Correspondence

Users can send correspondence to a Requester at any point during Request processing using the Correspondence feature.

The table below lists types of correspondence that can be sent to the Requester:

Correspondence Subject	Description
Formal Acknowledgement of Receipt of Request	A formal acknowledgement that the Request has been received. The letter includes the received date of the Request, target date for completion of the Request, final Request determination, any reasons for not completing the Request by the target date if applicable, as well as notification of the Requester's right to appeal within the sixty calendar day period.
Receipt of Request	Notifies the Requester that the Request has been received. The message includes the Request received date, the Request number assigned to the Request, and an address to correspond with the FOIA officer.
No Records Response Letter	Sent to the Requester when no agency records responsive to the Request were found as of the received date. In this case, the FOIA office may waive all fees, charge the Requester for the time spent searching for records, or charge for only a part of the searching hours.
Notice of Referral of Located Documents to Another Activity	Sent to a Requester when the Requested documents originated from or are of interest to another person.
Requested Documents Denied in Entirety	Sent when the agency finds documents responsive to a Request, but is entirely exempt from disclosure under the FOIA. It also specifies the nature of harm that can be caused from disclosure of the records. The letter may also include the fees chargeable for searching and reviewing the documents or a waiver of all fees.
Denial of Fee Waiver Request	States the reasons why a requested fee waiver has been denied. It also contains the fee categories and the total fees that can be billed to the Requester. The response time given to the Requester is generally thirty calendar days to accept the terms. If the Requester does not respond within that time frame, the Request will be closed.
Failure to Reasonably Describe the Desired Documents	Sent when the Request is returned to the Requester because additional clarification is needed. This is typically sent when the Request Status is "On Hold-Need Info/Clarification."
Notice of Referral of Request to Another Activity	Sent when the Requested documents are in the cognizance of another person. In such a case, the Requester is informed that his Request has been handed over to another official.
Reduction of Fees	Notifies a Requester who has requested a full fee waiver that the FOIA office has decided to reduce only part of the fees.
Requested Documents Denied in Part	Informs the Requester that the information contained in the records is partially exempt from disclosure, and includes the basis for denying the information in part. This letter also includes the fees that are payable by the Requester for processing the Request, and notifies the Requester of their right to appeal.
Requested Documents Granted in Full	Sent when all requested records are granted in full. This letter includes a statement of fees that are to be charged to the Requester.
Expedite Request Processing	A Requester may sometimes ask for the Request to be expedited. It is up to the FOIA agency to grant or deny an expedited Request based on the justification attached to the Request. The FOIA analyst is required to send correspondence to the Requester notifying him/her of the decision within no more than ten days after receiving the Request.

The table below lists types of correspondence that can be sent by the Requester:

Correspondence Subject	Description
Request Description	When a Requester sends a Request to the FOIA office, he/she is required to describe all details regarding the Request. A Request description should at least contain the type of record, subject area, date the record was created, and/or the originator of the record.
Fee Waiver Request Reason	A Requester can ask for a waiver of his fees, substantiating that the disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest, and will contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations and activities of the government. Inability to pay fees is not a valid reason for a fee waiver request.
Expedite Request Reason	Under certain conditions, a Requester may be entitled to have his Request processed on an expedited basis. However, a Request is expedited only if there is a threat to someone's life or physical safety, or where an individual will suffer a substantial loss of due process rights if the records are not processed on an expedited basis.
Basis of Appeal	A Requester can file an appeal if the Request was fully or partially denied, if the response was unsatisfactory, or for any disputed fee matter. This letter provides a means for the Requester to provide justification for his appeal.

(!!) Note: If you begin editing a Word document within the Microsoft Word application while the FOIAXpress Correspondence Editor is loading, your Word document will be loaded into the FOIAXpress Application. To prevent your External Word document from being loaded into the FOIAXpress Application, wait until the Editor is fully loaded before editing within the Microsoft Word application.

Click the links below for additional information:

Send Correspondence

Receive Correspondence

Correspondence Log