Explaining the Florida Freedom of Information Act

If you live in Florida and know a bit about the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) of 1966, you must have heard about Florida’s Public Records Laws, also known as the Florida Sunshine Law. It’s a state-specific series of laws that enables people to gain insight into the records and actions of Florida’s government bodies.

This guide will introduce you to the meaning of the Florida Freedom of Information Act laws. We will share the best tips for submitting a FOIA request and demand any public records on yourself or people you know.

DoNotPay is the easiest and most effective way to learn everything about the FOIA request forms and templates, status checks, and the best request procedures.

What Do Public Records Under the Florida FOIA Include?

Public records in Florida refer to all records related to the government bodies in this state. They may have various forms, such as:

• Maps
• Films
• Tapes
• Books
• Photos
• Papers
• Letters
• Documents
• Sound recordings
• Data processing software

Who Can Request Records Under the Florida FOIA?

According to the Florida FOIA laws, any person can file a FOIA request and demand access to public records. The state doesn’t propose any limits related to nationality or state of residence.

What Are the General Florida FOIA Exemptions?

The Florida Sunshine Law has around 600 categories that fall under the FOIA exemptions. Here are a few examples:

• Law enforcement records
• Non-public federal records
• Adoption and birth records
• Death and fetal death records
• Certain types of drafts and notes
• Autopsy photographs and recordings
• Children or vulnerable adults abuse records
• Convention center booking business records
• Bids, replies, and proposals sent to an agency pursuant
• Personal email correspondence exchanged between city employees from government computers

What To Include in Your Florida FOIA Request and How To Submit It

The main purpose of your request is to explain to the institution officials what kind of public information you want. To make sure they understand your needs, you need to be concise and straightforward. Your petition doesn’t have to be long—the only details you need to include in it are:

1. First name
2. Last name
3. Physical address
4. Detailed description of the desired type of records
5. Contact details—email address, phone number, etc.

Request submission methods depend on the institution that should receive your petition. You can usually find the request procedure explanation on the agency’s official website. If you can’t detect any useful information online, the best bet is to contact them directly and inquire about the further steps you need to take.

Here’s a table showing the most common request submission methods and their general availability in Florida’s agencies:

What Are the Costs of Requesting Public Information Under the Florida Sunshine Law?

If you want only to examine the materials, most institutions won’t charge you any fees.

Should you decide to get the copies, the costs shouldn’t exceed $0.15 per page of 8.5 x 14 inches.

Can You Appeal a Rejected Florida FOIA Request?

Sadly, the Florida FOIA laws don’t offer clearly defined procedures for appealing the denied request.

Is There a FOIA Request Response Time Frame in Florida?

The state’s FOIA laws don’t dictate a specific time frame for request processing. According to Statute 119.07(1)(c), the main goal of the agency officials should be to process the requester’s information promptly, but it’s more important to do it properly.

The law doesn’t provide any information on response time extensions either.

Filing a FOIA Request by Using DoNotPay Saves Your Time

Florida’s Public Records Laws handbook is lengthy and contains much information that may be irrelevant for your case. The struggle gets real once you decide to access information from multiple sources. Searching for the desired records on many sides can turn into a nightmare, especially if you can’t find a clear explanation of the request procedure.

Meet DoNotPay—the world’s first AI Consumer Champion that turns burdensome bureaucracy into a piece of cake. Our service enables you to submit a 100% paper-free FOIA request in a few clicks!

To take advantage of this perk, follow the instructions below:

1. Log in to DoNotPay using any web browser
2. Look for our FOIA feature by using the search field
3. Choose State Agency or Federal Agency
4. Tell us the name of the institution and describe the records you want to access
5. Indicate whether you want to use fee waivers or expedited processing

To solve the matter as soon as possible, we create a request letter and send it to the chosen agency. All you need to do is lay back and wait for them to contact you with an update!

Pick Up the Necessary Records From Any Agency With Our App

If you are tired of administrative fuss, our service is coming to save the day! Learn how to use our app to file FOIA requests and demand public records in any state, including:

• Ohio
• Indiana
• Virginia
• Michigan
• Pennsylvania
• North Carolina
• South Carolina

Do you need public information from multiple agencies? We provide the best records database, enabling you to get in touch with any state or federal agencies, such as FBI, CIA, ICE, EPA, DOD, DHS, FAA, IEPA, and many more!

DoNotPay Offers a Variety of Services

DoNotPay is the ultimate virtual assistant that takes over all those annoying tasks you don't want to deal with!

Need to schedule your DMV appointment? Want to get your college fees waived? Have to draft a doc quickly?

We can do all that and much more!

Our app waits on the phone line with customer service of any company for you, reports robocalls, and helps you file lawsuits in small claims court.

We can also help you deal with your parking tickets, get rid of spam emails and texts, or find and sign up for reputable clinical trials!

Keep Your Money in Check With DoNotPay

How often do you sign up for a free trial and then forget to cancel it before it expires? Unexpected charges are the worst, but you can prevent them if you use our free trial card. DoNotPay's virtual credit card is not connected to your bank account, which means that no money can be taken from it.

We can also help you get refunds for unsatisfactory purchases or compensation from airlines for delayed or canceled flights.

In case you are struggling with warranty claims, bill payments, insurance, or tax reduction, DoNotPay can solve these issues as well.

Our app also has the largest database of unclaimed assets in the United States, so you can find and claim your lost funds quickly.