How to file a FOIA request
The answer
Anyone, no citizenship or reason required, can file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with any federal executive branch agency to get copies of records it holds, using FOIA.gov's request portal or an agency's own FOIA office directly1. The honest grade is high for actually getting a legal right to records, moderate to low for getting them quickly. The law requires a response within 20 business days, extendable by 10 more in unusual circumstances, but in reality large or high-profile agencies, the State Department, FBI, and CIA in particular, routinely take many months to well over a year on substantive requests2. File it because it's your right and it works eventually. It is not fast.
Before you go
- Identify which specific agency, or agency component, likely holds the records. Requests sent to the wrong office add delay while it's routed internally.
- Narrow your request as much as possible: specific date ranges, specific document types, specific keywords. Vague requests ("everything about X") get bounced back for clarification or take far longer.
- Decide if you want paper or electronic copies, and whether you want a fee waiver, available for requesters who can show the records serve the public interest, such as journalists, researchers, or nonprofits.
- Check if the records might already be public via the agency's FOIA reading room. Frequently requested records are posted online and skip the whole process.
The mechanics
- Search the agency's FOIA reading room first. Your answer may already be posted.
- Draft a written request that "reasonably describes" the records sought. No specific form or legal language is required.
- Submit via FOIA.gov, which routes to the correct agency, or the agency's own FOIA web form, email, or fax, whichever that agency's FOIA page lists as preferred.
- State your requested format (electronic PDF vs. printed) and whether you're requesting a fee waiver or fee category (individual, commercial, educational/media).
- If your request is urgent, an imminent threat to safety, or you're a journalist on a breaking story, explicitly request expedited processing and state why in the submission.
- Save your assigned tracking number and use it to check status on the agency's portal.
What to say
Be precise, not persuasive. This isn't an advocacy channel.
I request copies of [specific records: e.g. all emails between
X and Y regarding Z, contract number ___, inspection reports
for facility ___] from [date] to [date]. I request records in
electronic format. [If applicable: I request a fee waiver because
this request is in the public interest, as I am ___.]
If you know a specific form number, contract number, or name involved, include it. Specificity is what separates a request processed in weeks from one sitting in a queue for clarification.
What happens next
The agency assigns your request a tracking number and, per statute, must respond within 20 business days, though real-world timelines vary widely by agency and complexity. You'll get records released in full, released with redactions citing specific FOIA exemptions, or a denial you can administratively appeal and, after that, sue over in federal court. If you get no response at all past the deadline, you may still have to wait. Agencies rarely face real consequences for missing the clock, though a lawsuit can sometimes accelerate action.
Does it work
FOIA is a real legal right and agencies do eventually release records, but the 20-day statutory clock is routinely missed by months or years at agencies like State, FBI, and CIA. File for the record, not for speed.
Take action
Not sure which agency holds what you need. /engage has a request template and agency-finder to start from.