Helpful Information to Review Prior to Submitting a Request

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. 

There are certain requirements for making a DOC FOIA request, and in some cases, the records you are requesting may already be posted online. Prior to submitting a request, navigate to the DOC FOIA Page for information about the following topics:

• Requirements and tips for making a DOC FOIA request
• Bureau Operating Units (BOUs) FOIA Programs
• Electronic FOIA Library
• DOC and BOU FOIA points of contact
• DOC FOIA reports
• FOIA resources
• FOIA FAQs

If after reviewing the DOC FOIA page, you determine that you need to file a FOIA request, we encourage you to submit your request online. You may submit your request via email or mail to:

U.S. Department of Commerce
Office of Privacy and Open Government, Room 61025
1401 Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20230
Email: eFOIA@doc.gov

Registered Requestors can: 

Submit a request online;
Review the status of your request; and
Download responsive records once delivered

If you are not a registered requester you can check the status of your request only by clicking on Check Request Status. You will need to enter the FOIA tracking number (example: DOC-OS-2023-123456) number provided by the FOIA Office to retrieve the status.