How to file a FOIA request with the NSA
The NSA accepts FOIA requests online through NSA online FOIA form or by mail. Here's exactly where to send it, what the NSA needs from you, and what to do if the agency stalls or says no.
Where to send your NSA FOIA request
Use one method only. Sending the same request several ways can open duplicate cases and slow things down.
Online Recommended
Submit through NSA online FOIA form. Paste your letter into the request form, or attach it if the portal takes uploads.
Use certified mail with a return receipt so you have proof of delivery.
What to know before you file
These are the agency's own rules and quirks, taken from its official FOIA page and regulations.
- NSA takes FOIA requests by online form, fax (20 pages max), or mail, not email.
- Privacy Act requests for your own records can be emailed to privacy_act_request@nsa.gov with a digital signature and the penalty-of-perjury statement.
- Expect heavy use of exemptions (b)(1) and (b)(3), so be as specific as you can.
Asking for records about yourself
If you're a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, a request for your own records is both a FOIA request and a Privacy Act request, and FOIAFiler cites both. Anyone else can still ask for their own records under FOIA alone.
Prove who you are
Agencies won't release your file without identity verification. That's usually a notarized signature or a statement signed under penalty of perjury (28 U.S.C. § 1746). FOIAFiler adds that statement for you, including the separate wording for people signing outside the U.S.
Help them find your file
Give your full legal name, date and place of birth, and any former names. Add any case, file, or A-numbers you have. The more identifiers you give, the fewer "no records found" answers you'll get.
Sample NSA FOIA request
A starting point built from a realistic example. Replace everything in [BRACKETS], or let the generator fill in your details and handle the fee, delivery, and appeal-rights language.
If the NSA doesn't answer, or says no
FOIA gives you deadlines and a way to push back. Here's the order to use them in.
Wait out the 20-business-day clock
The clock starts when the right office receives your request. Keep your tracking number. If the deadline passes, ask for an estimated completion date; the agency has to give you one.
Appeal any denial, in whole or in part
You get at least 90 days from the date of the denial letter to appeal. Your denial letter has to tell you where to send the appeal, which is often a different office. Challenge each exemption the agency used, and ask for every part that can be separated from the withheld material.
Write my appeal →Ask for free mediation
OGIS, the federal FOIA ombudsman at the National Archives, mediates disputes between requesters and agencies at no cost. archives.gov/ogis ↗
Take it to federal court
If the agency misses its legal deadlines, you're treated as having used up the administrative steps and can sue in federal district court (5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(B), (a)(6)(C)). If you win, the court can order the government to pay your legal costs. Filing without a lawyer? courtyourself.com offers free, plain-language help with filing in federal court on your own.
NSA FOIA questions
Short answers to what people ask most.
Does the NSA accept FOIA requests by email?
No. The NSA doesn't take new FOIA requests by email. Send yours online through NSA online FOIA form or by mail.
How long does the NSA have to respond to a FOIA request?
By law, 20 business days from when the right office receives your request. In "unusual circumstances" the agency can take up to 10 more business days if it tells you in writing. Backlogs often mean longer waits in practice. You can ask the agency for an estimated completion date, and it has to give you one.
Does a FOIA request cost anything?
Filing is free. Fees depend on who you are and what you ask for. For most non-commercial requesters, the first two hours of search time and the first 100 pages are free. FOIAFiler letters cap fees at $25 unless you change that, and you can ask for a fee waiver if the records serve the public interest.
Can I request records about someone else?
Yes, but you'll usually need that person's written consent, or proof of death if they have died. Without one of those, the agency will usually withhold personal information under exemptions (b)(6) and (b)(7)(C).
Need more than the NSA?
These bundles send one request each to the NSA and the other agencies most likely to hold the same kind of records. You fill out one form.
Related agency guides
Records often sit with more than one agency. You can file with several at once.
Ready to file with the NSA?
Answer a few questions and get a finished letter in under five minutes. Free, and no account needed.