How to Make a FOIA Request

The National Security Archive User's Guide to the FOIA

Tips and Tricks to Using the FOIA

Sample Freedom of Information Act Letter

Sample Freedom of Information Act Appeal Letter

Principal Agency FOIA Contacts

Every federal agency, department, and office that responds to Freedom of Information Act requests keeps logs of the requests it receives. (A small number of units claim that they don't, but they're using a hypertechnical definition of log to avoid release.) This page will post the FOIA case logs from as many of these federal units as possible, as received by The Memory Hole and others. Keep checking back, as it will be continuously updated.

Case logs are helpful because they let you see what other people have requested. This can give you ideas for your own requests, and it can help your request's chances of getting processed more quickly and cheaply, since the request has already been processed (or is being processed) for someone else.

Files are listed below in alphabetical order by name of agency, department, or office. (The name of each unit is hyperlinked to that unit's Website.) Newest additions are noted in the box at the top of this page.