FOIA Request Example: A Federal Records Letter

TL;DR

• A federal FOIA request must be in writing and reasonably describe existing agency records, but no universal request form is required. FOIA.gov states both requirements directly.
• Send the request to the federal agency or component that maintains the records. There is no government-wide office that processes every request. The Department of Justice explains the decentralized process.
• A useful letter identifies the record type, subject, office, date range, likely custodian, and known file or case numbers. The current DOJ request regulation lists these locating details.
• State the format you want and set a specific fee ceiling. The statute requires the requested form or format when the agency can readily reproduce the record that way. Read the format rule in the FOIA statute.
• Do not put sensitive identity material into a generic template. Requests about yourself or another person may require agency-specific identity, consent, or proof-of-death procedures. DOJ’s current request rule describes those requirements.

A FOIA request example is useful only after you identify the records and the office likely to hold them. Copying a polished letter to the wrong agency still produces a misdirected request. Sending a broad question instead of describing existing records can also force clarification before a search begins.

The model below is a reusable drafting aid for ordinary federal agency records. It is not an official form, legal advice, a fee-waiver guarantee, or a substitute for the receiving agency’s rules. For the wider process, start with our federal FOIA filing guide and use the agency directory to separate the record holder from a catalog or referral source.

What should you research before sending the letter?

Search the agency’s website, FOIA library, electronic reading room, reports, data catalog, inspector-general material, and prior releases before drafting. FOIA.gov recommends checking whether the information is already publicly available, and the Office of Government Information Services makes the same point in its requester best practices (FOIA.gov filing guidance; OGIS requester best practices). A public record may answer the question immediately, reveal the official title of a record series, or show which component processed a similar request.

The pre-filing search is not just a way to avoid waiting. It improves the request. Suppose a public contract page identifies an award number, program office, award date, and final decision document. Those facts can replace a demand for “all records about the contract” with a bounded request for the award decision, evaluation memorandum, signed instrument, and named attachments for that award. The second version tells the agency what record types and identifiers to search.

Build a short source worksheet before writing:

Do not copy identifiers from a search snippet without opening the source. Check that the document concerns the same agency, period, and program. When a public page and a document use different office names, preserve both and ask the FOIA office to route the request rather than guessing which historical organization name controls.

If you still cannot identify the component or record series, contact the agency’s FOIA Requester Service Center or Public Liaison. The purpose of that contact is not to argue the merits of the underlying matter. Ask operational questions: which component maintains the named program’s records, whether a reading-room release already exists, and what additional description would allow staff to locate the record. The current DOJ regulation expressly provides for assistance in describing records (28 CFR 16.3).

What should a FOIA request letter contain?

A functional letter identifies the correct FOIA office, asks for existing agency records in searchable terms, gives contact information, states a preferred format, and addresses fees. FOIA.gov says the request must be written and reasonably describe the records, while the official agency listing supplies office-specific submission methods and requirements. Check the current government-wide instructions before drafting.

Use this model as a framework. Replace every bracketed instruction before submission, delete optional paragraphs that do not apply, and do not invent a legal basis for special treatment.

Subject: Freedom of Information Act Request: [RECORD TOPIC]

FOIA Officer
[FEDERAL AGENCY OR COMPONENT]
[OFFICIAL SUBMISSION ADDRESS OR PORTAL]

Dear FOIA Officer:

This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act.

I request copies of the following existing agency records:

* [RECORD TYPE OR SERIES] maintained by [OFFICE OR PROGRAM], concerning
  [SUBJECT].
* Date range: [START DATE] through [END DATE].
* Known identifiers: [CONTRACT, GRANT, CASE, FILE, REPORT, OR REFERENCE NUMBER].
* Likely custodians or locations: [OFFICE, UNIT, SYSTEM, OR MAILBOX], if known.

Please include [DESCRIBE INCLUDED MATERIAL, SUCH AS ATTACHMENTS OR APPENDICES].
Please exclude [CLEARLY OUT-OF-SCOPE MATERIAL], if applicable.

