CAP / Know Your Rights / Public Meetings

What rights do I have at a Kentucky public meeting?

The right to attend is broad. The right to speak is more limited.

Reviewed: August 31, 2026Jurisdiction: Kentucky
Short answer

You generally have a right to attend and observe. You do not automatically have a right to speak at every meeting.

KRS 61.840 protects public attendance and says you cannot be required to identify yourself merely to attend. Kentucky school boards have a separate statutory public-comment requirement.

No ID merely to attend.KRS 61.840 says a person may not be required to identify himself or herself just to attend.
Conditions must relate to maintaining order.Agencies may impose conditions needed to keep the meeting orderly.
Public comment is not universal.The Open Meetings Act principally protects attendance and observation; other statutes or agency rules may create comment periods.

Primary sources