A FOIA beginner’s guide to requesting a FBI file – Looking to get records out of the Bureau? Here’s where to start

One of questions we’re most frequently asked at MuckRock is how to request the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s files on an individual. To help clear up the process, we’ve compiled this simple flowchart to make sure you have everything you need before you file that FOIA.

While this guide was written specifically for people making their request through MuckRock, it still applies if you’re using FOIA Machine or the FBI’s eFOIA portal – just sub that in for the final step. Start here…

 

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