How It Works

Ordering Process:

We have a very simple process when submitting FOIA requests. We only need the name of the agency and a description of the records being sought. We handle everything else from writing, submitting, tracking, and then providing the information received. Call us today to skip the learning curve and let us handle your entire Freedom of Information Act request process from start to finish. We also research how to submit the records, so you will not have to find the agency’s FOIA contact.

FOIA Professional Services’ goal is to provide a burden free service. You tell us the information that needs to be requested, and then sit back and relax while we get it for you. We use our tailor made application built specifically for tracking FOIA requests to perform scheduled follow-ups with the agency to make sure they are processing the request. Consistent communication with the government agencies’ FOIA custodians is the most effective way to have public records requests processed in a timely manner.

How do I know what to ask for?

FOIA Professional Services has been in the FOIA service business for 10 years and have seen every type of request. If there is a specific piece of information you are hoping to receive, but don’t know how to ask for it, we can help. Reach out for a free consultation and let us guide you in crafting the most effective Freedom of Information Act request for your needs. Our experts can help guide you through the entire FOIA process explaining what all can be received from a FOIA request. For any items that are exempt from release under current FOIA laws, we provide other solutions or recommend requesting similar information that can get to the clients desired goals.

One Point of Contact:

Clients are given one point of contact at FOIA Professional Services to submit all orders through. The one point of contact becomes familiar with all the client’s requests, industry, and client information goals. This one point of contact allows FOIA Professional Services to quickly provide request updates, answer industry specific questions, and provide guidance on future requests. Don’t just take our word for it, read our Google reviews to see how others successfully navigated their Freedom of Information Act request with our help.

Request Order Size:

We have clients that send us large bulk orders (100+) and some that send us one-off requests as needed. Whether you need to order a lot of requests or a little, we are here to help. Whether you need one or one hundred, your Freedom of Information Act request will be handled with precision and care, submit your order today to get started.

You can send FOIA Professional Services your request order through a couple different avenues.

1. You can submit the form online by clicking HERE.
2. You can email the order to your assigned point of contact.

After Submitting the Order:

 We take the information you submitted and craft a request to the agency. We use the specific state law or federal law applicable to that state or agency. Your request is given a unique tracking number which we use throughout the life of that request until it is closed. We follow up with the agency who holds the files needed frequently until the files are received. If an agency tells us they will complete the process within 10 days (as an example), we follow up with them on that 10th day. We also push to get a timeframe on when they will be finished with the request process. 

Confidential Services

All communications with the subject agency will be from FOIA Professional Services. Our client’s company name and company contact will not appear in any letter, email, or payment that FOIA Professional Services sends to government agencies.

Extra layers of confidentiality

Our US based team members working on your requests do not know the name of the company they are submitting for. We have a unique number for each request we submit. It shows up for all of our team members as the project number, rather than under the client’s name. This protects your company because if we are ever asked by an agency who we are submitting the request for, our team members can say they do not have that information. Our testimonial page is full of real stories from clients who’ve had their Freedom of Information Act request handled with clarity, speed, and confidentiality, see what they’re saying. Also, as each request project has its own unique number, we can easily and quickly pull up any request in our system.

Attention to detail

If anyone on our team ever notices that a request could be worded more succinctly or if there is a discrepancy within the wording, we reach out to our client for clarification before submitting. This will help get the request processed faster as we send in a clearly worded request and the agency does not need to come back to us later with questions. It also sets up apart from companies who have rigid systems or where the client monitors their own request. We are a hands-on service and we review and read through each request before we send it.

Agency Fees:

Although Freedom of Information (FOIA) has the letters “FREE” in it, FOIA requests unfortunately are not “free”. Government agencies are allowed to be reimbursed for the time it takes them to search for the requested records, review the responsive information, redact the records for any exempt materials, and make copies of the publicly releasable information.

These agency fees can range anywhere from a couple of dollars up to thousands depending on the volume of responsive information. FOIA Professional Services guides our clients through this process and helps get any agency fees to fit within the client’s budget for this particular request. If you’re facing a tight budget, get in touch, our experts will help you design a Freedom of Information Act request that delivers maximum value within your cost limits.

We do not move forward with any agency fees without our client’s approval. We value our client’s partnership and look at each agency fee as if it were our own. If an agency fee is too high, we request more information on what information will be released versus the information that will be redacted. Using our experience, if there is concern that the most valuable information will not be released, we convey possibility to our client so they have all the information they need to make the decision that is in the best interest of their company.

All fee payments come from FOIA Professional Services account. We are reimbursed for any approved fees on the client’s next invoice.