The Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C Sec. 552 (as amended by the OPEN Government Act of 2007, Pub. L. No. 110-175, 121 Stat. 2524) gives the public the right to access any Department of the Navy records unless the information in those records is protected by one or more of the nine exemptions that qualify an Agency's need to withhold records from a requester, and there is a sound legal basis to withhold them. The Department of the Navy adheres to the policy and disclosure regulations set forth in 32 CFR Chapter VI Part 701, to implement the FOIA uniformly and consistently and to provide maximum allowable disclosure of agency records upon request by an individual.
How to file a FOIA Request with Naval District Washington:
The preferred method to file a FOIA request is via "SecureRelease" at www.securerelease.us. Note that users must establish an account before submitting their request. Requests may also be mailed or e-mailed to the NDW FOIA Coordinator at the addresses below. Ensure that your request clearly describes the records you seek. Your request should also include your contact information, to include your email address, phone number, and mailing address.
Your request should also address whether you are willing to pay fees and, if so, the limit of fees.
Your request may ask for a waiver of fees or for expedited processing of your request; however, you must provide sufficient justification. Please see the DOD FOIA Handbook for additional information on fee waivers, expedited processing, and associated criteria:
DoD Open Government > Transparency > FOIA > FOIA Handbook (defense.gov)
NDW Email address:
cni.ndwfoia@navy.mil
Mailing address:
Naval District Washington
Attn: FOIA Coordinator
1343 Dahlgren Avenue SE
Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5161
Individuals who were involved in traffic accidents, or their insurers, may request copies of accident reports directly from the installation. Contact the NDW FOIA Office at cni.ndwfoia@navy.mil or (202) 433-3819 for more information.
For more information about the Freedom of Information Act, visit the following links:
Commander, Navy Installations Command Freedom of Information Act (https://www.cnic.navy.mil/foia.html)
Department of the Navy Freedom of Information Act (https://www.secnav.navy.mil/foia/Pages/default.aspx)
Department of the Air Force Freedom of Information Act (https://www.foia.af.mil/)
Department of the Army Freedom of Information Act (https://www.rmda.army.mil/foia/RMDA-FOIA-Division.html)
Department of Defense Freedom of Information Act (https://open.defense.gov/Transparency/FOIA.aspx)