4 4 business days | 163 days |
| NH | New Hampshire Right-to-Know Law | New Hampshire Right-to-Know Law (N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§ 91-A:1–91-A:9) | 5 5 business days | 107 days |
| NJ | New Jersey Open Public Records Act | New Jersey Open Public Records Act (N.J. Stat. Ann. §§ 47:1A-1–47:1A-13) | 7 7 business days | 89 days |
| NM | Inspection of Public Records Act | Inspection of Public Records Act (N.M. Stat. Ann. §§ 14-2-1–14-2-12) | 3 3 business days to acknowledge | 132 days |
| NV | Nevada Public Records Act | Nevada Public Records Act (Nev. Rev. Stat. §§ 239.005–239.330) | 5 5 business days | 132 days |
| NY | New York Freedom of Information Law | New York Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) (N.Y. Pub. Off. Law §§ 84–90) | 5 5 business days to acknowledge | 137 days |
| OH | Ohio Public Records Act | Ohio Public Records Act (Ohio Rev. Code § 149.43) | No fixed deadline | 72 days |
| OK | Oklahoma Open Records Act | Oklahoma Open Records Act (Okla. Stat. tit. 51, §§ 24A.1–24A.28) | No fixed deadline | 99 days |
| OR | Oregon Public Records Law | Oregon Public Records Law (Or. Rev. Stat. §§ 192.311–192.478) | 5 5 business days to acknowledge | 75 days |
| PA | Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law | Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law (65 Pa. Stat. Ann. §§ 66.1–66.9) | 5 5 business days | 88 days |
| PR | Transparency and Expedited Procedure for Access to Public Information Act | Transparency and Expedited Procedure for Access to Public Information Act (Ley 141-2019) | No fixed deadline | — |
| RI | Rhode Island Access to Public Records Act | Rhode Island Access to Public Records Act (R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 38-2-1–38-2-15) | 10 10 business days | 112 days |
| SC | South Carolina Freedom of Information Act | South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (S.C. Code Ann. §§ 30-4-10–30-4-165) | 10 10 business days | 187 days |
| SD | South Dakota Open Records Law | South Dakota Open Records Law (S.D. Codified Laws §§ 1-27-1–1-27-33) | No fixed deadline | 67 days |
| TN | Tennessee Open Records Act | Tennessee Open Records Act (Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 10-7-501–10-7-515) | 7 7 business days | 126 days |
| TX | Texas Public Information Act | Texas Public Information Act (Tex. Gov't Code §§ 552.001–552.353) | 10 10 business days | 87 days |
| UT | Government Records Access and Management Act | Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA) (Utah Code §§ 63-2-101–63-2-1001) | 10 10 business days | 79 days |
| VA | Virginia Freedom of Information Act | Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Va. Code §§ 2.2-3700–2.2-3714) | 5 5 business days | 76 days |
| VT | Vermont Public Records Act | Vermont Public Records Act (1 V.S.A. §§ 315–320) | 3 3 business days | 75 days |
| WA | Washington Public Records Act | Washington Public Records Act (Wash. Rev. Code §§ 42.56.001–42.56.904) | 5 5 business days | 40 days |
| WI | Wisconsin Public Records Law | Wisconsin Public Records Law (Wis. Stat. §§ 19.31–19.39) | No fixed deadline | 98 days |
| WV | West Virginia Freedom of Information Act | West Virginia Freedom of Information Act (W.Va. Code §§ 29B-1-1–29B-1-7) | 5 5 days | 76 days |
| WY | Wyoming Public Records Act | Wyoming Public Records Act (Wyo. Stat. §§ 16-4-201–16-4-205) | No fixed deadline | 48 days |
Federal FOIA (United States)
The Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552, is the federal sunshine law that gives any person the right to request access to records from federal executive-branch agencies.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Always consult a qualified attorney or an agency's FOIA officer for specific legal questions.
At a Glance
1. What FOIA Covers
The FOIA applies to "agency records"—any documentary material created or obtained by a federal agency and under agency control at the time the request is received. [7]
2. Expanding This Library
FOIA Friend's legal library is built from:
- Primary statutes: Every jurisdiction's open records law, cited to the official code
- Statutory deadlines: Response windows from 3 business days (AR, ID, MO, VT) to 30 calendar days (MD)
- Best practices: Curated guidance from jurisdiction research
- MuckRock data: Observational metrics (avg response time, success rates) where available
Want to contribute? All legal data lives in:
backend/knowledge/law_registry.py— Statutory windows and jurisdiction rulesdata/research/jurisdiction_data.json— Best practices and MuckRock averagesdata/research/muckrock_insights.json— Promoted MuckRock metrics