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Freedom of Information Office
Guide to Requesting Records or Information

FOIA Home Making a
FOIA Request 		Electronic Request Form FOIA Exemptions Reading
Rooms 		FOIA Service Center
Fees and
Waivers 		FOIA
Regulations 		FOIA
Annual Reports 		Appeals Proposals for
Comment

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. § 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 FOIA's nine exemptions or by one of three special law enforcement record exclusions.

The Federal Reserve Board (Board) maintains public and nonpublic records. Public records are available at the Board's conventional reading room and electronic reading room. A FOIA request is not required to obtain these materials.

The submission of a FOIA request is required to obtain nonpublic records. If you cannot locate the records or information you seek on the Board's web site, you may wish to file a FOIA request (making a request).

You can find an overview of the Federal Reserve System in The Federal Reserve System: Purposes & Functions, which the Board publishes. Additionally, information about the Federal Reserve System as well as general guidance to consumers on matters related to the Board's activities can be found at brochures. For information from other federal banking regulators, you may want to search the following web sites:

  • Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
  • Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)
  • Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS)
  • Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC)
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Last update: June 28, 2001