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Click on your state to view detailed FOIA guidance
Click on your state to view detailed FOIA guidance
Each state page includes: response deadlines, fee structures, special rights, exemptions, enforcement options, and success strategies
- Statute
- G.S. §132-1
- Year Enacted
- 1970 (amended 2024)
- Response Deadline
- 10 business days
- Who Can Request
- Anyone
- Fees
- Yes
- Attorney Fees
- Recoverable if you win
- Enforcement
- Multiple mechanisms
Last verified: February 18, 2026
Use North Carolina FOIA TemplateDefinition of Public Record
Records include all documents, no matter the physical form, “made or received pursuant to law or ordinance in connection with the transaction of public business by any agency.”
Exemptions to Public Records
Exempt: Confidential legal communications; criminal investigations; and intelligence information.
🔍 Search Common Exemptions
Exemption database for NC is being compiled. Check back soon!
Who Can Make a Request?
Anyone
Response Timeframe
There is no time limit. Section § 132-6 of the North Carolina Public Records Law states that a custodian of public records shall make them available “at reasonable times and under reasonable supervision by any person, and shall, as promptly as possible, furnish copies thereof upon payment of any fees as may be prescribed by law.”
📅 Calculate Your Response Deadline
Information on Fees
Agencies are only allowed to charge copying fees, unless an “extensive amount of labor” is involved. The State Chief Information Office can mediate fees.
Enforcement Mechanisms
Enforcement through Civil Court.
Attorney Fees
Yes, you can win attorney’s fees. # 45 Goldwater Institute OPEN MY GOVERNMENT
🚀 Ready to Request Records?
Choose how you want to proceed with your NC public records request:
💡 Both options provide comprehensive, well-formatted requests based on NC transparency law.