When A Meeting Is Public
Fla. Stat. 286.011 — open at all times, minutes kept, and a fine of up to $500
In Florida, every meeting of a board or commission of a state agency or authority, or of an agency or authority of a county, municipal corporation or political subdivision, at which official acts are to be taken is a public meeting open to the public at all times. That includes meetings with or attended by a person elected to the board who has not yet taken office. The board or commission provides reasonable notice of all such meetings.
Action taken anywhere else does not bind. No resolution, rule or formal action is considered binding except as taken or made at such a meeting.
- Minutes are promptly recorded, and the records are open to public inspection.
- The circuit courts may issue injunctions to enforce the section on application by any citizen of the state.
- Meetings may not be held at a facility that discriminates on the basis of sex, age, race, creed, color, origin or economic status, or that unreasonably restricts public access.
- A board may meet in private with its attorney about pending litigation only on the conditions the section sets, and the entire session is recorded by a certified court reporter, with the transcript made public when the litigation ends.
| Who | What the section provides |
|---|---|
| WhoA public officer who violates the section | What the section providesA noncriminal infraction, fine not exceeding $500 |
| WhoA member who knowingly attends a meeting not held in accordance with it | What the section providesA misdemeanor of the second degree |
| WhoA board found in violation in an action to enforce it | What the section providesThe court shall assess a reasonable attorney's fee against the agency |
| WhoA person whose action was filed in bad faith or was frivolous | What the section providesThe court may assess a reasonable attorney's fee against that person |
The rule that fees are not assessed against individual members who followed their attorney's advice, the reimbursement of a member who is acquitted, and the special rules for certain advisory committees are in the section and are not reproduced in full here. Whether a particular gathering was a meeting at which official acts were to be taken is a question for a court and for a licensed Florida attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Fla. Stat. 286.011 — Public meetings and records; public inspection; criminal and civil penalties
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Florida attorney.