FOIA

“Under the federal Freedom of Information Act and public records laws in all 50 states, anyone can request information from federal, state and local agencies like the FBI, the Environmental Protection Agency or your local police department.“-EFF

“Lots of things can inspire public records or freedom of information requests — government announcements, news stories, Congressional hearings, and more — but once you've got the idea you have to know what to do with it.”-EFF

UPDATE (2025): The corruption continues. FOIA Exemptions: The Trump administration has claimed that certain agencies, like the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), were not subject to FOIA requests, despite federal law generally requiring transparency.

https://americanoversight.org/doge-tells-american-oversight-its-records-are-not-subject-to-foia-contradicting-judges-recent-ruling/

EFF (LINK)

public records

Public records laws—FOIA, Sunshine Laws, Open Records, Right to Know, FOIL—exist in every state, each with its own variation (link list below).

While I don’t endorse the full site, the linked blog post FOIA 101: Demystifying Public Records Laws in Each State offers a solid overview of FOIA terminology for those new to public records access.

BLOG POST (LINK)