 We
hope you found the information you need or want on our website.
But if you didn’t, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and
the Privacy Act (PA) grant you the right to access many government
records about how the government operates.
Guide for FOIA or Privacy Act Requesters
Under the FOIA, any person has a right to a copy of
certain records possessed by the executive offices, agencies, corporations,
administrations, commissions, boards and services. However, some
records are protected from disclosure, such as sensitive personal,
commercial, and governmental information. Find out more about what
information is exempt. You also may
be required to pay fees for costs related
to providing the requested documents. There are several fee
categories.
Under the PA, if an agency files information about
you by your name, or any other means that identifies you (such as
social security number), you have the right to see the information;
keep other people from seeing it; and correct the information if
it is wrong.
Making an FOIA or Privacy Act Request
There are a few things you need to know before making
a request. First, you must submit your request directly to the DOT
organization that may have the records you are looking for. We’ve
prepared a brief summary of each organization,
along with the name and address of the person to contact in those
organizations to help you make that determination. Also, if you
want the records in a form or format other than paper, please be
specific in describing the format you would like to receive the
information.
Second, your request must be in writing and include
the following information:
- Provide your name, address and telephone number.
Also, if you have an email address, please provide it, so that
we can contact you if we have questions about your request.
- Specify whether you are making an FOIA or PA request.
- Provide as much detail as possible about the records
you seek.
- Indicate whether you are requesting the information
in a form or format other than paper.
- State your willingness to pay any fees,
and how much you are willing to pay as advance authorization
If you are mailing the request, please mark prominently
on the envelope "FOIA Request".
Finally, before you submit a request, you may want
to search
our website to find out if the information is already available.
Ready to submit a request?
You may submit your request on-line
or by mail, facsimile, or in person.
We do not accept FOIA requests by telephone. If you need more information,
or need help in submitting a request, get in touch with the appropriate
FOIA/Privacy Act contacts.
How to Follow-up on a Request
Within a few days after receiving your request, we
will send you an acknowledgment letter. This letter will include
the tracking number for your request. For us to follow-up on your
request, you must provide the tracking number.
DOT Electronic Reading Room
- DOT FOIA Regulations, Public Availability
of Information (49 CFR, Part 7)
- DOT Privacy Act Regulations, Maintenance
of and Access to Records Pertaining to Individuals
- DOT Annual Reports to Congress
- DOT FOIA/Privacy Act
Customer Service Standards
- FY2000
Five-Year IT Plan
- "A Citizen's Guide on Using the Freedom of Information Act
and the Privacy Act of 1974 to Request Government Records", House of Representatives
Committee on Government Operations, H.R. Rep. No. 105-37, 105th Cong., 1st Sess.
(1997), 33 pages and appendices (Available at Federal Depository Libraries, Government
Printing Office (Document No. 052-071-01230-3). In order to access this Guide,
you must click on GPO
Access and the Federal Depository Libraries gateway access) and search the
database: Congressional Reports, 105th Congress using the search term: "105-37"(please
include quotation marks in search).
Useful Links
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