Citizen Help Center / Records Requests
FOIA & State Open Records
Copy-ready request, fee-waiver, and appeal letters — plus plain-language rules for Federal FOIA, Missouri’s Sunshine Law, and the Kansas Open Records Act.
Federal FOIA only covers federal agencies. For city hall, school districts, and police departments, use your state open-records law. Select a jurisdiction below to see deadlines, fees, exemptions, and templates.
How records requests work
Identify the right agency and custodian
Federal FOIA covers federal agencies only. For city hall, schools, and police, use your state open-records law and address the custodian of records or FOI officer.
Describe records specifically
Name document types, date ranges, offices, and subjects. Ask for existing records — not answers to questions — and prefer electronic delivery.
Send and track deadlines
Put the request in writing, keep a dated copy, and calendar the statutory response clock (20 business days federal; generally 3 business days in Missouri and Kansas).
Appeal if denied
Demand a written citation for any withholding, then use the appeal/complaint template for that jurisdiction — OGIS and agency appeal federally; state AG channels for MO and KS.
Choose your jurisdiction
At a glance — Federal (FOIA)
Law
Freedom of Information Act
Citation
5 U.S.C. § 552
Response time
Agencies generally must determine whether to comply within 20 business days of receipt (5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(A)). Complex requests may be placed in a multi-track queue; unusual circumstances can extend the deadline by up to 10 additional business days with written notice.
Fees
FOIA fee categories: (1) commercial use — search, review, and duplication; (2) educational/scientific institutions and news media — duplication only after the first 100 pages; (3) other requesters — search (after 2 hours) and duplication (after 100 pages). Fee waivers are available when disclosure is in the public interest and not primarily commercial (5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)).
Appeals
File an administrative appeal with the agency’s FOIA Appeals Officer within the time stated in the denial letter (often 90 days). You may also seek assistance from the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) at the National Archives for mediation. After exhausting administrative remedies, you may sue in federal district court.
Who is covered
Executive-branch agencies and departments of the U.S. government, including independent agencies and some government corporations. FOIA does not cover Congress, the federal courts, state or local governments, or private companies.
Key exemptions (plain language)
- Exemption 1 — Classified national defense and foreign policy information
- Exemption 2 — Internal personnel rules and practices
- Exemption 3 — Information specifically exempted by other federal statutes
- Exemption 4 — Trade secrets and confidential commercial/financial information
- Exemption 5 — Privileged inter-agency or intra-agency communications (deliberative process, attorney-client, attorney work-product)
- Exemption 6 & 7(C) — Personal privacy (personnel, medical, and similar files; law-enforcement records)
Practical tips
- Identify the correct agency and FOIA Requester Service Center; FOIA.gov’s agency search helps.
- Describe records by type, date range, office, and subject — not by asking the agency to answer questions.
- Ask for electronic delivery (PDF/email) and a fee estimate before work begins if costs may exceed $25.
- Request a fee waiver if you seek information about government operations for public dissemination.
- Keep a dated copy of every request and agency response for appeal deadlines.
- If the agency misses the statutory deadline, you may treat it as a constructive denial and appeal or sue.
Copy-ready templates — Federal (FOIA)
Freedom of Information Act Request
Header & Addressee
[YOUR NAME] [YOUR MAILING ADDRESS] [CITY, STATE ZIP] [YOUR EMAIL] [YOUR PHONE] [DATE] FOIA Requester Service Center [AGENCY NAME] [FOIA OFFICE MAILING ADDRESS OR EMAIL FROM FOIA.GOV] Re: Freedom of Information Act Request — [SHORT SUBJECT LINE]
Legal Basis & Records Requested
Dear FOIA Officer: Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552, I request access to and copies of the following agency records: 1. [DESCRIBE RECORDS — be specific: document type, office or component, subject matter, and date range. Example: “All final contracts, task orders, and modifications between [AGENCY COMPONENT] and [VENDOR NAME] relating to [PROJECT], dated January 1, [YEAR] through December 31, [YEAR].”] 2. [ADDITIONAL RECORD SET, if any — keep each set distinct] 3. [EMAILS OR MEMORANDA, if sought — identify custodians or offices, keywords, and date range] I am seeking existing agency records. This request is not a request that the agency create new records or answer questions.
Format, Fees & Fee Waiver
Please provide the responsive records in electronic format (searchable PDF or native electronic files) delivered by email or secure download. If any portion of a record is exempt, please release all reasonably segregable non-exempt portions and identify the exemption(s) relied upon for any withholding. I am willing to pay fees up to $[AMOUNT, e.g. 25]. If you estimate that fees will exceed that amount, please notify me with an itemized estimate before proceeding. [If applicable: I request a waiver of fees under 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(iii) because disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest; it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations or activities of the government and is not primarily in my commercial interest. A separate fee-waiver statement is attached / follows.]
