About the FOIA

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C § 552, serves as the vehicle to obtain federal agency records, unless the records (or any portion thereof) are protected from disclosure by one of the FOIA’s nine exemptions or one of its three special law enforcement record exclusions.

OPM has a centralized system for handling FOIA requests. The OPM FOIA program processes records maintained by OPM, is responsible for the oversight of the FOIA within OPM and works to release information to the fullest extent under the law.

About the Privacy Act

The Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C § 552a, serves as the vehicle whereby U.S. citizens and permanent residents can gain access to information about themselves that is maintained in a system of records under the control of a federal agency.

If you are requesting records about yourself, you must submit a written and signed statement confirming your identity as the subject of the records.  The following is sample confirmation of identity language that you may use by writing, typing, or copying and pasting it into a document that you can attach to your online request submission: 

I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that I am the person whose records are being sought. 

[Sign]

[Print Name]

[Date]

If you are requesting records about another person and the records are contained in a Privacy Act system of records, in addition to submitting the subject's confirmation of identity, you must also submit the subject's written and signed consent to the disclosure of their records to you.  The following is a sample consent to disclosure of records language that you may use by writing, typing, or copying and pasting it into a document that you can attach to your online request submission: 

I consent to an authorize disclosure of my records to: 

Name: 

Organization/Company: 

Email or mailing address for delivery of records: 

[Sign]

[Print Name]

[Date]