Most states have laws—statutes that are sometimes referred to as Acts—that make most government records open to the public. These laws are similar to the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and are often known as open records acts or public information acts.

These public information or open records acts provide a mechanism for citizens to inspect or copy government records—and provide the governmental bodies from whom the records are requested with the right to withhold government records from the public in certain instances.

Public information or open records acts generally require a governmental entity to release information in response to a request for information. But if a governmental entity determines the information is excepted from disclosure under the law, then both the request and the information at issue must be reviewed by another governmental division. The reviewing division will issue a decision on whether the governmental entity is permitted to withhold the requested information or must release the information to the requestor (often a citizen or member of the media).

These public information or open records laws vary from state to state and are usually located in a state’s statutes.

In Wyoming, the primary law governing public access to government records is the Wyoming Public Records Act (W.S. 16-4-201 through 16-4-205). This Act is similar to the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and is designed to ensure that the public has the right to access records from state and local government entities, with certain exceptions. The Act allows citizens to inspect or copy public records, and it requires governmental bodies to provide requested information unless it falls under specific exemptions outlined in the law, such as records related to personal privacy, law enforcement investigations, trade secrets, and other sensitive matters. If a governmental entity denies a request for records based on an exemption, the decision can be appealed, and a reviewing division, such as the Wyoming Attorney General's Office or a district court, may be called upon to determine whether the records must be disclosed or can be lawfully withheld.