Freedom of Information Act

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. § 552, is a federal statute that requires the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased information and documents controlled by the U.S. government upon request.

Enacted in 1967, FOIA generally provides that the public, including state and local governments, has a right, enforceable in court, to obtain access to federal agency records, except those protected from public disclosure by one of nine exemptions. The Act has been described as the law that keeps citizens in the know by shedding light on the operations or activities of the U.S. Government.

Ready to Start a FOIA Request?

Click Get Started for detailed guidance on completing and submitting your FOIA request to DFAS.

Keep in mind…

Before submitting a request, please check to see if the information you are seeking is available in our Electronic Reading Room or listed under another category on the DFAS website.
If you have questions concerning your pay, entitlements, taxes or debt, please visit DFAS Customer Service for assistance.

Get Started

Information that can be obtained from DFAS includes:

Contracts
Invoice Payments
Gross Pay
Agency Policies or Directives

The FOIA/PA office does not process the below requests. Click the appropriate link for assistance:

Exemptions and Exclusions:

Certain records (or portions of them) may be exempt from disclosure under one or more of nine exemptions and exclusions which protect personal privacy, national security, and law enforcement, amongst other entities. To learn more, review FOIA Exemptions and Exclusions.
Federal agencies are not required to answer questions, analyze data, conduct research, perform calculations or create records in response to a FOIA request.

Additional Resources

Department of Defense (DoD) FOIA Handbook – This guide provides a brief description of your rights and how to begin making a FOIA requests.
FOIA.GOV - This central resource provides a detailed overview of FOIA. Additionally, you may: 1) Conduct research to determine if the information you seek is already available; 2) Identify the correct entity; and 3) Submit a FOIA request to over 100 federal agencies