Please note: this FOIA office is for the Office of Inspector General for the Department of State and Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) inquiries ONLY. This office does not handle inquiries for the Department or BBG themselves, or for those regarding individual states (Virginia, Maryland, New York, etc.) - please contact the specific agency or state directly.
For requests made to the Department of State, information can be found on their FOIA Web site. The Electronic FOIA Request (EFR) is for the submission of requests to the Department of State's Office of Information Programs and Services - not to OIG. Please do not use the EFR when submitting your OIG request.
The information on this page refers to OIG FOIA requests only. For information or questions
regarding an OIG Hotline complaint, please see the OIG Hotline page
Before submitting requests for Office of Inspector General (OIG) reports, please visit OIG's FOIA reading room and library to ensure the material you are requesting has not already been posted there. Also, please see samples of a Freedom of Information Act Request letter and a Privacy Act Request for Access letter.
Your request should meet the following criteria:
1. Be in writing and signed by the person making the request (if sending via mail or
fax).
2. Reasonably describe the records being requested. For example, include
information such as the date and place the records were created, subject matter,
and other pertinent details that will help identify the records.
3. Identify the "category" of the requester so that OIG may determine the
appropriate fees for the request. As provided in the FOIA, there are four
categories of requesters: commercial, educational, media, and other.
WHERE TO FILE A FOIA/PRIVACY ACT REQUEST
OIG is a separate component within the Department of State and responds to requests for records that are exclusively OIG-related, i.e. inspections, audits, or investigations.
If OIG maintains the records you seek, please send your request through one of the methods below:
U.S. Department of State
Office of Inspector General
Office of General Counsel
Washington, DC 20520-0308
ATTN: FOIA officer
Email (preferred): oigfoia@state.gov
Fax: (202) 663-0390
Phone: (202) 663-0383
Please note: this number is for Freedom of Information Act inquiries ONLY. For all other inquires, please click here for the appropriate contact information.
FOIA EXEMPTIONS
Some information may be redacted from reports posted on this site. Click on this link for a key to FOIA Exemptions.
FEES
By making a FOIA request, it shall be considered an agreement by you to pay all applicable fees charged under 22 CFR 171.14, up to $25.00, unless a fee waiver has been granted. If the total charges due for processing a request are $25.00 or less, no fee will be charged.
If OIG determines that a fee waiver will not be granted, the requestor will be notified. Fees will differ depending on the "category" of the requestor. Please see the Department of State FOIA regulations, 22 CFR Part 171, for more details.
-Sample Freedom of Information Act Request letter
-Sample Privacy Act Request for Access Letter
This site is managed by the Office of Inspector General and the Bureau of Public Affairs as a source of information from the Office of Inspector General. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.