Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
Introduction
The Freedom of Information Act provides for the charging of fees "applicable to
the processing of requests,"
1
and sets limitations and restrictions on the assessment of
certain fees.
2
A separate provision provides for the waiver or reduction of fees if the
statutory fee waiver standard is satisfied.
3
These provisions have remained largely
unchanged since their passage as part of the 1986 FOIA amendments
4
which established
the majority of the present fee-related provisions.
The most recent fee-related amendments to the FOIA, enacted as part of the
OPEN Government Act of 2007,
5
addressed several FOIA provisions regarding fees.
Section 3 of those amendments, Protection of Fee Status for News Media, discussed
below, defines the requester subcategory "representative of the news media."
6
Further,
1
5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(i) (2006 & Supp. IV 2010); see also Presidential Memorandum for
Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies Concerning the Freedom of Information Act,
74 Fed. Reg. 4683 (Jan. 21, 2009) (emphasizing that the Freedom of Information Act
reflects a "profound national commitment to ensuring an open Government" and directing
agencies to "adopt a presumption in favor of disclosure"); accord Attorney General Holder's
Memorandum for Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies Concerning the Freedom
of Information Act, 74 Fed. Reg. 49892 (Mar. 19, 2009); FOIA Post, "OIP Guidance:
President Obama's FOIA Memorandum and Attorney General Holder's FOIA Guidelines -
Creating a New Era of Open Government" (posted 4/17/09).
2
5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(ii), (iv)-(vi), (viii).
3
Id. § 552(a)(4)(A)(iii).
4
Freedom of Information Reform Act of 1986, Pub. L. No. 90-570, §§ 1801-04, 100 Stat.
3207.
5
Pub. L. No. 110-175, 121 Stat. 2524.
6
Id. § 3.
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
2
section 6 places restrictions on an agency's ability to collect certain fees if it fails to
respond to a FOIA request within the statutory time frame, unless the exceptions to this
provision are met.
7
(For a further discussion of section 6 of the OPEN Government Act,
see the section on Time Limits in the chapter on Procedural Requirements.)
Fees
Congress charged OMB with the responsibility of providing a "uniform schedule
of fees" for agencies to follow when promulgating their FOIA fee regulations.
8
OMB did
so in its Uniform Freedom of Information Act Fee Schedule and Guidelines [hereinafter
OMB Fee Guidelines] issued in March 1987.
9
Under the FOIA, each agency is required
to publish regulations "specifying the schedule of fees" applicable to processing requests
and must conform its schedule to the guidelines promulgated by OMB.
10
The following discussion summarizes the FOIA's fee provisions.
11
The OMB Fee
Guidelines,
12
which provide general principles for how agencies should set fee schedules
and make fee determinations, and which include definitions of statutory fee terms,
discuss these provisions in greater detail. Anyone with a FOIA fee (as opposed to fee
waiver) question should consult these guidelines in conjunction with the FOIA statute
and appropriate agency FOIA regulations for the records at issue. Agency personnel
should attempt to resolve such fee questions by consulting first with their FOIA officers.
Whenever fee questions cannot be resolved in that way, agency FOIA officers should
direct their questions to OMB's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Information Policy Branch, at [email protected].
Requester Categories
The FOIA provides for three categories of requesters: 1) commercial use
requesters; 2) educational institutions, noncommercial scientific institutions, and
7
Id. § 6; see FOIA Post "OIP Guidance: New Limitations on Assessing Fees" (posted
11/18/08).
8
5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(i) (2006 & Supp. IV 2010); see Envtl. Prot. Info. Ctr. v. U.S. Forest
Serv., 432 F.3d 945, 947 (9th Cir. 2005) ("FOIA calls for the Office of Management and
Budget to promulgate [fee] guidelines for agencies to follow.") (citation omitted); Media
Access Project v. FCC, 883 F.2d 1063, 1069 (D.C. Cir. 1989) (rejecting plaintiff's claim that
OMB's authority is limited to establishing "'price list'").
9
52 Fed. Reg. 10,012 (Mar. 27, 1987).
10
5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(i).
11
See 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(i)-(ii), (iv)-(vi), (viii).
12
See 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,012.
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
3
representatives of the news media; and finally, 3) all requesters who do not fall within
either of the preceding two categories.