I prefer the records in [PDF, CSV, OR NATIVE ELECTRONIC FORMAT] if they are
readily reproducible in that format.

I agree to pay fees up to $[FEE CEILING]. Please contact me before incurring
fees above that amount. [OPTIONAL: EXPLAIN THE REQUESTER FEE CATEGORY OR
PROVIDE A FACT-SUPPORTED FEE-WAIVER REQUEST.]

If any part of this request does not reasonably describe the records, please
contact me so that I can clarify or narrow it. If records are withheld in full
or in part, please identify the basis stated in the agency's determination and
provide the applicable appeal instructions.

Please send the acknowledgment, tracking number, and records to:

[NAME OR ORGANIZATION]
[POSTAL ADDRESS, IF REQUIRED]
[EMAIL ADDRESS]
[PHONE NUMBER, OPTIONAL]

Sincerely,
[NAME]

This model draws from the elements in the National Archives’ official sample letter, which identifies the requested documents, requester fee status, a payment ceiling, and an optional fee-waiver explanation. Review the NARA sample in its FOIA Reference Guide. It also adds scope, format, and record-location fields supported by current government guidance, so the agency can reproduce the search rather than interpret a general research question.

Which parts of the example should you customize?

Customize the record description first. The current DOJ rule says useful locating details can include the date, title, author, recipient, subject, case number, file designation, or reference number. See the official list in the eCFR. Use only details you can support. An incorrect component, system name, or identifier can point the search away from the records.

How specific should the record description be?

The description should let agency staff identify where and how to search with a reasonable amount of effort. Ask for a recognizable record type, such as final inspection reports, award documents, correspondence, meeting minutes, or a named dataset. Then bound it by subject, office, and time period.

Do not ask, “Why did the agency choose this contractor?” That is a question. Ask for existing records that could document the decision, such as the final award decision, evaluation memorandum, signed contract, and stated attachments for the identified procurement. FOIA does not require an agency to create a new record, perform research, analyze data, or answer questions. FOIA.gov states that limit in its current filing guidance.

Should you name custodians, systems, and keywords?

Include likely offices, systems, or custodians when they are known from public material, but describe the requested records independently. A custodian hint can help an office plan a search. It should not silently narrow the request to one employee if other offices may maintain responsive records.

Keywords work best as aids tied to a defined record category. A string of names without a record type, office, or period can leave the agency guessing about the search. If the agency’s website does not explain its records, contact its FOIA Public Liaison before filing. DOJ guidance says a liaison can help a requester describe the records. The official regulation expressly provides for that assistance.

What format and delivery language belongs in the letter?

Ask for a format that preserves the information you need. PDF can suit fixed documents. CSV can suit an existing table. Native electronic format may preserve fields or metadata that a print conversion loses. The statute requires an agency to provide the requested form or format when the record is readily reproducible that way. See the format provision in the FOIA statute.

Do not assume the agency must create a new spreadsheet, clean data, or convert a record through custom programming. State a preference, then let the receiving office explain what it can readily reproduce under its rules and systems.

How does this example compare with weaker requests?

The strongest difference is operational precision. Each useful clause tells the receiving office something needed to route, search, reproduce, or communicate about the request.

The table does not create universal wording. Agency rules control. For example, DOJ components use a decentralized system and publish component-specific requirements, while the National Archives asks archival requesters for record-group, series, file, or catalog identifiers when available. Compare the DOJ regulation with NARA’s current filing instructions.

How should you handle fees in the request?

Set an amount you can actually authorize, and ask the office to contact you before estimated fees exceed it. Do not copy a fee-waiver paragraph unless you can explain how disclosure is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of government operations or activities and is not primarily in your commercial interest. That is the statutory standard. Read the fee-waiver provision in the FOIA statute.

