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Freedom of Information Act, FOIA
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The District of Columbia Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, DC Official Code §§ 2-531 et seq., provides that any person has the right to request access to records. All public bodies of the District government are required to disclose public records, except for those records, or portions of records, that are protected from disclosure by the exemptions found at DC Official Code § 2-534.
A FOIA request may be made for any public record. This does not mean, however, that the public body will disclose every record sought. Statutory exemptions authorize the withholding of certain public records. When the public body does withhold records or portions of records, it must specify which exemption of the FOIA permits the withholding. FOIA does not require agencies to do research, to analyze data, to answer written questions, or to create records in order to respond to a request.
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How to Make a Request
Anyone may submit an FOIA request. There is no central FOIA office in the District government. Each public body responds to requests for its own records. To submit a request, you should determine which public body is likely to maintain the records you are seeking and submit a request to the FOIA Officer of that public body. Please refer to the FOIA Officer list for contact information.
An FOIA request should be in writing and may be mailed, faxed or emailed.
When submitting your request, please mark the outside of the envelope or the subject line of the fax or email: "Freedom of Information Act Request" or "FOIA Request."
Please include a daytime telephone number, email address or mailing address in your request letter so that the FOIA Officer may contact you if necessary.
Describe the record(s) you are seeking as clearly and precisely as possible. In your description, please be as specific as possible with regard to names, dates, places, events, subjects, and other pertinent details that will help the public body to identify the records. The more specific you are about the records you are seeking, the more likely the public body will be able to locate those records. If your request is vague or too broad, we may ask you to be more specific, and this may delay the processing of your request.
Response Time
All public bodies are required to respond to an FOIA request within 15 working days (that is, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal public holidays). The response period begins on the date the request is actually received by the FOIA Officer of the public body that maintains the records you are requesting. Public bodies may extend the time for a response by an additional 10 working days (again, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal public holidays) for unusual circumstances, as defined by DC Official Code § 2-532(d).
Exemptions from FOIA Disclosure
The FOIA statute provides that certain categories of documents may be withheld from disclosure. Included among these are documents that relate to law-enforcement activities, documents subject to recognized legal privileges such as the attorney-client and work-product privileges, documents required to be withheld by other laws (federal or District), documents that reflect the internal deliberative processes of the government, and documents the disclosure of which would result in a clearly unwarranted intrusion on personal privacy. For a complete list of the exemptions, please see DC Official Code § 2-534.
Fees and Waiver of Fees
There is no initial fee for submitting an FOIA request. However, a public body may charge fees for searching, reviewing, and reproducing records as provided in 1 DCMR § 408. You may include in your request letter a specific statement limiting the amount of fees you are willing to pay. Please be aware that you may have to pay search and/or review fees even if the search does not locate any responsive records or if records are located but are withheld as exempt.
You may request a waiver or reduction of fees in your request letter. You must include a statement describing how the requested records will be used to benefit the general public. Pursuant to DC Official Code § 2-532(b), if the public body determines that a waiver or fee reduction is in the public interest, i.e., furnishing the records primarily benefits the general public, a waiver or reduction may be granted.
Appeals or Judicial Review of Denials
You may file an administrative appeal or seek judicial review if you are dissatisfied with a public body's response to your request.
Administrative Appeals
An administrative appeal is submitted to the Mayor. The appeal must be in writing and must include a copy of the original request as well as a copy of the public body's written denial letter issued to you, if any. In addition, the appeal must include a written statement of the arguments, circumstances, or reasons in support of the information sought by your request. The appeal letter must include "Freedom of Information Act Appeal" or "FOIA Appeal" in the subject line of the letter as well as marked on the outside of the envelope. You may direct a written appeal to:
Mayor’s Correspondence Unit
FOIA Appeal
1350 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Suite 316
Washington, DC 20004
A copy of the appeal must be provided to the public body whose denial you are appealing. The appeal must be addressed to the public body’s FOIA Officer.
Judicial Review
Please refer to the District of Columbia Superior Court rules concerning procedures for filing a civil action.
Please refer to the FOIA statute at DC Official Code §§ 2-531 et seq. and the FOIA regulations at 1 DCMR §§ 400 et seq. for additional information.
Public Information
Note: Public Body Employee Information is updated quarterly. Public Body Employee Information is current as of March 25, 2011. District employees should contact their HR agency representative with questions or concerns.
FOIA Information
Budget Information
Additional Information
Contact Information
Aging, Office on
Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration
Army Reserve National Guard
Arts and Humanities, Commission on
Attorney General, Office of the
Auditor, Office of the DC
Boards and Commissions, Office of
Cable Television and Telecommunications, Office of
Chief Financial Officer, Office of the
Chief Medical Examiner, Office of the
Chief Technology Officer, Office of the
Child and Family Services Agency
Community Relations and Services, Mayor's Office of
Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, Department of
Contract Appeals Board
Contracting and Procurement, Office of
Corrections, Department of
Elections and Ethics, Board of
Employee Appeals, Office of
Employment Services, Department of
Environment, Department of the
Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department
Health, Department of
Health Care Finance, Department of
Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency
Housing and Community Development, Department of
Human Resources, Department of
Human Rights, Office of
Human Services, Department of
Inspector General, Office of the
Insurance, Securities and Banking, Department of
Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining, Office of
Lottery and Charitable Games Control Board, DC
Mayor, Executive Office of the
Mental Health, Department of
Metropolitan Police Department
Motor Vehicles, Department of
Parks and Recreation, Department of
Planning, Office of
Planning and Economic Development, Office of the Deputy Mayor for
Police Complaints, Office of
Public Service Commission, DC
Public Schools, DC
Public Works, Department of
Real Estate Services, Department of
Retirement Board, District of Columbia
Secretary, Office of the
Sentencing Commission, DC
Small and Local Business Development, Department of
State Superintendent of Education Office
Tax and Revenue, Office of
Taxicab Commission
Transportation, District Department of
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