ENFORCING YOUR RIGHTS
Virginia Freedom of Information Act
If you think that a public body has not followed the rules for providing public records or holding a public meeting, the first thing to do is to try to work it out with the public body: Have a conversation, collaborate, negotiate. But, if that doesn’t work, Virginia’s FOIA specifically imagines that everyday people can enforce their rights under FOIA on their own by filing a petition in general district court.
The information provided on this website is intended for general educational and informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and should not be relied upon as advice for any specific situation or case. Viewing this website, using its resources, or communicating with VCOG does not create an attorney-client relationship, and we do not represent individuals in legal matters.



VCOG’s Opinions Archive
VCOG maintains an archive of opinions issued by Virginia courts of all levels, as well as opinions issued by various offices of the attorney general and every formal opinion issued by the FOIA Council. No doubt, some opinions will be missing, but it’s the most comprehensive — FREE — library of court opinions anywhere. You can search by type (court, AG, FOIA Council), but meetings or records, by topic or by keyword. Start your search here.