Does it cost anything to complete a FOIA request?
Many of the agencies charge costs related to the search for the materials desired. The three types of charges are: charges to search for the requested information, costs related to deciding what information to include in your request, and reproduction related fees. The types of costs you pay depends on why you are requesting the information. Your costs can be reduced, for example, if the information is for public distribution versus commercial use. Each agency has to tell you how much these costs are before your request is processed. If you feel you should not be obligated to pay the related fees, you can ask for a fee waiver in your request. Agencies may grant fee waivers if the requested information is to be publicly disseminated.
