Freedom of Information Act Program

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) gives you the right to access any Department of the Interior (DOI) records unless the information in those records is protected by one or more of the nine exemptions (reasons an agency may withhold records from a requester) and there is a sound legal basis to withhold them.

If you are seeking general information about DOI or one of its bureaus or offices, you may wish to visit DOI's home page or contact the Office of Communications/Public Affairs for the appropriate bureau. The information you are seeking may be available already in one of DOI's reading rooms or via the Internet. If it is not, you will need to submit a written FOIA request to DOI.

If you have questions on what information is available without submitting a FOIA request or where it may be located, contact one of the FOIA Contacts. Our responsibility is to provide you with copies of the documents you are entitled to receive under the law. We want to work with you to achieve that goal.

Disclaimer: To the extent that anything included on this home page may be or could be construed as inconsistent with the law or DOI's regulations, the law and regulations will control DOI's responsibilities under the FOIA.