Freedom of Information Act

VA Agency FOIA mission is to encourage and oversee agency compliance with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

Our goals to best serve you are

  • Ensuring our team receives, date-stamps, and acknowledges your FOIA requests
  • Providing transparency (PDF, 2 Pages) according to law at the highest level possible
  • Initiating timely proactive disclosures by releasing documents via our Public Access Link (PAL)
  • Providing responsive records quickly and efficiently with password protection capability
  • Providing guidance through the FOIA Liaison
  • Ensuring VA policies comply with Federal regulatory requirements and legislative mandates and are consistent throughout each VA Administration (Veterans Health Administration, Veterans Benefits Administration, and National Cemetery Administration)

File a FOIA request

  • To file you must “Register” with PAL.
  • Submit a proper request.
  • Access the VA FOIA Reading Room for previously released documents.
  • Request status updates on your submitted request.
  • Learn about processing fees, fee waivers, and requester categories.

Go to FOIA.gov for specific VA Action Office Records, if you are searching for records regarding:

If you have already filed a request and not satisfied with the response, you may file a FOIA Appeal.

We encourage filing a FOIA Request electronically for faster processing. However, you are welcome to mail or fax requests to:

Department of Veterans Affairs
Freedom of Information Act Services (005R1C)
811 Vermont Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20420
Office: 1-877-750-3642
Fax: 202-632-7581

Important

Please refrain from submitting a FOIA request for personal records. This could delay overall processing.

Requests for personal records

You must request personal records (C-files, medical records, DD214, etc.) from the appropriate administration or agency.

FOIA Public Liaison:

Darryl Webb
Phone: 202-738-2974
Email: FOIAHelp@va.gov