Thursday

October 14, 2004

All FOIA requests must be in writing.

At a minimum, requests for records must contain the following:

1. A statement that the records are being sought under the FOIA.
2. A sufficiently accurate and specific description of the particular record desired to facilitate its location and identification.
3. A clear statement that the requester is willing to pay FOIA fees.

To expedite your request and save you money, frame your FOIA request as narrowly as possible and include in your letter a statement that you agree to accept "clearly releasable" portions of the documents you desire. If you later find that "clearly releasable" portions do not meet your needs and you want a formal agency decision with administrative appeal rights, you can always submit another FOIA request for the entire document.

The FOIA does not require agencies to answer questions, venture opinions, or conduct independent inquires to satisfy queries from the public. Please ensure that your request is asking for records, not answers to questions.

Fees:

• Search/Review @ $25.00 per hour (professional rate)
• Paper Copy @ .15 per page
• Costs for other types of records are based on the actual cost of duplication, including the operator's time and cost of material.
• Fees under $15.00 are waived

Records are forwarded to requesters after payment is received. Payment is to be made by check made payable to the Treasurer of the United States and forwarded to the FOIA Officer.