Massachusetts Public Records Appeals Database
About MA Public Records Appeals Database
A Cielee LLC product. We index every Massachusetts Public Records Law appeal ruled on by the Supervisor of Public Records (SPR)— the state officer (inside the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office) who decides whether agencies must release requested records under G.L. c. 66. All 28,000+ determinations from 2014 to today are here, with full original PDFs, extracted text, and AI-powered semantic search.
Unlike the official portal, you can search by keyword, agency, statutory citation, or even paste your own denial letter and find rulings on analogous facts. Use it for legal research, journalism, FOIA training, or to check how the SPR has decided a specific type of request in the past.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this database?▾
A searchable archive of every Public Records Law appeal determined by the Massachusetts Supervisor of Public Records (SPR), built and operated by Cielee LLC. It covers 28,000+ rulings from 2014 to today, with full PDFs, extracted text, and AI-powered semantic search.
Where does the data come from?▾
Every ruling is scraped directly from the Secretary of the Commonwealth's public appeals portal (sec.state.ma.us). We do not modify the official text — we only make it searchable and cross-referenced.
How do I appeal a public records denial in Massachusetts?▾
Under G.L. c. 66, § 10A, you may petition the Supervisor of Public Records within 90 days of the agency's response (or failure to respond). The petition is filed online through the Secretary of the Commonwealth's website. Use this database to find prior rulings on similar records or exemptions cited by the agency. Note: this is research information, not legal advice — consult a licensed Massachusetts attorney for your case.
What do outcomes like 'ordered to provide' or 'exempt' mean?▾
'Ordered to provide' means the SPR ruled in favor of the requester and directed the agency to release the records. 'Exempt' means the SPR upheld the agency's withholding under a statutory exemption (e.g., G.L. c. 4, § 7(26)(c) for personnel files). 'Administratively closed' means the case ended without a substantive ruling — often because the agency produced the records.
Is this site affiliated with the Massachusetts government?▾
No. mapublicrecord.com is a product of Cielee LLC, an independent legal-tech company in Massachusetts. We are not affiliated with the Commonwealth or any government agency. For official filings and the authoritative version of any determination, always consult the Secretary of the Commonwealth's website directly.