Effective October 1, 1997, FOIA authorizes the government to take up to 20 working days to make a determination regarding your request. Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays are not counted as work days. FOIA also authorizes the government to take an additional 10 working days under certain circumstances.
If your request is so complex or voluminous that it would be unreasonable to expect the government to be able to respond within 30 days, the FOIA requires that you be given an opportunity to reduce the scope of your request or develop a reasonable compromise as to when the government must respond.