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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteTo request federal government records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), first identify the agency and office that likely holds the records, check whether the material is already public, write a focused request for existing records, and submit it through that agency’s current portal, email or mail instructions. Set a fee limit if cost matters, save every receipt and tracking number, and treat the 20-working-day period as the ordinary statutory response window—not a guarantee that a complex request will be completed by then. If the response withholds records or otherwise denies your request, follow the agency’s appeal instructions; for the Department of Justice (DOJ), an administrative appeal generally must be sent within 90 calendar days.
What FOIA covers—and what it does not
Federal FOIA gives the public a way to request existing records held by federal agencies. It is not a general question-and-answer service. An agency does not have to conduct research, analyze data for you, explain a decision, create a new report, or answer a questionnaire. Ask for the records that may contain the information instead. You can request copies in a particular format when that format is available.
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This guide concerns federal FOIA only. State and local governments operate under their own public-records laws, with different deadlines, exemptions and procedures. The federal statute is decentralized: each agency handles its own records, and large departments often divide processing among components. As the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Information Policy explains, “There is no central office in the government that processes FOIA requests for all federal departments and agencies.” See DOJ’s request guidance for the department-specific example used below.
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1. Check for a public copy before filing
Start with the website of the agency whose work produced or received the records. Check its reading room, FOIA library, frequently requested records and datasets. FOIA.gov and agency FOIA pages can help you locate published material. If the exact record is already posted, downloading it is faster than opening a duplicate request.
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Do not assume every agency uses the same library labels or search tools. Record the page URL and access date for anything you find, and compare the posted version with what you need. A public summary may not include attachments, underlying correspondence, drafts or earlier versions.
2. Identify the right records holder
Send the request to the agency that created, received or maintains the records. Within a large department, identify the component or office most likely to have them. Routing a request directly to the likely component can avoid an internal transfer and often produces the quickest response. DOJ’s components have their own FOIA handling instructions; its DOJ request page lists component contacts and explains what to do when you are unsure.
For agencies other than DOJ, use that agency’s current FOIA contact list and submission instructions. A DOJ portal, address or appeal route should not be treated as government-wide. If several agencies may hold different portions of a record, you may need separate, narrowly tailored requests.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors| Question | Routing decision | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Who created or received the record? | That agency is the starting point. | Use its FOIA page and current submission method. |
| Which office handled the subject? | Choose the component that performs that work. | Name the office in your request when known. |
| Are records split across agencies? | Each custodian controls its own records. | File separate requests with each likely holder. |
| Are you unsure within DOJ? | DOJ provides a Mail Referral Unit for routing help. | Follow the DOJ-specific instructions; it is not a federal clearinghouse. |
3. Define a request staff can search
A useful request identifies the records, subject and boundaries. Include the record type, relevant names or identifiers, date range, office and preferred delivery format. A bounded request is easier to search and review than a demand for everything related to a broad topic. Narrowing the time period, office or document type can make processing more manageable, although no particular turnaround is promised.
Use records language, not questions
Replace “Why did the agency reject the project?” with a request for the rejection memorandum, staff recommendations, approval chain and correspondence concerning that decision. Replace “How many inspections failed, and what does that mean?” with a request for the inspection database or reports for a defined period, plus any existing analysis you can identify. The agency is not required to perform calculations or create a new explanation.
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Include practical boundaries
- Record type: emails, contracts, inspection reports, memoranda, calendars, datasets, photographs or another existing category.
- Subject: a named project, person, contract number, investigation, facility or policy.
- Date range: specific start and end dates, with a reason to expand only if necessary.
- Custodian: the office, program or official likely to maintain the records.
- Identifiers: case, grant, procurement or docket numbers; names and spellings you know.
- Format: electronic copies, searchable PDF, native spreadsheet or another available format.
Adaptable request wording
I request copies of [record type] concerning [specific subject, person or project], created or received between [start date] and [end date], and maintained by [office or component, if known]. Please provide the records electronically in [preferred format] if available. If any portion is withheld, please release all reasonably segregable portions and identify the exemption supporting each withholding.This is drafting help, not mandatory statutory language. Add enough context for a search without turning the request into a narrative, legal argument or list of questions.
4. Submit through the agency’s process
Use the online portal, email address or mailing instructions shown on the target agency’s current FOIA page. Submission rules, accepted file types, authentication and payment procedures vary. The DOJ instructions for submitting and tracking specified requests and appeals are at DOJ’s submission and tracking page, updated May 28, 2026; do not apply its portal to another agency without checking that agency’s directions.
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- Prepare the request. State that you are making a FOIA request, describe the records and boundaries, specify electronic delivery, and include your contact details.
- Set your fee position. State a dollar ceiling or ask the agency to contact you before estimated fees exceed that amount. If you seek a waiver, include the public-interest explanation described below.
- Submit and preserve proof. Save the final text, attachments, confirmation screen, email headers or mailing evidence.
- Record the tracking number. DOJ components ordinarily acknowledge receipt and assign one. Other agencies use their own acknowledgment and tracking systems.
Keep a single folder containing the request, acknowledgment, correspondence, fee notices, production links and response letter. If you later appeal, these records establish what you asked for and when.
5. Understand fees before processing begins
Submitting a DOJ FOIA request does not require an initial fee, but an agency may charge allowable search, review or duplication costs. The amount and treatment depend on your requester category and the agency’s current rules. DOJ’s FOIA Reference Guide explains categories, no-charge allowances and when the agency should notify you that estimated fees exceed a threshold.
Choose a fee ceiling
If cost matters, write the maximum you authorize—for example, “Please notify me before incurring fees above $50.” You can also ask the agency to process only what can be provided without charge where its rules allow. A ceiling is not a promise that the agency will waive charges; it tells staff when to pause for your approval.
