Freedom of Information Act & Privacy Act, U.S. Department of Commerce

U.S. Department
of Commerce

FOIA Reference Guide


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Requesting Commerce Department Records under the Freedom of Information Act & the Privacy Act

Records About Yourself

Under the Privacy Act, you may request copies of any Department of Commerce records that:

  • are about you and
  • are filed and can be retrieved by your name or a personal identifier (such as your Social Security number).

You can also ask the Department 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 Department of Commerce Records

Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), you may make a written request for any Department Records.

The Department is required to provide records requested in writing by any person or organization, unless the records are covered by one of nine exemptions or three special law enforcement record exclusions.

Request Commerce Records under the Freedom of Information Act

More Information on the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act

For more information on the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act, see the list of reference materials on the U.S. Department of Justice FOIA website.