Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
Methods of Submitting a FOIA Request
Coronavirus Alert: Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the DOT OIG FOIA Office is currently operating at a remote capacity only. Therefore, until further notice, we recommend that you submit FOIA requests using our online portal (found below) or the National FOIA portal at https://www.foia.gov/. We recommend that all FOIA appeals be submitted via email to FOIAAPPEALS@oig.dot.gov. Paper copies of FOIA requests and or appeals sent via mail or other carrier will be subject to delays. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Thank you for your patience.
- Postal Mail:
FOIA Requester Service Center
1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E., 7th Floor
Washington, DC 20590 - Online: (see form below)
All federal agencies, including the Department of Transportation (DOT), are required under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. Section 552, to disclose records requested in writing by any person. However, depending on the purpose and use of such documents, there are circumstances under which agencies may withhold information pursuant to exemptions and exclusions specified by the Act. FOIA applies only to federal agencies and does not create a right of access to records held by Congress, the courts, or by state or local government agencies. Most states have public information laws governing access to state and local records.
Each agency is responsible for meeting its FOIA responsibilities for its own records. Likewise, each DOT component is responsible for processing FOIA requests for the records it maintains.
Please contact OIG's FOIA Requester Service Center with any questions, including status updates about your request or general questions about FOIA at 202-366-6131.
If you have concerns about the service you have received from the Service Center staff, you many contact the OIG FOIA Public Liaison, Marie Miller, at 202-366-1959.
We also urge you, before making a FOIA request, to first browse through the OIG FOIA Electronic Reading Room, for information on matters already available to the public, and please view our Privacy Policy to understand how the information you send us is used.
If you are a legal representative submitting a FOIA request for first-party records on behalf of an individual, please provide the DOT OIG FOIA office with a letter of representation, signed by the individual, so that the DOT OIG FOIA office may efficiently process your FOIA request.
References
- DOT Main FOIA Page
- DOT FOIA Reference Guide
- DOT Annual Reports
- OIG FOIA Electronic Reading Room
- Make a Secure Electronic FOIA Payment (Pay.gov)