States, cities & tribes
public records law
State counterparts to the federal FOIA, giving anyone the right to request government records, subject to listed exemptions and fees.
In full
Every state has one, with widely differing deadlines, fee rules, exemptions, and appeal routes. Some require a response within days, others set no deadline at all. Most do not require a requester to explain why they want a record, which is a deliberate feature: the right belongs to everyone equally.
Where to go next
Keep going
Browse every term in the glossary, or see the vocabulary in motion in the How government works walkthroughs.
A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.