The Chapter 119 of the State of Florida Law ensures that all government records will be available to the public. These public records include documents, audios, pictures, papers and any other media format collected or created during the government agency's transactions with the public. There are some records though that are restricted and are only open to the people or individuals the government has nominated. Some documents will also be redacted by the office before it is released to the public or to the person requesting the record. The Florida public records are available for the public and can be accessed through several means.
One can make their request by writing or contacting the Office of the Custodian of Public Records. Contacting the office is the fastest way to request the information; however, for those whose requests are a bit complex, they might want to put their request in writing. The Florida public records office has a sample of the letter if one wishes to make their request in writing. Although the law states that the agency is not obligated to answer the request(s) in a certain time, it however requires the office to act on the request within a reasonable time as such processing for the request might take some time.
A copy of the record will cost $.15 for a one-sided copy and $.20 for a two-sided one. For a certified copy of the record, the person requesting the record will have to pay $1. The person requesting the information will incur additional cost if the records that they want will take the Office an extensive amount of time to look. Another is when the requested copy is in a different format other than paper such as cd, cassettes or DVD. Other instances where the agency can collect more than the said cost is when the request would include a search for county maps, crash reports, court records, homicide records and aerial images/photos. It is best to inquire whether the format that one needs is available from the agency.
There are requests that the Office will deny, usually with a written note on why the request was denied. For those who feel that the denial is rebuttable, they can try out several options to reverse the denial. One would be to contact the Attorney General's Office. Another is to talk with the local state attorney and lastly, is to file for a Writ of Mandamus.
For those who are interested to access several government public records, the internet provides several options to make the searches easier. Some counties now make the records online and available to the public. Another is to check a third party site that offers public records free or for a small amount. Either way, checking online can help one to obtain the necessary information that they want as well as have them delivered at one's convenience.
One can make their request by writing or contacting the Office of the Custodian of Public Records. Contacting the office is the fastest way to request the information; however, for those whose requests are a bit complex, they might want to put their request in writing. The Florida public records office has a sample of the letter if one wishes to make their request in writing. Although the law states that the agency is not obligated to answer the request(s) in a certain time, it however requires the office to act on the request within a reasonable time as such processing for the request might take some time.
A copy of the record will cost $.15 for a one-sided copy and $.20 for a two-sided one. For a certified copy of the record, the person requesting the record will have to pay $1. The person requesting the information will incur additional cost if the records that they want will take the Office an extensive amount of time to look. Another is when the requested copy is in a different format other than paper such as cd, cassettes or DVD. Other instances where the agency can collect more than the said cost is when the request would include a search for county maps, crash reports, court records, homicide records and aerial images/photos. It is best to inquire whether the format that one needs is available from the agency.
There are requests that the Office will deny, usually with a written note on why the request was denied. For those who feel that the denial is rebuttable, they can try out several options to reverse the denial. One would be to contact the Attorney General's Office. Another is to talk with the local state attorney and lastly, is to file for a Writ of Mandamus.
For those who are interested to access several government public records, the internet provides several options to make the searches easier. Some counties now make the records online and available to the public. Another is to check a third party site that offers public records free or for a small amount. Either way, checking online can help one to obtain the necessary information that they want as well as have them delivered at one's convenience.
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