Contact & Closing
If this request is unclear, please contact me at [PHONE/EMAIL] so I can clarify promptly. Please acknowledge receipt of this request and provide a tracking number. Thank you for your assistance. Sincerely, [YOUR NAME] [OPTIONAL: ORGANIZATION / AFFILIATION]
FOIA Fee Waiver Request
Header
[YOUR NAME] [YOUR ADDRESS] [EMAIL / PHONE] [DATE] FOIA Requester Service Center [AGENCY NAME] Re: Fee Waiver Request — FOIA Request [TRACKING NUMBER OR SUBJECT]
Public-Interest Standard
Dear FOIA Officer: Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(iii) and the agency’s FOIA fee regulations, I respectfully request a waiver (or substantial reduction) of all fees associated with the above-referenced FOIA request. Disclosure of the requested records is in the public interest because the records concern the operations or activities of the government, specifically [DESCRIBE THE GOVERNMENT ACTIVITY — e.g., “the award and oversight of federal contracts for [PROGRAM]”]. The information is meaningfully informative about those operations and is not already in the public domain in the form requested.
Contribution to Public Understanding
I intend to analyze and disseminate the information to the public through [DESCRIBE OUTLET — e.g., “a nonprofit civic website with approximately [N] monthly readers,” “a newsletter distributed to [AUDIENCE],” “reporting for [PUBLICATION],” or “public testimony and briefings for [CIVIC GROUP]”]. Disclosure is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of [SPECIFIC ISSUE] because [EXPLAIN WHAT THE PUBLIC WILL LEARN THAT IT DOES NOT ALREADY KNOW]. I have the ability and intention to convey the information to a reasonably broad audience of persons interested in the subject, and I will present the information in an informative and non-sensational manner.
Commercial Interest & Closing
Disclosure is not primarily in my commercial interest. [STATE: “I am a private citizen / journalist / nonprofit researcher and will not sell the records or use them for commercial advantage.”] Please confirm in writing whether the fee waiver is granted. If denied in whole or in part, please explain the grounds for denial and process the request under the applicable fee category with a fee estimate before incurring charges above $[AMOUNT]. Sincerely, [YOUR NAME]
FOIA Administrative Appeal
Header
[YOUR NAME] [YOUR ADDRESS] [EMAIL / PHONE] [DATE] [AGENCY FOIA APPEALS OFFICER — name/address from denial letter] [AGENCY NAME] Re: Freedom of Information Act Appeal — Request No. [TRACKING NUMBER] Original request date: [DATE] Denial / adverse determination date: [DATE]
Statement of Appeal
Dear Appeals Officer: Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6) and the agency’s FOIA regulations, I hereby appeal the adverse determination dated [DATE] regarding FOIA Request No. [TRACKING NUMBER]. I requested: [BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF RECORDS]. The agency [DENIED THE REQUEST IN FULL / WITHHELD PORTIONS / FAILED TO RESPOND WITHIN THE STATUTORY PERIOD / ASSESSED IMPROPER FEES / DENIED A FEE WAIVER]. The determination letter cited [EXEMPTION(S) OR GROUNDS, if any].
Grounds for Reversal
I respectfully request that the agency reverse or modify the determination for the following reasons: 1. Segregability: Even if portions of responsive records are exempt, the agency must release all reasonably segregable non-exempt information. The denial does not demonstrate that segregability was adequately considered. 2. Exemption misapplied: [EXPLAIN WHY THE CITED EXEMPTION DOES NOT APPLY — e.g., “Exemption 5 deliberative-process privilege does not protect final agency decisions or purely factual material.”] 3. Public interest / discretionary release: [IF APPLICABLE] The agency should exercise its discretion to release information where no foreseeable harm would result from disclosure. 4. Inadequate search: [IF APPLICABLE] The agency’s search appears inadequate because [OFFICES NOT SEARCHED / KEYWORDS TOO NARROW / DATE RANGE TRUNCATED]. Please remand for a reasonable search of [SPECIFIC CUSTODIANS OR SYSTEMS]. I request release of all non-exempt responsive records in electronic format and a Vaughn-style description of any remaining withholdings.
Closing
Please acknowledge this appeal and issue a determination within the time required by FOIA and the agency’s regulations. I may also seek assistance from the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS). Sincerely, [YOUR NAME] Enclosure: Copy of original request and agency determination
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