Make a FOIL Request

The Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) allows you to access records related to government operations. Records include paper documents and electronic media.

You may not be able to access records if they involve others' privacy or if that access would interfere with or endanger a government operation.

Please be advised of the following limitations regarding FOIL:

• FOIL does not require the Office of the New York State Attorney General (OAG) to provide you with advice or information, or to perform legal research.
• Your request for records must reasonably describe the records sought.
• The OAG is not required to create documents or records to respond to a FOIL request.
• The OAG is not required to grant access to documents or records that are not in its possession nor is the OAG required to obtain documents from other agencies.
• The OAG cannot force another agency to either respond or produce documents pursuant to FOIL.
• If a fee is required for the reproduction of records that respond to your FOIL request, we will notify you before we produce the records. If you request records in paper format, we will provide the first five pages free of charge, and then charge 25 cents per page for each page after that. If we provide in any other medium, we will charge you for the actual cost of reproducing the records you have requested, as well as for any storage devices we provide you. We will not provide you with the records you have requested until we have received any required fee for the reproduction of the records.

The FOIL Office does not process complaints. To file a complaint, please visit our complaints page.

View the current list by subject matter of all records in the possession of the OAG. Please note that not all these records may be available to the public under FOIL.

If you want guidance with a FOIL request, the Committee on Open Government, can provide advice. Visit the Committee on Open Government website for more information.