FOIA requests

What are FOIA requests?

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA, pronounced "FOYA") has created the springboard for residents to request data from any level of government. Not all documentation can be disclosed to the public, but FOIA Requests are the place to start.

Can I help by making FOIA requests?

Sure! PDAP receives requests for help collecting data from agencies across the United States. Sign up to volunteer for data requests and we'll connect you with an impactful FOIA project.

If you have your own idea, you can make a data request to see if others want to volunteer!

If you have successfully made a FOIA request through a service like MuckRock (or put the results online in some other way), the URL of the completed request is a valuable data source. Submit it here, and the community will thank you!

Our advice for a successful request

Use MuckRock to make requests

MuckRock has a great FAQ specific to their platform.

This is not a necessity, but MuckRock automatically follows up, finds the right agency, helps you navigate refusals, etc.

Do some groundwork

• You can use MuckRock's guide to see a high-level interpretation of your state's open records law.

  • Check whether there's a provision that records are provided in the same format they're kept.

• Call in advance. Tell the human on the other end what you plan to request and ask them if they have guidance for making the request as easy as possible for them to grant.

  • Find out what they call the record you're looking for. Requesting the name of a specific, existing table will make things easier.

  • If you develop a relationship with the agency, you may be able to informally request and access the records without a FOIA process.

• Check for "required" forms. Technically, you shouldn't need anything but the request—but complying with these "requirements" is a good way to make sure your request is granted.

Making the request

• Specify a time range, if that will work for your purposes. Instead of phrases like "any policies..." or "all arrest records..." ask for "current policies" or "the most recent 5 years of arrest records".

• Add a line requesting that if any part of the request is denied, the agency should proceed with the rest of the request and cite the provisions in the state that allow them to deny the request.

• If you don't know what the records are called, describe them generally—if you guess something too specific, the agency can deny your request with no obligation to alert you of similar records by a different name.

• If you're looking for records about one person or incident, consider requesting a broader set of data to keep records in context and make them as useful as possible for other researchers. You may also want to compare your incident report with others.

After the request

Once you make the request, it's important to watch for communication from the agency.

• If you request something like "all arrest records from the past 5 years", the agency may deny your request because they are most often asked to share single arrest records. If you can get through to them, a polite phone call can help. Explain that you'd like to minimize the work on their end, and ask why an export or listing in the format of their database won't work.

• Check your email periodically for updates. MuckRock handles some of the notifications and responses for you, but if an agency rejects your request, it's up to you to fix and address it.

• If the request is completed, submit it to our database! This will allow more people to find and use your hard-won records.