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FOIA Federal Letter Generator

THE REPORTERS COMMITTEE FOR FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

Submitting a FOIA request to a federal agency is not difficult, but a complete, well-written request may help you avoid delays and further correspondence with a government agency.

This letter generator is designed to help you create a simple FOIA request letter. It asks you for all pertinent information, guides you through the options available, and even lists a number of federal agencies and their addresses.

For more information on the FOIA request process, please read our online guide, Federal Open Government Guide.

Instructions

Fill in the relevant information in the fields below. When you click on the button at the bottom, you will be given a chance to verify the information, then you will see a draft of your letter for copying or downloading. This site will not send the letter to the agency for you; you should send it yourself, even if an email option is available, so that the agency receives it directly from you.

Feel free to use this as often as possible, going back and forth between this form and the finished letter, until you get a letter you are happy with. Or, of course, you can just edit the letter in your own word processor once it is generated.

Answer the questions on the following pages as if you were providing the information directly to a government office. If a query is actually the start of a sentence, fill in the missing elements of the sentence.

(We do not use any information from this form, including your email address, for any purpose other than generating the draft of your letter. All the data from your letter can be deleted when you are done by clicking the "Delete" button on the final page.)

Personal information

This information will be added to the letter in a sentence saying, "As I am making this request as a [journalist, author or scholar] and this information is of timely value, I would appreciate your communicating with me by telephone or email, rather than by mail, if you have questions regarding this request."

Agency Information

(Select from the table below, or choose "none of these" and supply a name and address below. If you choose from the table and leave the box below empty, more information about that agency and how it receives requests will be available in the next step of this letter generator.)

Records Sought

[More information on describing records sought.]

Here, clearly describe what you want. Include identifying material, such as names, places, and the period of time about which you are inquiring. If you think they will help to explain what you are looking for, include news clips, reports, and other documents describing the subject of your research when you mail your letter.

Choose desired format for records only if you want them in an electronic or other non-paper form.

Fees

 

I.e., do you want to request a fee benefit, which only applies to journalists? If no, jump to Question B below, in this section.

Fill this out only if you answered yes. Give a short answer, not a detailed description as above.

If a freelancer, provide information such as experience, publication contract, etc., that demonstrates that you expect publication. If a blogger, describe the purpose of your blog and the frequency with which you post to it, etc.

This is only available if release of the information is in the public interest because it will contribute significantly to public understanding of government operations and activities.

If you answered "Yes" above, you may wish to address some of the criteria for waiver as described in the law. An author or scholar would want to show how ultimately the information will be available to the public. A library may want to identify researchers who will use it.

Enter a dollar limit for the amount of fees you are willing to pay. The agency will be told to notify you if the amount will exceed this. Most agencies will not consider your request properly filed unless you state something about the fees -- either your willingness to pay or your request for a fee waiver. If you set an amount up front, the agency will begin to process your request, and you can retain some control over the ultimate amount you will have to pay. If you select the fee waiver option above, this amount will be ignored.

$
Expedited Processing

(establish the need for bringing information on this subject to the public's attention now. The need may involve an impending decision to which informed members of the public might contribute through lobbying or other contacts with public officials and in these instances delay would simply rob the public of its ability to make known its views in a timely manner. Another need could be for the public to address serious allegations of governmental wrongdoing in a timely manner.)

"Please provide expedited processing because delayed disclosure could threaten

(Explain the circumstances that would cause this loss.)

In addition:  If your request is to the Department of Justice or any of its components such as the FBI and your request concerns a matter of "widespread and exceptional media interest in which there exist possible questions about the government's integrity which affect public confidence," you should explain why your request meets these criteria in a request for expedited processing addressed to the Director of Public Affairs, U.S. Department of Justice, Room 1128, 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20530-0001. At the end of this request you should state: I certify that my statements concerning the need for expedited processing are true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.