Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Requests
Notice: Due to the present Health Protection Condition (HPCON) level, our offices are limited to mission-essential personnel only while telework has been maximized for all other personnel. This means that we are unable to handle requests sent via traditional methods and can only respond to electronic inquiries while under elevated HPCON levels. It also means that our responses to inquiries about classified information will be similarly limited for the duration of this emergency.
Welcome to the Office of Naval Intelligence Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) web site. This site provides information about the FOIA and is intended to assist you in submitting a request for ONI records that are releasable under the FOIA.
The FOIA is a disclosure statute intended by Congress to promote an informed citizenry. The law permits the public (U.S. or foreign citizens) to have access to records in the control and possession of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government. However, some records, or portions of them, are protected from disclosure by any of nine FOIA exemptions.
The FOIA is implemented throughout the U.S. Navy by the Department of the Navy Freedom of Information Act Program Instruction (SECNAVINST 5720.42G).
For additional information about the FOIA, refer to the Department of the Navy Freedom of Information Act Office web site at https://www.secnav.navy.mil/foia. If you are not familiar with the FOIA process, it is recommended that you visit this site for a thorough overview and links to related Department of Defense FOIA sites.
FOIA requests submitted to ONI should be limited to records which directly involve the agency’s mission, which is to “to produce meaningful maritime intelligence and move that intelligence rapidly to key strategic, operational and tactical decision makers.”
You can mail in your written FOIA request to ONI or its subordinate Commands; the Farragut Technical Analysis Center, the Hopper Information Services Center, the Kennedy Irregular Warfare Center, and the Nimitz Operational Intelligence Center:
1. By first-class mail addressed to:
Office of Naval Intelligence
Staff Judge Advocate, Code: 00J
4251 Suitland Road, Room 4E128
Washington, DC 20395-5720
Frequently requested records may be found in the ONI FOIA Web site Reading Room.
Before you submit your request, here are a few tips:
Label your request “FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUEST” on the letter (and also on the envelope, if you submit a written request).
- Describe the specific record(s) you are seeking with enough detail so that a knowledgeable official in ONI may locate the record(s) with a reasonable amount of effort. Details should include descriptive information and time-frame for the search to be conducted. Since the majority of Navy records are not retained permanently, the more information you provide, the better the opportunity there is for ONI to determine if the records still exist and where. The FOIA states that records must exist at the time the request is submitted to be considered valid.
- State your willingness to pay all fees or those up to a specified amount, or provide a detailed justification to support a fee waiver as detailed in SECNAVINST 5720.42G. Agreements to pay fees are considered to be up to $250, unless another amount is specified. The fee schedule is provided at enclosure (3) of SECNAVINST 5720.42G.
- You will receive a response to your request. Please keep in mind that the 20 working day time limit begins when the request is received, and does not include Saturdays, Sundays or legal holidays.
We will not obtain personally identifying information about you when you visit our site unless you choose to provide such information to us. If you choose to send email to the site webmaster, any contact information that you provide will be used solely to respond to your request. It will not be stored.
Navy FOIA