Records requests: United States.

A take-home sheet for people at the session. Other countries: United Kingdom · Canada · Australia.

Moraph for Good · Voice

Records requests: United States

Handout · moraph.org/commons/sessions/voice/records-requests

In many places you have a legal right to ask public bodies for the information they hold. This sheet covers how to ask clearly and what to do next.

Before you ask

Check the body’s website, meeting papers and any disclosure log.
Work out which body holds the records.

Writing your request

Describe the records you want, plainly and specifically.
Give dates and the format you’d like.
Ask for records, not answers to questions.
Keep a copy and note the date you sent it.

Deadlines and fees

Time limits and fee rules depend on the country and the body: see the country section.
Ask for an estimate before any charges, and narrow the request to reduce them.

If you’re refused

The reply should say why and how to ask for a review.
Ask for a review promptly, then go to the independent body if needed.

In the United States

Federal agencies: FOIA. The Freedom of Information Act gives any person the right to request records from federal agencies. The request must be in writing and reasonably describe the records; there is no special form. Each agency handles its own requests, and FOIA.gov helps you find the right one.
State and local bodies. FOIA does not apply to state, local or tribal governments. Each state has passed its own freedom of information law with its own rules, so check the law for your state rather than relying on federal FOIA.
Federal deadline. Under FOIA, an agency must decide within 20 days (not counting Saturdays, Sundays and legal public holidays) whether to comply with a request. How long the records take to arrive depends on complexity and the agency’s backlog.
Federal fees. There is no initial fee to make a FOIA request. For a typical requester there is usually no charge for the first two hours of search or the first 100 pages of copies. You can set a limit on what you will pay, and ask for a fee waiver if disclosure is in the public interest.
If you’re refused. The agency must tell you which FOIA exemption it used for anything withheld. You can file a free administrative appeal, and talk to the agency’s FOIA Public Liaison. After an appeal, the Office of Government Information Services offers mediation.

Official places to check:

FOIA.gov (US Department of Justice): www.foia.gov/faq.html
FOIA.gov (US Department of Justice): www.foia.gov/how-to.html
National Archives, Office of Government Information Services: www.archives.gov/ogis/resources
GovInfo (US Government Publishing Office): www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title5/html/USCODE-2023-title5-partI-chap5-subchapII-sec552.htm

General information, not advice about your own situation. Checked 19 October 2026. If an official source says something different, it is right. Free to copy and adapt. moraph.org/commons/sessions/voice/records-requests