Welcome to the United States Department of Agriculture Freedom of Information Act Public Access Link.
This portal provides members of the public with basic information on how to obtain access to records maintained by the USDA.
To Submit a FOIA Request Online
Register to create an online profile or to log in to your existing profile click Sign In or use the link in the upper right corner of this page.
Prior to Submitting an Online Request Review the Following Links c
Submitting a FOIA Request to USDA
Are you looking for information from the USDA? The Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, is a law that provides any person access to agency records, except to the extent that such agency records or portions of such agency records are protected from disclosure by one or more of the nine FOIA exemptions. The records you seek may already be publicly available at https://www.dm.usda.gov/foia/agencyfoia.htm USDA'S website has a wealth of information about popular topics, public initiatives and the Secretary’s priorities. Our website also allows you to delve into the details of each of the Department's component agencies programs. In sum, you might be able to find what you need, when you need it, at your convenience without filing a FOIA request. If however you do not find the information of interest and need to file a FOIA, we encourage you to review this quick tutorial. We hope you find it helpful!
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FOIA Points of Contact
To submit your request online you will need to know which agency/office you want to submit to. Click on Agency FOIA Contacts for the address to send the request in writing.
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Agencies/Offices/Mission Areas
These links will provide a detail description of each agency/office and their primary functions.
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FOIA Fee Schedule
Review to understand how costs are calculated and charged based on a requester's category.
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FOIA Reading Room
The records you are seeking may already be available in the agency reading room.
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Multiple Agency FOIA Requests
This submission site does not provide the ability to submit a single FOIA request to multiple agencies. You can however submit the same request to each agency using this site or send your request to the Departmental FOIA Officer to 355 E Street, SW, 10th Floor, Washington, DC 20024. If possible, include the names of the agencies, and the portion of the FOIA that applies to each agency.
Description of Records
Although you do not have to give a document’s title, you should identify the documents that you want as specifically as possible to increase the likelihood that the agency will be able to locate them. Any facts you can furnish about the time, authors, events, subjects, and other details of the documents will be helpful to the agency in deciding where to search and in determining which records respond to your request, saving you and the government time and money. Please list, as clearly as possible, the name of the document(s), the type of document(s), and any other specifics you may have that will identify the documents you seek.
To Check the Status of a FOIA Request
If you are a registered requester with this online submission site you can Sign In to view the status of your request(s), send a message to the FOIA Office, or download responsive records once they are delivered.
If you are not a registered requester you can still check the status of your request by clicking on Check Request Status in the toolbar. Be prepared to enter the tracking number provided by the FOIA Office to retrieve the status of your request.
If you prefer to contact the FOIA Office to check status of your request click here to locate the FOIA Office in your area.