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U.S. Department of State

Diplomacy in Action

U.S. Department of State Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)


This site is designed to assist you in making a request for records controlled by the U.S. Department of State. If you would like to request records from another agency, you may wish to view a list of Other Federal Agencies’ FOIA Web Sites.

Information Access Guide – if you would like to request Department of State Records, please follow the instructions in our comprehensive guide. This guide also includes information on fees, expeditious handling, and appeals. En Español

Requesting Department of State Records – basic instructions for filing a FOIA request.

Electronic FOIA Request – make a FOIA request online.

FOIA/Privacy Act Reference Material – laws, regulations, policies, and administrative guidelines relating to information access programs. Includes information on Improving FOIA Administration under Executive Order 13392.

Electronic Reading Room – records available to the public including final opinions and administrative rulings, administrative staff manuals, and policy guidelines.

Publications – reports, statements, and releases on foreign affairs issues, including reports to Congress.

Declassification Programs – an overview of the Department of State’s programs for releasing classified documents to the public.

Records Management – brief overview of records maintained by the Department of State and the Department’s records management responsibilities.

FOIA Annual Reports – annual reports on the Department of State’s FOIA processing activities, including average processing times.

Privacy Act – System of Records Notices (SORN), Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA), Major Information Systems, and a brief overview of the Privacy Act.

For Department of State Collections, go to Declassified/Released Document Collections.

What’s New
Documents Posted September 2012 covering a wide range of topics. These documents were released to the public under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Mandatory Declassification Review.


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