13
The first such category, commercial-use requesters, is defined by the OMB Fee
Guidelines as those who seek records for "a use or purpose that furthers the commercial,
trade, or profit interests of the requester or the person on whose behalf the request is
being made,"
14
which can include furthering those interests through litigation.
15
Designation of a requester as a "commercial-use requester," therefore, will turn on the
use to which the requested information would be put, rather than on the identity of the
requester.
16
Agencies are encouraged to seek additional information or clarification
from the requester when the intended use is not clear from the request itself.
17
13
See 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(ii)(I)-(III) (2006 & Supp. IV 2010).
14
Uniform Freedom of Information Act Fee Schedule and Guidelines [hereinafter OMB Fee
Guidelines], 52 Fed. Reg. 10,012, 10,017-18 (Mar. 27, 1987); see also Research Air, Inc. v.
Kempthorne, 589 F. Supp. 2d 1, 10 (D.D.C. 2008) (concluding that requester's intent to use
records to oppose suspension of his pilot card was primarily in requester's commercial
interest) (fee waiver context); Consumers' Checkbook v. HHS, 502 F. Supp. 2d 79, 89
(D.D.C. 2007) (suggesting that nonprofit's charging of fees to distribute some of its products
was in commercial interest of plaintiff, but public interest in records sought outweighed that
interest) (fee waiver context); VoteHemp, Inc. v. DEA, 237 F. Supp. 2d 55, 65 (D.D.C. 2002)
(concluding that nonprofit organization, as advocate for free market in controlled
substance, had commercial interest in requested records) (fee waiver context); Avondale
Indus. v. NLRB, No. 96-1227, slip op. at 14 n.4 (E.D. La. Mar. 20, 1998) (embracing OMB's
definition of "commercial use" and noting that case law is "sparse" as to what constitutes
"commercial use"); cf. OSHA Data/CIH, Inc. v. U.S. Dep't of Labor, 220 F.3d 153, 160 (3d
Cir. 2000) (observing that under 1986 FOIA amendments "commercial users shoulder more
of the costs of FOIA requests").
15
See Rozet v. HUD, 59 F. Supp. 2d 55, 57 (D.D.C. 1999) (finding commercial interest where
requester sought documents to defend his corporations in civil fraud action). But see
McClellan Ecological Seepage Situation v. Carlucci, 835 F.2d 1282, 1285 (9th Cir. 1987)
(finding no commercial interest in records sought in furtherance of requesters' tort claim);
Muffoletto v. Sessions, 760 F. Supp. 268, 277-78 (E.D.N.Y. 1991) (finding no commercial
interest when records were sought to defend against state court action to recover debts).
16
See OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,013 (explaining that inclusion in commercial
use category is not controlled by identity "but the use to which [requesters] will put the
information obtained"); see also Rozet, 59 F. Supp. 2d at 57 (discounting plaintiff's assertion
that information was not of commercial interest where timing and content of requests in
connection with other non-FOIA litigation conclusively demonstrated otherwise); Comer v.
IRS, No. 97-CV-76329, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16268, at *12 (E.D. Mich. Sept. 30, 1999)
(reiterating that requester's motives in seeking records is relevant to "commercial user"
determination); S.A. Ludsin & Co. v. SBA, No. 96 CV 5972, 1998 WL 355394, at *2 (E.D.N.Y.
Apr. 2, 1998) (finding requester who sought documents to enhance prospect of securing
government contract to be commercial requester); Avondale, No. 96-1227, slip op. at 14
(E.D. La. Mar. 20, 1998) (finding company's intent to use requested documents to contest
union election results to be commercial use); cf. Hosp. & Physician Publ'g v. DOD, No. 98-
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
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The second requester category consists of requesters who seek records for a
noncommercial use and who qualify as one of three distinct subcategories of requesters:
those who are affiliated with an educational institution, those who are part of a
noncommercial scientific institution, and those who are representatives of the news
media.
18
The OMB Fee Guidelines define "educational institution" to include various
schools, as well as institutions of higher learning and vocational education.
19
This
definition is limited, however, by the requirement that the educational institution be one
"which operates a program or programs of scholarly research."
20
To qualify for
inclusion in this fee subcategory, the Guidelines specify that the request must serve a
scholarly research goal of the institution, not an individual goal.
