Requests for OPM Records
If you are seeking access to OPM records, please visit our Open Government Portal and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) websites to find online records. The FOIA site will also help you make a request for records that cannot be found on OPM's website. Generally, you make a Privacy Act request for records about yourself and a FOIA request for other records; you will find guidance about both kinds of requests on the FOIA site.
Personnel Records
Current Employees
The Official Personnel Folders (OPFs), including SF 50s, for current Federal employees are stored at the employee’s current employing agency. Therefore, for copies of your personnel records, if you are currently employed by the Federal government, please contact your agency's Freedom of Information/Privacy office. You can find contact information on the Department of Justice's website.
Former Employees
The Official Personnel Folders (OPFs), including SF 50s, for most former civilian Federal employees are stored at the address below. Please mail your request to:
National Personnel Records Center (NPRC)
1411 Boulder Boulevard
Valmeyer, IL 62295
Or you may fax your hand signed request to the NPRC at telephone number 618-935-3014. More information is available on the NPRC website.
The OPFs for former Postal employees are stored at the address below. Please mail your request to:
U.S. Postal Service
General Manager
Headquarters Personnel Division
475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW
Washington, DC 20260-4261
Your request to either the NPRC or the U.S. Postal Service must include your hand written signature and all of the following information:
- Social Security Number
- Date of birth
- Name of last agency where employed
- Approximate date when you left Federal service.
The location of records of former military employees varies depending on the branch of service and date of separation from service. Please visit NARA’s site on Official Military Personnel Files (OMPFs) for details.
Background Investigations
For information on how to obtain a copy of your background investigation conducted by OPM’s Federal Investigative Services, please visit our FOIA contacts page.
Internal Records Management Inquiries
For assistance with records management at OPM, please contact our Records Management Help Desk at recordsmanagement@opm.gov, 202-606-1934, or:
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Office of the Chief Information Officer
Chief, Records Management and Data Analysis
1900 E Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20415-7900
General and Governmentwide Records Management Inquiries
For questions regarding personnel records, you can reach Eric Bryant, Personnel Records Management Specialist, at the above address, at eric.bryant@opm.gov, or at 202-606-2463.
For general questions regarding Records Management at OPM, you can reach the Chief of Records Management and Data Analysis, Tanya E. Bennett, at the above address, by email at tanya.bennett@opm.gov, or by telephone at 202-606-4054.
For general Federal records management questions, please contact the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). You can view the General Records Schedules (GRS) on their website.