Public Records Requests

Under Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes, all state, county, and municipal records are open for personal inspection and copying by any person. If you conduct business with the City of Port St. Lucie, your personal information, such as your address or phone number, may be included in a public record.

Florida law provides certain exemptions that may allow for the redaction of personal information from public records in the City's custody. Common exemptions include those for sworn law enforcement officers or judges.

If you believe you qualify for a public record exemption, you must complete the Public Records Exemption Request Form. The form must be properly signed, notarized, and submitted to the City Clerk’s Office. Even if you have previously requested and received an exemption, you must still complete this form.

Effective May 19, 2025, only exemptions requested via the form and properly reviewed and approved by City Staff will be honored.

Completed forms can be emailed to publicrecordsexemption@cityofpsl.com or delivered to the City of Port St. Lucie City Clerk’s Office, 121 SW Port St. Lucie Blvd. Port St. Lucie, FL 34984.

Public Records Exemption Request Form(PDF, 174KB)

What is a Public Record?
A Public Record, as defined by section 119.011(12), Florida Statutes, means all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs, films, sound recordings, data processing software, or other material, regardless of the physical form, characteristics, or means of transmission, made or received pursuant to law or ordinance or in connection with the transaction of official business by any agency.

What is an Exemption?
An exemption, as defined by section 119.011(8), Florida Statutes, means a provision of general law which provides that a specified record or meeting, or portion thereof, is not subject to the access requirements of s.119.07(1), s. 286.011, or s. 24, Art. I of the State Constitution.

How do I know if I qualify for an exemption?
Section 119.071, Florida Statutes, outlines various exemptions for certain individuals as granted by the Florida Legislature.

What information does an exemption protect?
Section 119.071, Florida Statutes, contains a comprehensive list of all protected information. However, most commonly the information protected by an exemption is the home address, telephone number, email address, date of birth, and place of work/school of the qualified individual and their dependents. Please refer to the statute to determine the exact protections related to your specific exemption.

If I qualify for an exemption, what will happen to my information if it is contained within a document requested as a public record?
If a record that has been requested contains confidential or exempt information, that information will be redacted from the record to conceal the portion of the record containing exempt or confidential information. The remainder of the record will be transmitted to the requestor as required by law.

If I move to a new home will my exemption move with me?
A resident that holds a valid exemption will need to resubmit the Public Records Exemption Request Form if the individual relocates to a new home address.

Is there a cost for my public records request?
If the request takes less than 30 minutes of staff time and no significant resources are expended, there is no labor charge, only the cost of duplicating the records. If the request takes more than 30 minutes of staff time you may be charged for labor.

How long will it take to receive my record(s)?
It varies depending on the type of record requested.

What if I want a document in a certain format?
The City of Port St. Lucie will provide all documents in the format in which we have them. We are not required to create documents in response to Public Records requests.