FOIA Basics

Introduction
All significant aspects of civic life in the United States are affected by the federal government. in order to participate in democratic governance, access to government information is essential. The public’s ability to receive information about government has been significantly enhanced by the federal Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552, which was originally in 1966 and has been amended several times since.

What FOIA does
FOIA provides a right of access to records of most federal agencies in the executive branch, unless those records fall within one of nine categories of exempt information. FOIA does not apply to Congress, the federal courts, private corporations or federally funded state agencies. The federal FOIA also does not apply to state or local governments. All states have their own “open records” laws that provide access to state and local records.

Just about anyone can file a FOIA request, including non-US citizens. To get a copy of an agency record, you need to make a written request and submit it to the appropriate agency's FOIA office. In most cases is required by law to make a determination on the request within 20 working days.

How to start
To get basic information on how to file a FOIA request, see the basics of FOIA letters. You might also want to check out which agencies are covered by FOIA.

Following up
Once you get a response, you may want to consult other sections of the FOIA Wiki, like the pages on Administrative Appeals and Exemptions.