Fee treatment depends on the requester’s category and the receiving agency’s regulations. Under the statute, qualifying noncommercial educational, scientific, and news-media requests receive the first one hundred pages of duplication without charge, while other noncommercial requesters also receive the first two hours of search without charge. The statutory fee provisions state those entitlements. Commercial-use treatment differs, so do not label yourself a journalist, researcher, or noncommercial requester without a factual basis.

Agency-specific thresholds can affect processing. DOJ’s current fee rule requires notice when estimated fees exceed $25 unless the requester has already agreed to pay that much. See the current DOJ fee-notice rule. The FOIA statute limits advance-payment demands to specified circumstances, including an agency estimate above $250 or a prior failure to pay on time. The official statute states the advance-payment rule. These figures illustrate why the template uses a user-selected ceiling instead of claiming that one amount fits every agency or request.

How should you submit and preserve the request?

Submit through the record-holding office’s current official channel. FOIA.gov reports that most federal agencies accept electronic requests through a web form, email, or fax, but the agency listing controls the available route and special requirements. Verify the destination on FOIA.gov immediately before sending.

Follow this procedure:

1. Choose the correct agency. Confirm which federal agency or component maintains the records and open that office’s current submission instructions.
2. Describe existing records. Name the record type, subject, office, date range, likely custodian, and known identifiers without asking the agency to answer a question.
3. Add format and fee terms. State a preferred reproducible format, a specific fee ceiling, and any supported request for a fee waiver or expedited processing.
4. Save and submit. Keep the exact request and proof of submission, then record the tracking number and every later scope or fee agreement.

Save the final text before pasting it into a portal. Preserve attachments, the confirmation screen or sent message, and the date and channel used. The receiving office will ordinarily issue an acknowledgment and tracking number; NARA’s requester guidance recommends retaining that number for later correspondence. See the National Archives requester best practices.

The statute generally calls for an agency determination within 20 working days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public holidays, but that is not a promise that all records will be delivered by then. The timing rule and its qualifications appear in the FOIA statute. Scope questions, fee clarification, unusual circumstances, consultations, and agency backlogs can affect the path. Record any agreed narrowing in writing so the saved request and the agency’s actual search scope do not drift apart.

How should you read the acknowledgment and determination?

Treat the acknowledgment as the beginning of the administrative record. Save the tracking number, component, received date, fee category if stated, processing track, and the name or contact route for the service center. Under the statute, an agency must assign an individualized tracking number when a request will take longer than ten days to process and must provide a telephone or online service through which the requester can obtain status information (FOIA statute, tracking and status provisions). If the acknowledgment routes the request to a different component, update the research log instead of maintaining two apparently separate requests for the same records.

The statutory 20-working-day provision concerns the agency’s determination of whether to comply and the reasons for that decision; it is not a universal delivery deadline. The statute allows limited tolling while an agency awaits information reasonably requested from the requester or clarifies fee-assessment issues, and it describes “unusual circumstances” that may require more time (FOIA statute, time-limit provisions). This is why a useful log distinguishes four dates: submission, agency receipt, acknowledgment, and determination or production. Collapsing them into one “response date” makes later follow-up harder to reconstruct.

A determination should be read record category by record category. Note which items were released, released in part, withheld, referred, or reported as not found. For withheld material, record the exemption or other authority cited and whether the agency explains the basis. FOIA requires agencies to consider reasonably segregable non-exempt portions, and the statute’s foreseeable-harm standard limits withholding unless disclosure would reasonably be expected to harm an interest protected by an exemption or disclosure is prohibited by law (FOIA statute, withholding and segregability provisions). Do not infer from a redaction code alone that every page was reviewed correctly; preserve the letter and released pages together so the stated basis can be evaluated in context.

If the agency issues an adverse determination, calendar the appeal deadline from the actual letter. The statute requires an appeal period of at least 90 days and notice of dispute-resolution services from the FOIA Public Liaison and the Office of Government Information Services (FOIA statute, appeal and dispute-resolution provisions). Follow the agency’s instructions: an appeal normally identifies the request and determination, states the specific issue, and attaches the relevant correspondence. A status inquiry, an appeal, and a request for OGIS assistance are different actions; label each one accurately in the log.

