Information held by state and local governmental bodies in Texas is deemed to be open to the public, but certain records are off limits under about 50 exceptions.
Public information is defined in Texas law as that which is “written, produced, collected, assembled or maintained under a law or ordinance or in connection with the transaction of official business.”
Most public information laws in Texas are codified under Chapter 552 of the Texas Government Code, known as the Texas Public Information Act, or previously, the Texas Open Records Act.
Anyone may file a written Public Information Act request to a governmental body, which must release the information promptly unless it seeks to pursue a legal process to withhold the information under an exception to the Texas Public Information Act.
