Taking part
Freedom of Information Act
The 1966 law giving anyone the right to request federal agency records, subject to nine exemptions. No reason for the request is required.
In full
Any person may file, and the agency must respond within twenty working days, though backlogs make that aspirational. Nine exemptions cover classified material, internal deliberation, personal privacy, law enforcement techniques, and others. Denials can be appealed within the agency and then in federal court, and agencies must post frequently requested records proactively.
Also written as: FOIA
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Keep going
Browse every term in the glossary, or see the vocabulary in motion in the How government works walkthroughs.
A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.