Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

Privacy Act (PA)

Other FOIA Information

SUBMIT A FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUEST 

 

IF YOU ARE REQUESTING YOUR OWN RECORDS/INFORMATION, PLEASE FOLLOW THE SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS UNDER THE PRIVACY ACT

Before submitting a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, please check to see if the information you are looking for is available in our Electronic Reading Room, or listed under another category on our website.

Under FOIA, federal agencies ARE NOT REQUIRED TO: a) Answer questions, b) Analyze data, c) Conduct research, d) Perform calculations or e) Create/compile records in response to a FOIA request.

FOIA is vehicle for requesting federal agency records; however, it does not supersede The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. § 552a, as amended), which PROHIBITS disclosure of personal records to third parties without the prior written consent of the individual to whom the records pertain.  
 
However, the DoD Privacy Act Program (DoD 5400.11-R) provides that certain personal information such as gross base pay, High-3, length of service, etc., may be disclosed to third parties without consent from the individual to whom the information pertains.


DFAS was established in 1991. We began processing DoD civilian payrolls in 1995 and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs in approximately 2006. Therefore, we do not have ANY records or information regarding individuals who were federal civilian employees prior to these years. Please direct your request to the National Archives and Records Administration.

DFAS DOES NOT REQUIRE A SPECIFIC FORM

TO MAKE A FOIA REQUEST.
HOWEVER, YOUR SUBMISSION MUST:

This is a visual of the FOIA Request Table. It contains information needed to submit a FOIA request. That information includesInclude Your Contact Information, Name, email address and	Phone number. You must be Be Clear & Specific  	We must be able to determine what you are seeking.  	Do not use vague language such as, “all records pertaining to”, “entire employment file”, etc. Spell out all acronyms. In addition, it must contain a Fee Statement that says: State the maximum amount you are willing pay for search and copy fees. "I am willing to pay all FOIA search and copy fees." 	OR "I am willing to pay $______ for search and copy fees.” Insert the maximum amount you are willing to pay. If this amount is $0, you must still state as much. Also check out the Information Required to Conduct a Search page.

If you do not specify a maximum amount, we will assume you will pay at least $25. If the estimated fees exceed $25, we will contact you prior to performing a search (Read how FOIA fees are estimated). We can only deny your request, if after informing you of the fee amount, you do not agree to pay it.

Email dfas.foia@mail.mil and Fax (317) 275-0391 are the preferred submission methods.
 
You may also submit Online or mail your request to the address below.

Defense Finance and Accounting Service
Corporate Communications - FOIA/PA 
8899 East 56th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46249-0150

You should receive a response within 20 business days of the date we receive your request. Delays such as legal review/clarification or document retrieval from our external records’ centers may extend this time.  

You may check the status of your request via Email or Fax.

Page Updated February 13, 2024