oig masthead, logo, commerce
 

Search our Site:
     
 
FOIA
FOIA Statute, 5 USC §552
Commerce FOIA Regulations (15 CFR §§ 4.1~4.11)
Filing a FOIA Request
Online FOIA Request Form
FOIA Contacts
OIG FOIA Requester Service Center/Liasion
Additional FOIA Resources
Sample FOIA Request Letter
Sample Verification of Identity Certification
 
home :: Freedom of Information Act

Freedom of Information Act

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) gives any person the right to request access to records of various agencies in the federal government. The agency must disclose the records requested unless they are protected by one or more of the exemptions found in FOIA.

FOIA applies only to federal agencies and does not create a right of access to records held by Congress, the courts, state or local government agencies, private businesses, schools, private organizations, or private individuals.

The FOIA statute can be found at 5 USC § 552. The Department of Commerce FOIA regulations that implement the statute are found at 15 CFR §§ 4.1~4.11.

Note: Many OIG publications, including audit and inspection reports issued since October 1997, Semiannual Reports to Congress, and congressional testimony, are available at OIG Publications.

Site Map   Privacy Policy   Information Quality   Disclaimer
Department of Commerce   USA.gov   IGNET: Federal Inspectors General   Government Accountability Office     Other Links
U.S. Department of Commerce • Office of Inspector General • 1401 Constitution Avenue, N.W. • Washington, D.C. 20230
[PDF] denotes a file in Adobe's Portable Document Format. To view these files, you will need Acrobat Reader, which is available free from Adobe.