Requesting Census Bureau Records
Follow the links below to learn how to:
Records About Yourself
The Privacy Act (PA) of 1974 is a Federal law that is set forth in Title
5, Section 552a, of the United States Code (5 U.S.C.552a), as amended.
The purpose of the PA is to balance the Government's need to maintain
information about individuals with the rights of individuals to be protected
against unwarranted invasions of their privacy resulting from the collection,
maintenance, use, and disclosure of personal information. In general,
the PA allows individuals to learn how the Federal Government collects,
maintains, uses, and disseminates records containing personal information.
It also safeguards confidentiality by limiting or restricting disclosure
of personally identifiable records maintained by Federal agencies. The
PA allows individuals to gain access to their own personal records (unless
the requested records are exempted from disclosure), and to seek correction
or amendment of Federally maintained records that are inaccurate, incomplete,
untimely, or irrelevant. As such, the PA establishes a "code of fair
information practices," which requires Federal agencies to comply
with statutory norms for collecting, maintaining, and disseminating records
containing information about individuals.
Under the Privacy Act, you may request copies of any Census Bureau records
that:
- are about you, and
- are filed and can be retrieved by your name or by a personal identifier
(such as your Social Security number).
You can also ask the Census Bureau to correct records that are inaccurate,
incomplete, untimely, or irrelevant.
In some cases, the Privacy Act may not allow release of your personal
records.
Request records about yourself under the
Privacy Act
Other Census Bureau Records
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552 was enacted in
1966 so that any individual or organization would have access to government
records, unless the records are protected by one of nine FOIA Exemptions (link
to Department of Commerce website), or by one of three special law enforcement
record exclusions. FOIA does not apply to records held by Congress, Federal
Courts, state and local governments, private businesses, schools, private
organizations, or private individuals.
Request records under the Freedom of Information
Act
Contact Information
FOIA staff are located in room 8H027 of the U.S. Census Bureau Headquarters
at the Suitland Federal Complex in Suitland, MD.
Telephone (Toll Free) |
1-888-206-6463 |
Fax |
1-301-763-6239
(ATTN: FOIA Officer) |
U.S. Mail |
Mary C. Potter, FOIA Officer
U.S. Census Bureau , Room 8H027
Washington, DC 20233-3700 |
Courier or Hand Delivery |
Mary C. Potter, FOIA Officer
U.S. Census Bureau, Room 8H027
4600 Silver Hill Road
Suitland, MD 20746 |
|