How to Submit a FOIA Request
 

Please view the list of exemptions and exclusions regarding Freedom of Information Act requests before composing your request.

If you are seeking records from or about one of the other DoD Components, Military Services or Combatant Commands, please direct requests to the appropriate organization/component that maintains the record(s) of interest.

In consideration of the President's declaration of a National Emergency as a result of the terrorist attacks on the United States, DoD no longer routinely releases lists of names of DoD personnel. This includes active duty military, civilian employees, contractors, members of the National Guard and Reserves, military dependents, and Coast Guard personnel when the Coast Guard is operating as a service in the Navy. Please see Director of Administration and Management Memorandum, Subject: Withholding of Personally Identifying Information Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), November 9, 2001 for further information pertaining to this policy.

For all DoD personnel records of retired military or civilian personnel, please direct your request to the National Archives at https://www.archives.gov/st-louis.

If you are seeking records about the status of your security clearance background investigation, contact the Security Management Office responsible for processing your security clearance or direct your request to the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) FOIA and Privacy Office for Investigations homepage at https://www.dcsa.mil/.

Email: js.belvoir.jpra.mbx.foia-pa@mail.mil

Mail/Courier:

Joint Personnel Recovery Agency

ATTN: FOIA Requestor Service Center

10244 Burbeck Road

Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-5805

Fax: 703-704-3293

FOIA.gov: https://www.foia.gov/

Requestors must provide complete contact information (Full Name, Mailing Address, Telephone Number, and Email address, if available). If alternate contact information is available (e.g., other email or telephone numbers), please provide that information as well.

Thoroughly identify the records desired, being as specific as possible as to when and by whom the record was created. The key here is to provide enough information to allow an experienced employee to locate the record with a reasonable amount of effort. Try to keep your request simple and to the point. Highly complex requests that cover many years and a large number of subjects take more time to process. Complex requests typically require extensive coordination and often consultation with other agencies.