How to Ask For Your FBI File

This article was co-authored by Clinton M. Sandvick, JD, PhD and by wikiHow staff writer, Finn Kobler. Clinton M. Sandvick worked as a civil litigator in California for over 7 years. He received his JD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998 and his PhD in American History from the University of Oregon in 2013.

There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.

This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.

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You have a right to know if the FBI is keeping a record of you—and you have a right to see what’s on it. FBI files have all kinds of sensitive information from investigations to federal employment to military service. And, thanks to both the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act, you’re legally allowed to access these classified documents (if they exist) whenever you please. All it requires is a detailed request, so keep reading. We’ll offer you expert advice on how to ask for your FBI files and how to appeal with the Department of Justice if your request is denied.

• Submit a Freedom of Information Act request (FOIA) by drafting a letter requesting your personal documents. Send your letter to the FBI via email, fax, or snail mail.
• Send a Privacy Act request for your FBI record by filling out an online form or sending a written letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
• After submitting your request, wait 20 business days for a response. The DOJ may exempt certain parts of your file if they feel information should remain classified.
• If you disagree with the DOJ’s decision, draft an appeal arguing why you think their decision was unjust. Submit your appeal online or via snail mail.

Submitting a Freedom of Information Act Request (FOIA)

• Your name, address, phone number, and email address
• Date
• Your home address
• Written acknowledgment that this request is being made under the Freedom of Information Act
• Date range of the request (you can make the request from your date of birth to the present)
• Description of the request (request copies of all information, including, but not limited to: files, correspondence, reports, surveillance, or any other records concerning you)
• Information about you that may assist the search (your name, date of birth, social security number, place of birth, the first and last names of your parents, any aliases that you use, and former addresses)
• Description of the scope of the search, including the FBI’s indices, manual indices, and all Field Offices.
• Written acknowledgment that your file is being requested for personal use, not commercial use
• You can view a sample letter here.

• Mail your letter to: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Attn: FOI/PA Request, Record/Information Dissemination Section, 170 Marcel Drive, Winchester, VA 22602-4843.
• Fax your request to: (540) 868-4391/4997
• Email a PDF of your request to: foiparequest@ic.fbi.gov. In addition to attaching a PDF of your request, write your request in the body of the email.

• Federal agencies are required to respond to FOIA requests within 20 business days. However, requests may be delayed up to 10 more days if your file is particularly large or requires information from multiple agencies. [4] X Trustworthy Source US Department of Labor Federal department responsible for promoting the wellbeing of workers Go to source

• The letter will also indicate the number of file pages that were reviewed and the number of pages that were released to you.

Making a Privacy Act Request

• You can save the completed form as a PDF or print the completed form.

• The full name of the requestor (you)
• Your citizenship status and social security number
• Your current address
• Your date of birth and place of birth
• The following oath: “I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the foregoing is true and correct, and that I am the person named above, and I understand that any falsification of this statement is punishable under the provisions of 18 U.S.C. Section 1001 by a fine of not more than $10,000 or by imprisonment of not more than five years or both, and that requesting or obtaining any record(s) under false pretenses is punishable under the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552a(i)(3) by a fine of not more than $5,000.”
• Print your name, sign, and date the document when you’re ready to submit it.
• You can find a sample Privacy Act Request letter here.

• Mail your letter or form to: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Attn: FOI/PA Request, Record/Information Dissemination Section, 170 Marcel Drive, Winchester, VA 22602-4843.
• Fax your request to: (540) 868-4391/4997
• Email a scanned copy of your form or letter to: foiparequest@ic.fbi.gov. In addition to attaching a copy of your request, write your request in the body of the email.

• You can check the status of your request by calling (540) 868-4593, or if you have a FOIA request number, you can check the status of your request online here.[10] X Research source

Appealing a DOJ Response

• Classified national defense and foreign relations information
• Internal agency personnel rules and practices
• Information that is prohibited from disclosure by another federal law
• Trade secrets and other confidential or privileged commercial or financial information
• Inter-agency or intra-agency communications that are protected by legal privileges
• Information involving matters of personal privacy
• Information relating to the supervision of financial institutions
• Geological information on wells
• Records or information compiled for law enforcement purposes, to the extent that the production of those records:
  • Could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings; would deprive a person of a right to a fair trial or an impartial adjudication
  • Could reasonably be expected to constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy
  • Could reasonably be expected to disclose the identity of and/or information provided by a confidential source;
  • Would disclose techniques and procedures for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions, or would disclose guidelines for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions
  • Could reasonably be expected to endanger the life or physical safety of any individual

  

  • Address of the Agency to whom you are submitting your appeal: Freedom of Information Appeal Office of Information Policy U.S. Department of Justice Suite 11050 1425 New York Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20530-0001
  • Subject line that states: FOIA Appeal and/or Privacy Act Request Appeal
  • The date that you made the request, to whom you submitted the request and a brief description of what you requested
  • The reason why the agency denied your request (and whatever exemptions the agency cited)
  • Written acknowledgment that you are requesting the information for personal use and the information is about you.
  • Your signature and the date signed
  • In addition, provide a brief argument as to why the agency was incorrect. Use specific arguments for each exemption cited. You can find guidance on the exemptions and policy reasons to release the information in the Federal Open Government Guide here. [12] X Trustworthy Source Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press Nonprofit legal organization dedicated to protecting First Amendment rights to American citizens Go to source

  

  • Submit your appeal within 60 days of the date you received the DOJ’s response.

  

  • If the department remands your appeal multiple times and you are dissatisfied, consider filing a lawsuit and having a judge decide on the issues. However, this can be a costly and time-consuming process so you should contact an attorney experienced in handling FOIA disputes.
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  Expert Q&A

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  If you have questions about submitting a FOIA or Privacy Act requests, you can contact the FOIA Requestor Service Center at (540) 868-1535 to hear helpful recorded information. [15] X Research source

  You can submit a joint FOIA and Privacy Act request when seeking your own individual file. The request must contain all of the information for both FOIA and Privacy Act requests in one letter.

  Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Please provide your name and last initial Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

  

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  If you are seeking information about yourself or another living person, you cannot use the eFOIA Form to submit a Privacy Act Request.

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