What should you do when the agency asks for clarification or narrowing?

First ask what part of the description prevents a reasonable search. The problem may be the component, date range, record type, subject, or an undefined phrase such as “all communications.” Narrow only after you understand the tradeoff. Removing an office, custodian, attachment category, or period can exclude records that cannot be restored merely by using better keywords.

Use a written scope-change format:

Regarding request [TRACKING NUMBER], I agree to revise the scope as follows:

[PASTE THE COMPLETE REVISED RECORD DESCRIPTION]

This revision replaces [IDENTIFY THE PRIOR CLAUSE OR VERSION]. All other
parts of the request, including the requested format and fee ceiling, remain
unchanged. Please confirm the search scope the component will use.

Paste the complete operative wording rather than saying only “that works” on a call. After a telephone discussion, send a same-day summary and invite correction. Save the original request, each proposal, and the confirmed final scope as separate versions. That record shows whether a later no-records result applies to the request initially imagined or to a substantially narrower search.

Consider staged processing when the universe is large. You can request a readily identifiable index, log, final report, or list of responsive files first, then use it to formulate a second request for selected records. This can be more useful than authorizing a broad search whose cost and volume are unknown. But do not assume an agency must create an index that does not already exist; FOIA reaches existing agency records and does not require new research or a newly created answer (FOIA.gov filing guidance).

When the agency proposes search terms, ask how those terms relate to the record system. Email keywords may be helpful for correspondence but irrelevant to a case-management database organized by an identifier. A good agreement identifies the record type and system or office first, then uses names and terms as search aids. Preserve misspellings, acronyms, former program names, and known identifiers when they are genuinely connected to the target records.

How should you handle a no-records result or incomplete production?

A no-records response means the agency reports that its search found no responsive records under the operative scope. It does not automatically prove that the event never happened, that no federal office has a related record, or that another component used the same search. Compare the response with the request file before deciding what it means.

Review five points:

1. Component: Did the office searched actually maintain the program or transaction during the requested period?
2. Record type: Did the request identify an existing series, or did it describe a topic without naming likely records?
3. Identifiers: Were a known award, case, project, or report number and relevant former names included?
4. Dates: Did the range cover record creation, approval, and later closeout or correspondence dates?
5. Scope changes: Did an agreed narrowing remove the office, attachment, or period now believed to contain the record?

For an apparently incomplete production, create an inventory instead of sending a general complaint. List the requested categories, what was produced for each, referenced attachments that are absent, gaps in a numbered series, and any pages the agency says were referred elsewhere. An attachment mentioned in a released email is a concrete follow-up lead; a belief that “there must be more” is not. Ask the service center to clarify production status before treating an interim release as final.

If the dispute concerns the adequacy of the search or an adverse determination, follow the appeal instructions and address the specific deficiency. The saved request, acknowledgment, scope correspondence, production inventory, and determination are the evidence package. OGIS also offers neutral dispute-resolution services, but it does not replace the need to preserve an agency appeal deadline (OGIS requester best practices).

What changes for first-party and third-party records?

Do not use the ordinary letter’s contact block as a place to upload identity evidence. A request for records about yourself can implicate both FOIA and the Privacy Act and may require a signed certification, identity details, or a secure submission route under the particular agency’s rules. A request for records about another living person may require that person’s consent; a request concerning a deceased person may require proof of death. DOJ’s current regulation and filing instructions describe component-specific identity and third-party procedures (28 CFR 16.3; DOJ filing instructions).

Separate the records description from the verification package. Draft the request so it identifies the existing records, then follow the agency’s secure process for only the proof it requires. Do not email a Social Security number, identity document, signature image, medical record, or third-party personal details merely because an online example contains a blank for it. If the portal asks for information that is unclear, stop and verify the requirement on the official agency page or with the FOIA office.

The same caution applies after release. A lawful disclosure does not mean every personal detail should be republished. Redact unnecessary identifiers from a public research copy, preserve the unmodified agency production securely when appropriate, and document any editorial redactions separately so they are not confused with the agency’s redactions.

