To ensure timely and proper processing of your request, please consider the following:

• Your request must be made in writing and should clearly state that it is a request under FOIA.
• Your request must identify you. Provide your:
  • Name
  • Organization (if applicable)
  • Mailing Address
  • Telephone number
  • Email (not required, but helpful)
  • You must state a willingness to pay any applicable fees..
  • You must provide a "reasonable description" of the records you are seeking. A “reasonable description” of the records means description sufficient enough for us to identify the material requested with a reasonable amount of effort. We are not in the position to do research for you, create records in response to you, or analyze information for you. 

Include sufficient information to determine the proper fee category.

Agencies and requestors are encouraged to work together to define the scope of the request and the timing of the response.

Commercial requesters are required to pay all search, review, and duplication costs.

Educational and noncommercial scientific institutions, as well as news media requesters, are required to pay duplication costs in excess of 100 pages.  

All other requesters are required to pay search costs in excess of two hours and duplication costs in excess of 100 pages.  Fee waiver requests must be justified in accordance with the FOIA. (See page 13 of Citizen's Guide.) 

Fees are not assessed for requests totaling less than $15.00, regardless of requester category.

To request a fee waiver or reduction you must provide specific justification as to how the requested information will be used and made available to the general public.  In general, you must justify that the requested information “is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to the public understanding of the operation or activities of the government” and that it is not requested “primarily in the commercial interest of the requester”.  (Army Regulation, AR 25-55, The Department of the Army Freedom of Information Act Program, dated 1 Nov 97, paragraph 6-103.)