Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request Letter
(Federal)

Summary

This template is a letter used to request agency records from government agencies under the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5. U.S.C. 552, et seq. This template contains practical guidance, drafting notes, and alternate and optional clauses. Agency records are subject to disclosure under FOIA, whereas personal records are not. For more on the distinction between agency and personal records, see Responding to a FOIA Request Checklist. The default position of most agencies is that a record is an "agency record" if it was either created or obtained by an agency, and under the agency's control at the time the FOIA request was reviewed. The government agency has 20 business days to respond upon receipt of the FOIA request. 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(A)(ii). For more information on agency response times and agency's response obligations under FOIA, see Freedom of Information Act.