Office of Thrift Supervision

Freedom Of Information Act

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 USC 552, generally provides that any person has a right of access to federal agency records, unless the records (or any portion of the records) are protected from disclosure by one of the FOIA's nine exemptions, or by one of its three special law enforcement record exclusions. This section provides a brief overview of OTS's FOIA program.

As a component of the Department of the Treasury, the OTS follows Treasury guidance. For detailed information on FOIA regulations and procedures, visit the Department of the Treasury FOIA page, www.treas.gov/foia. (Link to External Website)

Freedom Of Information Act

How do I make a FOIA request?

For a request to be accepted for processing under the FOIA, it must:

  • be in writing, be signed by the person making the request, and state that it is being made pursuant to the FOIA, 5 USC 552, or the Department of the Treasury regulations.
  • be either mailed or delivered to The Office of Thrift Supervision, FOIA, 1700 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20552, faxed to (202) 906-7755, or e-mailed to public.info@ots.treas.gov.
  • indicate whether you are a commercial use requester, an educational or non-commercial scientific institution, or a representative of the news media. For us to determine the fee category, the request must state how the documents will be used. We may request additional clarification from you before we assign your request to a specific category. Requester categories are explained in our discussion of FOIA fees.
  • describe the records you are seeking.
  • provide an address where we can notify you regarding whether or not the request will be granted.
  • indicate whether you wish to inspect responsive records or have copies made and furnished to you without first inspecting them.
  • contain your firm agreement to pay fees. This agreement is intended to protect you from unexpected fees. You may set an upper limit on the amount of fees you are prepared to pay. We will notify you if we estimate that the fees will exceed that amount. If you do not set a limit, we will notify you if the fees are estimated to exceed $250.

If you have questions you can either call (202) 906-5922 or e-mail public.info@ots.treas.gov.


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What are the fees associated with FOIA?

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Fees

1. FOIA Services for Which OTS Charges

The FOIA identifies three categories of FOIA requesters. In accordance with U.S. Department of the Treasury regulations, 31 C.F.R. § 1.7, OTS charges fees for processing FOIA requests to those categories of requesters as follows:

  • The first category is commercial use requesters who seek information for a use or purpose that furthers commercial, trade, or profit interests. These requesters are assessed charges, which recover the full direct costs of searching, reviewing, and duplicating the records sought.
  • The second category of requesters includes educational and non-commercial scientific institution requesters, if not seeking records for commercial use, and representatives of the news media actively gathering information for an entity that is organized and operated to publish or broadcast news to the public. These requesters are billed for duplication costs only, excluding charges for the first 100 pages.
  • All requesters who do not fit into one of the above categories are charged fees to recover the full direct cost of searching for and duplicating records, except that the first 100 pages of duplication and the first two hours of search time are furnished without charge.


2. Fee Schedule

In accordance with 31 C.F.R. § 1.7, FOIA fees are as follows:

  • $0.20/page for duplication and $30/hour for search/review time by FOIA Specialists. For searches and document reviews by other employees, charges are based on the employee’s hourly rate of pay plus 16%. Actual costs are billed when responding to requests that require special services such as generating computer tapes. Copying fees in the Public Reading Room are $0.20/page.
  • OTS also provides the service of certifying true copies of records. The charge for this service is $50 per certification seal.

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What are popular FOIA requests?

Popular FOIAs are documents previously disclosed pursuant to a FOIA request for which the agency believes there may be a broad interest. In addition, OTS includes in this listing information we have determined is likely to be of particular public interest.

  • Purchase Authorization Card - List of card holders
  • Applications in Process Database - A searchable database of applications from entities or individuals whose institutions are or would be regulated by the OTS. Contains all applications in process as well as those completed within the last 24 months.

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Who do I contact to make a FOIA request?

FOIA Requester Service Center

If you have an inquiry or question concerning a FOIA request that you have submitted to OTS, you should contact the OTS FOIA Requester Service Center. The FOIA Requester Service Center will provide you with information concerning the status of your request and appropriate information about the agency's response to your FOIA request. You may reach the FOIA Requester Service Center by regular mail, electronic mail, or telephone.

Regular mail: OTS FOIA Requester Service Center, 1700 G Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., 20552

E-mail: foia.servicecenter@ots.treas.gov

Phone: (202) 906-5922.

Privacy Policy  - Official OTS website policy.


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Who do I contact if I have a problem with my FOIA request?

FOIA Public Liaison

If you have concerns about the service you have received from the FOIA Requester Service Center in response to your inquiry or question, you should contact OTS' FOIA Public Liaison, Dirk Roberts. You may reach him by regular mail, electronic mail, or telephone.

Regular Mail: Dirk Roberts, FOIA Public Liaison, Office of Thrift Supervision, 1700 G Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20552

E-mail: dirk.roberts@ots.treas.gov.

Phone: (202) 906-7631.

Privacy Policy  - Official OTS website policy.


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What is an Electronic Reading Room?

This Electronic Reading Room contains those materials specifically required to be maintained under subsection (a)(2) of the FOIA as amended.  These are:

  1. Final opinions, including concurring and dissenting opinions, as well as orders, made in the adjudication of cases;
  2. Those statements of policy and interpretations which have been adopted by the agency and are not published in the Federal Register;
  3. Administrative staff manuals and instructions to staff that affect a member of the public;
  4. Copies of all records, regardless of form or format, which have been released to any person under the FOIA and which, because of the nature of their subject matter, the agency determines have become or are likely to become the subject of subsequent requests for substantially the same records (see What are popular FOIA requests?); and
  5. A general index of the records referred to under (D) above.



Privacy Policy - Official OTS website policy


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What is a Public Reading Room?

OTS has a Public Reading Room where visitors can make an appointment to inspect and copy materials such as final opinions rendered in the adjudication of cases, specific policy statements, and certain administrative staff manuals. The copying fee for materials available at the Public Reading Room is $0.20 per page.

New applications deemed to be significant due to the novel or unique issues they present, as well as all new charter filings, are all available in the Public Reading Room. Filings under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are also available, usually within 2 business days of filing.

The Public Reading Room also has copies of OTS regulatory handbooks, some of which are also available for sale through the OTS Publications Service. Other frequently requested materials, often referred to as "popular FOIA requests," are available in the Public Reading Room, as well as on the OTS internet site, www.ots.treas.gov, under the "FOIA" heading. (Many other public documents are available on the web site, too.)

The Public Reading Room is located on the basement level of the OTS building at 1700 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20552. Appointments can be made by calling 202-906-5922 at least one business day prior to the day you want to visit. (If you can tell us the particular Reading Room materials you are interested in, we may be able to have them ready for you when you arrive.) Appointments will be scheduled on business days between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Public Reading Room documents can also be obtained by:

  • Faxing a request to (202) 906-7755;
  • Sending an e-mail to public.info@ots.treas.gov; or
  • By mailing or delivering a written request to the above address, ATTN: Dissemination Branch.

Privacy Policy - Official OTS website policy.


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Contact OTS

1700 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20552
Phone (202) 906-6000 | E-mail

OTS Careers | Freedom of Information Requests