The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) is dedicated to educating the public and governmental bodies of their rights and responsibilities under the Public Information Act (PIA). We hope the information presented here is helpful and useful. If you are learning about open records for the first time, here is a brief introduction to the PIA.
Open Records Rulings
The PIA generally requires a governmental body to release information to a requestor. However, if a governmental body determines the information is excepted from disclosure under the PIA, then the request and information must be reviewed by the OAG's Open Records Division (ORD). The ORD will issue a decision on whether the governmental body is permitted to withhold the requested information or if it must release the information to the requestor.
Open Records Education
The OAG sponsors the Open Government Conference, provides online training for officials, and makes training presentations upon invitation.
Every two years, the OAG publishes an updated Public Information Handbook (PDF). The handbook is free and publicly available.