Freedom of Information Act

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), (5 U.S.C. § 552), allows an individual (regardless of nationality), a private organization or company, or a local, state, or foreign government to seek access to Executive Branch agency records, such as those held by the U.S. Marine Corps. As a component of the Department of the Navy, Secretary of the Navy Instruction 5720.42G, Department of the Navy FOIA Program, governs the Marine Corps FOIA Program.

The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. § 552a) regulates the federal government’s collection, safeguarding, maintenance, use, and dissemination of personal identifiable information (PII) about individuals that is maintained in system of records by federal agencies.

On September 30, 2023, our web-based FOIA/PA portal (FOIAOnline.gov) was decommissioned and can  no longer be used.  Its replacement, SecureRelease, is operational and available to the public as of Friday, December 15, 2023

Both FOIA and Privacy Act requests may be submitted via SecureRelease . When submitting your request, please be sure to provide the following information:

• Full Name
• Contact information (address, email, and/or phone number)
• A complete/specific description of the records requested
• Amount you’re willing to pay
• If applicable, your request for a fee waiver or expedited processing with an explanation for the basis.

The FOIA does not require Federal agencies to answer questions, render opinions, provided subjective evaluations or create records in response to a FOIA request. Requesters must ask for existing records.

There is no initial fee required to submit a FOIA request. However, if the request is expected to exceed $25, the requester will be notified. Below is the fee schedule.

Requesters may also submit a fee waiver. Under FOIA, fee waivers are limited to requesters who can show that disclosure of records is in the public interest as it will contribute to the public’s understanding of the operations/activities of the government.

1. Commercial Use Requester: required to pay all fees to include search, review and duplication.

2. Educational/Non-Scientific Institutions and News Media: required to pay duplication fees where first 100 pages of duplication are free.

3. “Other” Requesters: all others who do not fall within either of the previous categories. Required to pay search and duplication fees where the first two hours of search are free and the first 100 pages of duplication are free.

All requests will be processed in the order they are received. The processing of all requests will be completed within 20 working days (excluding federal holidays and weekends). You will be notified if more time is needed to process your request.