Legal Definitions - public record

Public records are documents that the government is required to keep and make available to the public. These records can include information, minutes, files, accounts, and more. The purpose of public records is to keep citizens informed about their government.

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was created in 1967 to ensure that citizens have access to public records. Each state in the United States has its own laws and regulations regarding public records.

While public records are generally accessible to the public, there may be a fee for obtaining them. This fee varies by state.

• Meeting minutes from a city council meeting
• Police reports from a local police department
• Property records from a county assessor's office

These examples illustrate how public records can vary in content and come from different government agencies. Meeting minutes provide information about decisions made by a city council, police reports document incidents that occurred in a community, and property records show who owns a particular piece of land.