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Requesting a public-interest waiver
A fee-waiver request should explain, with concrete facts, why disclosure is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of government operations or activities and why disclosure is not primarily in your commercial interest. Describe the audience you can reach, the method you will use to disseminate the information and the public value of the subject. Inability to pay alone is not a legal basis for a waiver, and a request for your own records generally does not satisfy the public-interest test. Do not assume a waiver will be granted.
6. Track the timeline without promising a delivery date
The ordinary statutory response period is 20 working days. That is the period for the agency’s determination under normal statutory counting rules, not a guarantee that all responsive records will be delivered within 20 working days. The volume and complexity of records, consultation with other agencies, pending workload and the need to clarify scope can extend real processing. DOJ describes these limits in its request guidance and reference guide.
An agency may contact you to clarify the request, discuss a narrower scope, address fees or offer a different timetable. Reply promptly and keep the exchange with your tracking file. Ask the agency’s FOIA Public Liaison or requester-service contact to explain status, scope options or a delay; those contacts can assist with communication but cannot order a particular disclosure.
Timing rules can also be affected by a specific statutory event. For example, DOJ issued temporary guidance on November 18, 2025, explaining how to calculate FOIA response times after the 2025 lapse in appropriations. That document, Calculating FOIA Response Times after the 2025 Government Shutdown, should not be treated as a permanent rule for every future shutdown.
7. Read the agency’s determination
A written response can release all requested records, release records with redactions, locate no responsive records, refer records held by another component, or make another adverse determination. Read the letter and any index or explanation carefully. DOJ says response letters identify the exemptions used and may address the scope of the search, whether records exist, the format supplied and fees.
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Partial release and redactions
Agencies must release reasonably segregable portions when they can do so. Mark each redaction and note the exemption cited. Compare the production with the request’s date range, custodians and record types; a short production does not by itself prove that the search was inadequate, but it can reveal a mismatch that you should raise in an appeal.
No records or an incomplete search
Check whether the agency searched the office and time period you identified. If you have a case number, alternate spelling or likely custodian that was omitted, provide it in a focused follow-up or appeal. Ask for a description of the search only to the extent the agency’s rules provide one; FOIA still does not require the agency to create a new record.
Format or fee disputes
FOIA decisions can be challenged when the agency supplies an unusable format, applies an unexpected fee or denies a waiver. Preserve the exact request and response so the reviewing official can evaluate the disputed point.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.8. Appeal an adverse DOJ response—and verify other agencies’ rules
For DOJ requests, the component’s response explains whether an administrative appeal is available and how to file it. DOJ’s current guidance says an appeal generally must be postmarked or transmitted within 90 calendar days after the component’s response. Appeals can be submitted to the Office of Information Policy (OIP) through FOIA STAR or by mail, following the instructions on DOJ’s submission page. Confirm the deadline and method in your actual letter.
An effective appeal identifies the tracking number, states what determination you challenge, explains why the search, exemption, format or fee decision should be reconsidered, and asks for the specific relief you want. Attach the response and relevant correspondence. Keep the argument tied to the records requested; do not broaden the request for the first time unless the agency’s rules allow a new request.
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Other resolution routes
- FOIA Public Liaison or requester service: useful for clarifying status, scope and communication before or during an appeal.
- Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) mediation: DOJ identifies OGIS as an alternative dispute-resolution option. Mediation can help the parties communicate, but it does not replace every deadline.
- Federal court review: DOJ notes a right to seek judicial review. Ordinarily, a requester should complete the available administrative appeal first; court litigation has its own procedural and cost considerations.
These appeal details are DOJ process guidance. Another federal agency may use a different portal, deadline or reviewing office, so follow that agency’s response letter rather than copying DOJ’s route.
Common problems and practical fixes
The request was sent to the wrong agency
Identify who created or maintains the records and submit a new request to that custodian. If the first agency transfers the request, retain its notice and tracking number; do not assume the transfer resets every deadline in the same way across agencies.
The request is too broad
Offer a smaller date range, one office, a defined record type or a specific identifier. Ask whether the agency can process an initial tranche while you decide whether to expand the scope.
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The agency asks a question instead of processing
Restate the request in records terms and answer only the clarification needed to locate them. Do not turn the exchange into a demand for an explanation or analysis.
Fees are higher than expected
Check your requester category and the estimate. Invoke the fee ceiling you stated, ask what narrowing would reduce cost, or submit a documented waiver argument if you have a genuine public-interest basis. Inability to pay by itself will not establish eligibility.
No response arrives when expected
Use the tracking number to request a status update, contact the FOIA Public Liaison or requester-service contact, and ask whether clarification or a narrower scope would help. Keep dated copies of every message; those records matter if you later appeal or seek judicial review.
Quick Recap
FOIA request checklist
- Checked the agency website, reading room and FOIA library for a public copy.
- Identified the federal agency and, when possible, the component or office that holds the records.
- Described existing records by type, subject, date range, custodian and identifiers.
- Requested an available electronic format.
- Included contact information and a clear fee ceiling or a supported waiver explanation.
- Used the target agency’s current portal, email or mailing instructions.
- Saved the submitted request, acknowledgment, tracking number and all correspondence.
- Calendarized the agency’s stated response and appeal deadlines.
- Read each exemption, redaction, fee and search explanation in the determination.
- For DOJ, checked the 90-calendar-day administrative-appeal rule and current OIP submission instructions.
Key official references
- U.S. Department of Justice: Make a FOIA Request to DOJ
- DOJ Freedom of Information Act Reference Guide
- DOJ: Submit and Track a Request or Appeal
- DOJ Annual FOIA Report, FY 2025
- DOJ guidance on calculating response times after the 2025 shutdown
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