What should the final quality-control check cover?

Before submission, read the request as if you were the employee planning the search. Every bracket should be gone, every optional clause should either be supported or deleted, and the office should be able to distinguish the records from the broader subject.

• Confirm the federal agency and component on FOIA.gov or the agency’s official site.
• Confirm that the request names existing records rather than asking questions or demanding new analysis.
• Check the date range, identifiers, program names, office names, and known attachments against the source worksheet.
• Make sure a custodian or keyword hint has not accidentally become an exclusive limitation.
• State a format that is useful and plausibly reproducible without demanding creation of a new record.
• Set a fee ceiling you can authorize; include fee-waiver or expedited-processing language only when supported by the applicable standard.
• Remove sensitive personal information from the ordinary letter and use the agency’s verified identity or consent process when required.
• Save a clean submission copy and create a log entry before opening the portal.

This check is deliberately mechanical. FOIA outcomes depend on the records, exemptions, searches, and agency process, but avoidable drafting errors should not be the reason a request stalls.

What should you leave out of a reusable FOIA letter?

Leave out unsupported claims, legal threats, accusations, and promises that the law does not make. A request letter should help locate records. It is not the place to prove the underlying controversy.

Do not embed a driver’s license, Social Security number, signature image, medical detail, or another person’s sensitive information simply because a template has an identity field. A request for records about yourself may require identity verification, and a request concerning another person may require consent or proof of death for greater access. DOJ’s official request page explains its identity and third-party procedures. Use the agency’s secure method and provide only what that process requires.

Avoid a generic demand for expedited processing. Agencies apply statutory and regulatory standards, and a bare statement that the matter is urgent does not establish eligibility. The same applies to fee waivers. If either request matters, cite the receiving agency’s current rule and provide the facts it asks the requester to establish.

FAQ

Can I use this FOIA request example for every federal agency?

Use it as a drafting framework, then replace the destination and follow the record-holding agency’s current FOIA rules and submission instructions.

Do I have to explain why I want the records?

A basic records request usually does not need a purpose statement, but a fee-waiver or expedited-processing request needs facts that address the applicable legal standard.

Should I include a fee limit in the letter?

A specific fee ceiling tells the agency how much you authorize and asks it to contact you before costs exceed that amount.

Can I request records about myself or another person?

Check the agency’s identity, consent, proof-of-death, Privacy Act, and secure-submission rules before sending personal information.

What happens if the agency says the request is too broad?

Ask what additional detail would make the records reasonably identifiable. A FOIA contact or Public Liaison can discuss the record systems, likely component, and a narrower description. Preserve the revised wording and the date of the agreement with the request file.

Should the letter demand every FOIA exemption by number?

No. Ask the agency to identify the basis for any withholding and to provide applicable appeal instructions. The statute contains nine exemptions, but whether one applies depends on the record and the agency’s review. FOIA.gov publishes the current statutory text and exemption provisions.

Conclusion

A good FOIA request example is a checklist disguised as a letter. It directs the request to the correct office, describes existing records with searchable facts, states a usable format, limits fee authority, and leaves a clean record for follow-up.

Do the record work before the prose work. Confirm the custodian, inspect the agency’s reading room and instructions, replace every bracketed field, remove inapplicable options, and save exactly what you submit. That approach cannot guarantee release or speed, but it gives the agency a request it can route and evaluate without guessing what records you meant.

Sources

1. FOIA.gov, How to Make a FOIA Request
2. FOIA.gov, Freedom of Information Act Statute
3. U.S. Department of Justice, Make a FOIA Request to DOJ
4. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 28 CFR 16.3
5. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 28 CFR 16.10
6. National Archives, FOIA Reference Guide and Sample Letter
7. Office of Government Information Services, Requester Best Practices
8. National Archives, How to File a FOIA Request

Editorial source check: 2026-08-15 · Topic ID: FED-004