Florida Statutes

Fla. Stat. § 119.01 (2025)

General state policy on public records.

✓ 2025 Florida Statutes — current through the 2025 Regular Session

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119.01 General state policy on public records.—

(1) It is the policy of this state that all state, county, and municipal records are open for personal inspection and copying by any person. Providing access to public records is a duty of each agency.

(2)(a) Automation of public records must not erode the right of access to those records. As each agency increases its use of and dependence on electronic recordkeeping, each agency must provide reasonable public access to records electronically maintained and must ensure that exempt or confidential records are not disclosed except as otherwise permitted by law.

(b) When designing or acquiring an electronic recordkeeping system, an agency must consider whether such system is capable of providing data in some common format such as, but not limited to, the American Standard Code for Information Interchange.

(c) An agency may not enter into a contract for the creation or maintenance of a public records database if that contract impairs the ability of the public to inspect or copy the public records of the agency, including public records that are online or stored in an electronic recordkeeping system used by the agency.

(d) Subject to the restrictions of copyright and trade secret laws and public records exemptions, agency use of proprietary software must not diminish the right of the public to inspect and copy a public record.

(e) Providing access to public records by remote electronic means is an additional method of access that agencies should strive to provide to the extent feasible. If an agency provides access to public records by remote electronic means, such access should be provided in the most cost-effective and efficient manner available to the agency providing the information.

(f) Each agency that maintains a public record in an electronic recordkeeping system shall provide to any person, pursuant to this chapter, a copy of any public record in that system which is not exempted by law from public disclosure. An agency must provide a copy of the record in the medium requested if the agency maintains the record in that medium, and the agency may charge a fee in accordance with this chapter. For the purpose of satisfying a public records request, the fee to be charged by an agency if it elects to provide a copy of a public record in a medium not routinely used by the agency, or if it elects to compile information not routinely developed or maintained by the agency or that requires a substantial amount of manipulation or programming, must be in accordance with s. 119.07(4).

(3) If public funds are expended by an agency in payment of dues or membership contributions for any person, corporation, foundation, trust, association, group, or other organization, all the financial, business, and membership records of that person, corporation, foundation, trust, association, group, or other organization which pertain to the public agency are public records and subject to the provisions of s. 119.07.

History.—s. 1, ch. 5942, 1909; RGS 424; CGL 490; s. 1, ch. 73-98; s. 2, ch. 75-225; s. 2, ch. 83-286; s. 4, ch. 86-163; ss. 1, 5, ch. 95-296; s. 2, ch. 2004-335; s. 1, ch. 2005-251.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 158 cases (10 in the last 5 years), 1944–2026 · leading case: Bd. of Trs., Jacksonville Police & Fire Pension Fund, etc. v. Curtis W. Lee, 189 So. 3d 120 (Fla. 2016).

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Bd. of Trs., Jacksonville Police & Fire Pension Fund, etc. v. Curtis W. Lee, 189 So. 3d 120 (Fla. 2016). · cites it 14× “The legislative implementation of this constitutional mandate is codified in chapter 119, Florida Statutes, the “Public Records Act.” The Public Records Act declares that “[i]t is the policy of this state that all state, county, and municipal records are open for personal…”

Donald F. Buxton v. City of Plant City, Florida, Troy E. Surrency, Individually, Troy E. Surrency, in His Off. Capacity, 871 F.2d 1037 (11th Cir. 1989). · cites it 4× “10 The basis of the district court’s grant of summary judgment is that the mere availability of Buxton’s internal affairs report under Fla.Stat. §§ 119.01 (1987) et seq., which detailed the circumstances leading to his discharge, did not satisfy the publication (made public)…”

Crosley Alexander Green v. Sec'y, Dep't of Corr., 28 F.4th 1089 (11th Cir. 2022). · cites it 2× “, Fla. Stat. § 119.01 . 40Clarke and Rixey observed the first two investigative facts after arriving in the orange grove where they found Flynn.”

Forsberg v. Hous. Auth. of City of Miami B., 455 So. 2d 373 (Fla. 1984). · cites it 5× “" § 119.01, Fla. Stat. (1983). Section 119.”

Promenade D'Iberville, LLC v. Sundy, 145 So. 3d 980 (Fla. 1st DCA 2014). · cites it 6× “4th DCA 1981) (interpreting § 119.01, Fla. Stat.) (followed by Gay v.”

Rhea v. Dist. Bd. of Trs., 109 So. 3d 851 (Fla. 1st DCA 2013). · cites it 3× “See § 119.01 (2)(a), Fla. Stat. (2009) (“[a]u-tomation of public records must not erode the right of access to those records”); Nat’l Collegiate Athletic Ass’n v.”

