Open Government
The policy of the state of North Carolina is to allow the public access to the business of government. We help by acting as a liaison between public officials and the public.
Open government laws are known as “sunshine laws” because they help shed light on the government’s work.
Public Records laws specify:
-
What kinds of records the public may access
-
Which government agencies must disclose records
-
How public records laws may be enforced if agencies do not allow their records to be examined
Open Meetings laws specify:
-
Which State and local public bodies must hold open meetings
-
What kind of notice public bodies must give before holding meetings
-
Under what circumstances a public body may enter into a closed session
-
How citizens may enforce the open meetings law if a public body attempts to exclude them from a meeting or fails to give proper notice
To get help on open government issues, email the Attorney General’s Public Protection Section at
opengov@ncdoj.gov or call (919) 716-6938.