Independent reporting by Morgan Hale

FOIA Request Letter Generator

Generate a properly formatted public-records request in under a minute. Pick a federal agency or US state, describe the records you want, and copy or download the letter ready to send. Free, no signup, no tracking.

Federal requests cite the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. § 552). State requests cite each state's public records statute. Every state plus DC is supported.

1. Jurisdiction
2. Your information
3. What records do you want?
4. Preferences

Your FOIA letter

Review the letter, edit anything you need, then copy or download. Send via certified mail or email to the FOIA office of the agency.

Tips for a good request

  • Be specific. "All emails about police misconduct" will be rejected. "All emails between Chief Jones and Mayor Smith mentioning Officer Doe between Jan–Mar 2024" is processable.
  • Name the document types you expect. Incident reports, body-cam footage, dispatch logs, training records, internal affairs files, complaint history.
  • Set a reasonable date range. Open-ended requests get delayed or denied for being "overly broad".
  • Cite the statute. The generated letter does this automatically — agencies process tagged requests faster than untagged ones.
  • Save the response. If denied, you can appeal. Many states require the agency to cite a specific exemption — keep their refusal letter.

Related

Disclaimer: this tool produces a template letter and is not legal advice. Statutory citations are accurate as of the most recent reference update but may change. Consult an attorney for matters involving litigation or potential penalties.