Informal Opinion Letter Summaries

To view an informal opinion letter summary, click on the opinion letter number. They are grouped into either Sunshine Law or UIPA opinions. To view pre-2009 summaries, please check OIP’s annual reports to the Governor and the Legislature; annual reports from 2000 may be accessed on OIP’s website under Reports.

OIP issues informal opinions generally in instances where the legal questions raised by a dispute have been previously resolved and discussed in a formal opinion, or where the legal opinion is based upon specific facts that limit the opinion’s usefulness for general guidance purposes. These opinions are often abbreviated in form and refer the reader to OIP’s formal opinions for a full discussion of the legal concepts applied. Informal opinions are not relied upon as precedent by OIP in the issuance of its opinions, and OIP does not maintain a subject index for the informal opinions.

Before the adoption of OIP’s appeal rules in 2012, OIP issued “memorandum decisions” in some UIPA cases.  Memorandum decisions, like memorandum opinions, are not considered precedential.

Opinions are grouped on this website by fiscal year (FY).  Fiscal years run from July 1 until June 30 and refer to the year in which it ends.  For example, FY 2014 runs from July 1, 2013 until June 30, 2014.