Florida Dep't of Child. & Families v. Sun-Sentinel, Inc., 865 So. 2d 1278 (Fla. 2004). · cites it 2× “" § 119.01(1), Fla. Stat. (2002). [4] We stress that our jurisdiction to review the decision below is not based on the intradistrict conflict between the decision below and the decision in Dimino .”

O'Boyle v. Sweetapple, 187 F. Supp. 3d 1365 (S.D. Fla. 2016). · cites it 2× “Florida’s "Public, Records Law” is codified at Fla. Stat. §§ 119.01-119.15 . . The RICO case was later dismissed at the pleading stage.”

Agency for Health Care Admin. v. South Broward Hosp. Dist., 206 So. 3d 826 (Fla. 1st DCA 2016). · cites it 4× “See §§ 119.01-.15, Fla. Stat. . See § 120.68(1), Fla.”

M.C. Dean, Inc. v. City of Miami Beach, 199 F. Supp. 3d 1349 (S.D. Fla. 2016). · cites it 2× “The appellate court noted the State’s public records laws require “ ‘all state, county, and municipal records shall be open for personal inspection by any person,’ § 119.01(1), Fla. Stat. (2002), [and so] the failure to identify information furnished to a state agency as…”

Satz v. Blankenship, 407 So. 2d 396 (Fla. 4th DCA 1981). · cites it 3× “[5] Second, we consider the purpose behind the enactment of the exemptions dealing with criminal intelligence and investigative information in light of the exclusion of certain types of documents from these two exemptions.”

Cape Coral Med. Ctr. v. NEWS-PRESS Publ'g, 390 So. 2d 1216 (Fla. 2d DCA 1980). · cites it 4× “011, Florida Statutes (1979), the Sunshine Law, and section 119.01, Florida Statutes (1979), the Public Records Law.”

Show all 158 citing cases →

— 119.01(1) — 64 cases

Bd. of Trs., Jacksonville Police & Fire Pension Fund, etc. v. Curtis W. Lee, 189 So. 3d 120 (Fla. 2016). “The legislative implementation of this constitutional mandate is codified in chapter 119, Florida Statutes, the “Public Records Act.” The Public Records Act declares that “[i]t is the policy of this state that all state, county, and municipal records are open for personal…”

Florida Dep't of Child. & Families v. Sun-Sentinel, Inc., 865 So. 2d 1278 (Fla. 2004). “" § 119.01(1), Fla. Stat. (2002). [4] We stress that our jurisdiction to review the decision below is not based on the intradistrict conflict between the decision below and the decision in Dimino .”

M.C. Dean, Inc. v. City of Miami Beach, 199 F. Supp. 3d 1349 (S.D. Fla. 2016). “The appellate court noted the State’s public records laws require “ ‘all state, county, and municipal records shall be open for personal inspection by any person,’ § 119.01(1), Fla. Stat. (2002), [and so] the failure to identify information furnished to a state agency as…”

Rhea v. Dist. Bd. of Trs., 109 So. 3d 851 (Fla. 1st DCA 2013). “See § 119.01 (2)(a), Fla. Stat. (2009) (“[a]u-tomation of public records must not erode the right of access to those records”); Nat’l Collegiate Athletic Ass’n v.”

Sepro Corp. v. Florida Dep't of Env't Prot., 839 So. 2d 781 (Fla. 1st DCA 2003).

— 119.01(11) — 1 case

Roe v. Grand Jury, 970 So. 2d 498 (Fla. 4th DCA 2007).

— 119.01(2)(a) — 5 cases

Agency for Health Care Admin. v. South Broward Hosp. Dist., 206 So. 3d 826 (Fla. 1st DCA 2016). “See §§ 119.01-.15, Fla. Stat. . See § 120.68(1), Fla.”

Nat'l Collegiate Athletic Ass'n v. Associated Press, 18 So. 3d 1201 (Fla. 1st DCA 2009).

Consum. Rights, LLC v. Union Cnty., 159 So. 3d 882 (Fla. 1st DCA 2015).

Morris Publ'g Grp., LLC, d/b/a etc. v. State of Florida & Michael D. Dunn, 154 So. 3d 528 (Fla. 1st DCA 2015).

— 119.01(2)(f) — 1 case

Consum. Rights, LLC v. Union Cnty., 159 So. 3d 882 (Fla. 1st DCA 2015).

— 119.01(l)(a) — 1 case

Jordan v. Sch. Bd. of Broward Cnty., 531 So. 2d 976 (Fla. 4th DCA 1988).

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