National Freedom of Information Coalition
Freedom of Information Center

Welcome to the Freedom of Information Center

Yes, you're in the right place.

The virtual FOI Center has moved and now resides here, at http://nfoic.org/foi-center/. What hasn't changed is our commitment to open government and government accountability.

If you're a repeat visitor and feel a bit confused, or if this is your first time here, please read more about the FOI Center, including a brief history, our mission statement, a few words about the redesign, and contact information.

STATE FOI LAWS

These sites contain basic statutes about open meetings and open records. Many states have multiple statutes that provide exemptions.

INTERNATIONAL FOI LAWS

Freedom of information is a global phenomenon these days. FOI advocates all over the globe are creating advocacy groups. We’ve assembled links to FOI laws, academic studies and news of note from all over the world here.

SAMPLE LETTERS

While not an exhaustive collection, we've included samples for requests, appeals, and fee waivers, as well as Privacy Act letters for access, appeals, and amending records.

FOIA THE FOIAs

One of the best things you can do when starting your FOIA request is finding out what other FOIA requesters are asking the government. This section shows you how to go about that, and includes an example of FOIA logs from the Persian Gulf War.

MEDIA LAW GUIDE

Don't be intimidated: anyone can become familiar enough with the law to make a difference. We've assembled an array of links on a wide variety of legal subjects.

FIGHTING CITY HALL

The late Dr. Ernest Morgan, a former professor at the Missouri School of Journalism, wrote this terrific piece on informal methods for gaining access to meetings and records more than 30 years ago.

Audits and Open Records Surveys

The first FOI audit we've a record of was conducted by the Oakland Tribune and the First Amendment Project in 1992 to test how well 30 Bay Area agencies were complying with the California Public Records Act.

FOI audits have continued into the 21st Century with no signs of abatement.

Much remains to be done.


FOI Center File Index

The FOI Center File Index is a roadmap to the content of research files that have been compiled since the Center was opened in 1958. The Index begins by examining controls imposed by the government—including our own—at every level.


Historical File Index

Since the FOI Center covered the broadest aspects of the Freedom of Information movement, our files have outgrown our ability to store them onsite. Many files are now stored with the University Archives and by prior arrangement may be examined by researchers.