Arkansas residents seeking access to government records or public meetings can rely on the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, a law that has protected transparency in the state for nearly six decades.
Signed into law in 1967 by Governor Winthrop Rockefeller, the Arkansas FOIA ensures that citizens can request a wide range of public records and attend meetings of government bodies such as city councils, quorum courts and state commissions. The law is widely regarded as one of the strongest open-records laws in the country.
The law allows Arkansans and in some cases nonresidents to request public records from most state and local government agencies. Requests can be made in person, by phone, mail, fax, email or other electronic methods provided by the agency.
Under the law, records must generally be made available immediately unless they are in active use or storage. In those cases, the agency has up to three business days to produce the documents.
Some exceptions exist. The “unpublished memoranda, working papers and correspondence” of certain officials including the governor, attorney general, members of the General Assembly and judges are exempt from disclosure. However, communications sent to non-exempt agencies may still be obtainable through those agencies.
Agencies are required to explain the reason if a request is denied. If a requester disagrees with that decision, they may challenge it in state court.
The Arkansas attorney general’s office and the Arkansas Press Association publish a handbook after each legislative session outlining the law, relevant court decisions and attorney general opinions to help citizens better understand their rights under the FOIA.
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