The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Office of the Ombudsman and Public Services ensures communication with the general public by acting as a liaison to the agency’s programs. The Office assists the public with agency issues, facilitates public records requests, fosters effective and open communication, promotes responsiveness and provides information for the public. The Office is also the primary contact for public records requests.

Open Government Frequently Asked Questions & Information

1. What does Open Government mean?
2. Who is the Open Government Contact for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection?
3. What is a public record?
4. How can I submit a public records request to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection?
5. How much can the Department of Environmental Protection charge for public documents?
6. How long does it take to fulfill a public records request?
7. Is the Department of Environmental Protection required to give out information from public records or produce public records in a particular form?
8. If I want to review records at a Department of Environmental Protection office, when can I do so?
9. Who can I contact with a question or concern about DEP’s programs, divisions or districts?
10. Where does DEP post the most requested information?

1. What does Open Government mean?

Florida enjoys an exceptionally broad public records law. Open Government, or Government-in-the-Sunshine, provides a right of access to governmental proceedings at both the state and local levels. It is applicable to both elected and appointed boards and has been applied to any gathering of two or more members of the same board to discuss some matter which will foreseeably come before that board for action. There is also a constitutionally guaranteed right of access to meetings of collegial public bodies. Virtually all state and local collegial public bodies are covered by the open meetings requirements with the exception of the judiciary and the state Legislature which have their own constitutional provisions relating to access.

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2. Who is the Open Government Contact for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection?

Bonnie Hazleton
Director, Office of the Ombudsman and Public Services
3900 Commonwealth Blvd, MS 49
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Phone: (850) 245-2118

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3. What is a public record?

The Florida Supreme Court has determined that public records are all materials made or received by an agency in connection with official business which are used to perpetuate, communicate or formalize knowledge. They are not limited to traditional written documents. Tapes, photographs, films and sound recordings are also considered public records subject to inspection unless a statutory exemption exists. For more information, see Chapter 119.07, Florida Statutes .

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4. How can I submit a public records request to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection?

It is easy for you to make a public records request from DEP. You may request a record by e-mail, regular mail, telephone or fax.

To expedite your request, carefully consider the information that will be useful to you. Very broad requests can take longer for DEP to provide and may become costly for you.

To request a record by mail, send to:
Department of Environmental Protection
Bonnie Hazleton Director, Office of the Ombudsman and Public Services
Attention: Public Records Custodian
3900 Commonwealth Blvd, Mail Slot 49
Tallahassee, FL 32399

To request a record by e-mail, send your request to Bonnie.Hazleton@dep.state.fl.us 

To request a record by telephone, call 850-245-2118

To request a record by fax, fax requests to 850-245-2128, Attention: Bonnie Hazleton, Public Records Custodian

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5. How much can the Department of Environmental Protection charge for public documents?

By law, DEP may charge 15 cents per one-sided copy for copies that are 14" x 8 1/2" or less, and 20 cents per double-sided copy. DEP may charge 30 cents per map for 30 inch by 42 inch maps and 50 cents per map for 36 inch by 30 ¼ inch maps.

Audio and video tapes may cost from $1.30 to 1.83 per tape, and CD-ROM disks may be provided at a cost of 70 cents per disk. A charge of up to $1 per copy may be assessed for a certified copy of a public record, and the requestor is responsible for the cost of mailing the records. Other costs for the actual cost of duplication may be charged when the public records are produced using a material other than the ones listed above.

If the nature and volume of the records to be copied requires extensive use of information technology resources or extensive clerical or supervisory assistance, or both, DEP may charge based on the costs incurred. This is why being clear and specific in your request is important.

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6. How long does it take to fulfill a public records request?

Florida law states that an agency must respond within the “limited reasonable time” it takes an agency to retrieve and record the record, and delete those portions of the record that are exempt. The length of time it takes DEP to provide the records varies somewhat with the volume of the request but DEP is committed to providing requested records as quickly and efficiently as possible.

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7. Is the Department of Environmental Protection required to give out information from public records or produce public records in a particular form?

The Sunshine Law addresses the right to access, inspect, and copy existing public records but it does not mandate that an agency give out information from the records or create new records to accommodate a request for information. In addition, an agency is not generally required to reformat its records to meet a requestor’s particular needs.

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8. If I want to review records at a Department of Environmental Protection office, when can I do so?

If you have determined that the records you are requesting are located at a particular DEP office and you would like to review the records in person, you may do so during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

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9. Who can I contact with a question or concern about DEP’s programs, divisions or districts?

You can contact the Office of the Ombudsman & Public Services, DEP’s District Offices or submit a question or comment online.

Office of the Ombudsman & Public Services
Bonnie Hazleton (Bonnie.Hazleton@dep.state.fl.us)
John R. Peterson (John.R.Peterson@dep.state.fl.us)
3900 Commonwealth Blvd., M.S. 49
Tallahassee, FL 32399
(850) 245-2118 (phone)
(850) 245-2128 (fax)

Public Services Contacts by DEP District

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10. Where does DEP post the most requested information?

DEP has compiled some of the most requested and useful information within the statistical abstract. The public may also visit DEP’s Citizen Quick Reference Guide and acronym listing helpful in locating information.

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