Florida Statute 119.07
“Inspection and copying of records; photographing public records; fees; exemptions”
What it means
Florida's public-records right operates through this section. Every custodian of a public record shall permit the record to be inspected and copied by any person desiring to do so, at any reasonable time, under reasonable conditions, and under the custodian's supervision.
Exemptions are handled surgically, not wholesale: the custodian redacts the exempt portions and produces the rest, must state the basis of the exemption including the statutory citation, and on request must explain the reasons in writing with particularity. Copy fees are capped — up to 15 cents per one-sided page, 5 cents more for two-sided, up to $1 per certified copy, plus a reasonable service charge when a request requires extensive use of resources or personnel.
- Any person may inspect and copy public records — at any reasonable time, under reasonable conditions, with custodian supervision.
- Exempt material is redacted; the remainder of the record is still produced.
- A custodian claiming an exemption must cite the specific statutory basis — and explain in writing with particularity on request.
- Fees: up to 15 cents per one-sided page, +5 cents two-sided, $1 per certified copy, plus an extensive-use service charge where warranted.
- Court records in probate files are public through this framework — while specific statutes exempt items like estate inventories and autopsy photographs.
How it plays out
Probate lives inside this statute more than most people realize. A will deposited with the clerk is a public record anyone can pull — we routinely retrieve decades-old wills and probate files this way for heir searches and title work. The traffic runs both directions: what you said in a will is public, while §733.604 keeps the inventory of what you owned exempt, and §406.135 keeps autopsy photographs confidential. Knowing which side of the line a document sits on is half of answering a family's privacy questions.
Where this shows up
Pages on this site where § 119.07 does real work:
Questions people ask
