An official website of the United States government
          Here's how you know
        Here's how you knowDot gov**Official websites use .gov**
              
              A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
        Https**Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
              
              A **lock** (   Locked padlock
 ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.  Newsroom
                                
                          
        
                Vote.gov Accessibility Menu
  

        
        Accessibility Menu
      Toggle Font Size
                                        
                                
          
                    Toggle OpenDyslexic
                                        
                                
          
                    Toggle Dyslexia-friendly black-on-creme color scheme
                                        
                                
          
                    Contact Us
 *U.S. Department of the Interior*
Menu


    close

        
        
                        
        
        
  
  
          About
      
                
        
        
  
  
          About
                    Interior
              
      
                
        
        
  
  
          Meet the Secretary
      
                        
                    
      
              Interior Leadership
      
                        
                    
      
              Departmental Offices
      
                        
                    
      
              History of the Interior
      
                        
                    
      
                      Join
              
      
                
        
        
  
  
          Careers
      
                        
                    
      
              Pathways Program
      
                        
                    
      
              Veterans Employment
      
                        
                    
      
              Volunteer
    
  

      
              
      
                        
                    
      
              Bureaus
      
                
        
        
  
  
          Bureaus
                    Bureaus
              
      
                
        
        
  
  
          Bureau of Indian Affairs
      
                        
                    
      
              Bureau of Indian Education
      
                        
                    
      
              Bureau of Land Management
      
                        
                    
      
              Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
      
                        
                    
      
              Bureau of Reclamation
      
                        
                    
      
              Bureau of Safety & Environmental Enforcement
      
                        
                    
      
              Bureau of Trust Funds Administration
      
                        
                    
      
              National Park Service
      
                        
                    
      
              Office of Surface Mining Reclamation & Enforcement
      
                        
                    
      
              U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
      
                        
                    
      
              U.S. Geological Survey
    
  

      
              
      
                        
                    
      
              Priorities
      
                
        
        
  
  
          Priorities
                    Addressing the Drought Crisis
      
                        
                    
      
                      Advancing Environmental Justice
      
                        
                    
      
                      America the Beautiful
      
                        
                    
      
                      Clean Energy Future
      
                        
                    
      
                      Increasing Outdoor Access
      
                        
                    
      
                      Investing in America
      
                        
                    
      
                      Strengthening Indian Country
      
                        
                    
      
                      Tackling the Climate Crisis
    
  

      
              
      
                        
                    
      
              Media
      
                
        
        
  
  
          Media
                    Blog
      
                        
                    
      
                      Press Releases
      
                        
                    
      
                      Media Contacts
      
                        
                    
      
                      Multimedia
    
  

      
              
      
    
          
    
  



Search

  Search


          
          
                      Newsroom
                                
                          
        
                Vote.govAccessibility Menu
  

        
        Accessibility Menu
      Toggle Font Size
                                        
                                
          
                    Toggle OpenDyslexic
                                        
                                
          
                    Toggle Dyslexia-friendly black-on-creme color scheme
                                        
                                
          
                    Contact Us
  


Breadcrumb
        Home
                            Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Requests
                            FOIA Fees & Fee Waivers


  In This Section
    
      
      Home
                            About Us
                              Requests
                            Make a Request
                              Fees
                              Appeals
                              eLibraries
                            Bureau & Office FOIA Libraries
                              DOI Chief FOIA Officer Reports
                              Quarterly FOIA Reports
                              Annual FOIA Reports
                              Guidance
                              Contacts
                            Bureaus & Offices
                              FOIA Centers and Public Liaison
                  
                  Share
  FacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditPinterest

  FOIA Fees & Fee Waivers

The Department's bureaus and offices are authorized to charge fees to requesters in order to recover the direct costs of search, review and duplication of requested records. If the total costs of supplying the requested information is less than $50, the Department will waive any applicable fees. If the total costs will exceed $250, you may be required to pay before the Department begins its search. Fee and fee waiver issues can be complicated. If you have additional questions, please see our regulations.
Cost Breakdown
Bureaus/offices will charge for processing requests under the FOIA in accordance with the Department's FOIA regulations and the Office of Management and Budget's Guidelines. Bureaus/offices ordinarily will collect all applicable fees before sending copies of records to you and can charge search and review costs even if no records are found or the record reviewed is ultimately not disclosed.
Duplication Charge
$ .15 per page for standard-size paper.
Search and Review Fees ​
Clerical Staff (GS-7 and below): $6.75 per 15 minutes, $27 per hour
Professional Staff (GS-8 through GS-12): $12.00 per 15 minutes, $48 per hour
Managerial Staff (GS-13 and above): $17.25 per 15 minutes, $69 per hourFee schedule based on date the request was received.
Requesting a Fee Waiver
If you are seeking a fee waiver, it is your responsibility to provide detailed information to support your request. You must submit this information with your FOIA request. Each fee waiver request is judged on its own merit. The Department does not grant "blanket" fee waivers. The fact that you have received a fee waiver in the past does not mean you are automatically entitled to a fee waiver for other requests you submit, because an essential element of any fee waiver determination is whether the release of the particular documents sought will likely contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations or activities of the Government.
Fee Waiver Criteria
An essential element of any fee waiver determination is whether the release of the particular records sought will likely contribute significantly to public understanding of the operation or activities of the Government. The bureau will release records responsive to a request without charge or at a reduced rate if the bureau determines, based on all available information, that you have demonstrated that disclosing the information is:
Is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations or activities of the government, and
Is not primarily in your commercial interest.In deciding whether you have met the criteria above, the Department will consider the following factors:
The subject of the request must concern identifiable operations or activities of the Federal government, with a connection that is direct and clear, not remote or attenuated.
The disclosable portions of the requested records must be meaningfully informative about government operations or activities to be "likely to contribute" to an increased public understanding of those operations or activities. Information that already is in the public domain, in either the same or a substantially identical form, would not contribute to such understanding.
The disclosure must contribute to the understanding of a reasonably broad audience of persons interested in the subject, as opposed to your individual understanding. The bureau will consider your expertise in the subject area as well as your ability and intention to effectively convey information to the public.
The public's understanding of the subject must be enhanced to a significant extent by the disclosure.
Was this page helpful?
    
      Yes
No
This page was not helpful because the content:
          

        
  
      Please provide a comment


  
Leave this field blankReturn to top
    
          Subscribe
    
      Enter your email address to subscribe to Interior news and updates


  Leave this field blank
Section Title
  

        
      About DOI
                              Accessibility
                              Contact Us
                              Copyright
                              Disclaimer
                              Information Quality
                              Privacy Policy
                              Site Map
                              Vulnerability Disclosure PolicySection Title
  

        
      Budget & Performance
                              Coronavirus Updates
                              Cummings Act Notices
                              Diversity, Inclusion & Civil Rights
                              FOIA
                              Inspector General
                              No Fear Act reports
                              Open Government Initiative
    
          U.S. Department of the Interior
                    Stewarding Conservation and Powering Our Future

                          1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240