21
Thus, a student
seeking inclusion in this subcategory, who "makes a request in furtherance of the
completion of a course of instruction is carrying out an individual research goal," and
would not qualify as an educational institution requester.
22
By contrast, the Guidelines
provide that a "request from a professor of geology at a State university" requesting
records "related to soil erosion, written on letterhead of the Department of Geology"
would qualify.
23
CV-4117, 1999 WL 33582100, at *5 (S.D. Ill. June 22, 1999) (stating that requester's past
commercial use of such records is not relevant to present case), remanded per joint
stipulation, No. 99-3152 (7th Cir. Feb. 24, 2005) (remanding for purposes of adoption of
parties' settlement agreement and dismissal of case).
17
See OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,018 (specifying that where "use is not clear
from the request . . . agencies should seek additional clarification before assigning the
request to a specific category"); see also McClellan, 835 F.2d at 1287 ("Legislative history
and agency regulations imply that an agency may seek additional information when
establishing a requester's category for fee assessment."); cf. Long v. DOJ, 450 F. Supp. 2d
42, 85 (D.D.C. 2006) (finding moot requester's challenge to agency's authority to request
certain information in order to make fee category determination where no fee ultimately
was assessed).
18
See 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(ii)(II).
19
See OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,018.
20
Id.; see Nat'l Sec. Archive v. DOD, 880 F.2d 1381, 1383-85 (D.C. Cir. 1989) (approving
implementation of this standard in DOD regulation).
21
See OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,014 (distinguishing institutional from
individual requests through use of examples).
22
Id. at 10,014.
23
Id.
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Fees and Fee Waivers
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The definition of a "noncommercial scientific institution" refers to a
"noncommercial" institution that is "operated solely for the purpose of conducting
scientific research the results of which are not intended to promote any particular
product or industry."
24
As to the third type of requester in this category, "representative of the news
media," as part of the OPEN Government Act of 2007,
25
Congress borrowed from both
the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit's opinion in National Security
Archive v. DOD
26
and the OMB Fee Guidelines
27
to statutorily define a "representative
of the news media." This subcategory includes "any person or entity that gathers
information of potential interest to a segment of the public, uses its editorial skills to
turn the raw materials into a distinct work, and distributes that work to an audience."
28
Additionally, Congress incorporated into the statutory definition the OMB Fee
Guidelines' definition of "news" as "information that is about current events or that
would be of current interest to the public."
29
The statutory definition also addresses the
potential growth of alternative news media entities by providing a non-exclusive list of
media entities.
30
Finally, the statutory definition specifies that freelance journalists
shall be considered representatives of the news media if they “can demonstrate a solid
basis for expecting publication through [a news media] entity, whether or not the
24
Id. at 10,018.
25
See Pub. L. No. 110-175, 121 Stat. 2524 § 3 (codified at 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(ii)).
26
880 F.2d 1381, 1387 (D.C. Cir. 1989) (defining "representative of the news media").
27
OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,018.
28
5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(ii); see Nat'l Sec. Archive v. DOD, 880 F.2d at 1387 (defining
representative of the news media as "a person or entity that gathers information of potential
interest to a segment of the public, uses its editorial skills to turn the raw materials into a
distinct work, and distributes that work to an audience"); see also Elec. Privacy Info. Ctr. v.
DOD, (D.D.C. 2003) (explaining that fact that entity distributes its publication "via the
Internet to subscribers' e-mail addresses does not change the [news media] analysis"); cf.
Hall v. CIA, No. 04-00814, 2005 WL 850379, at *6 (D.D.C. Apr. 13, 2005) (finding
organization's statement that "'news media is pled,'" without mentioning specific activities
in which it is engaged, "misstates the burden that a party . . . must carry . . . [o]therwise,
every conceivable FOIA requester could simply declare itself a 'representative of the news
media' to circumvent fees").
29
5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(ii); see also OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,018.
30
5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(ii) ("[e]xamples of news-media entities are television or radio
stations broadcasting to the public at large and publishers of periodicals (but only if such
entities qualify as disseminators of 'news') who make their products available for purchase
by or subscription by or free distribution to the general public").
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
6
journalist is actually employed by the entity."
31
The OMB Fee Guidelines provide that a
request from a representative of the news media that supports a news-dissemination
function "shall not be considered to be a request that is for a commercial use.
"
32
Since the passage of the OPEN Government Act, there have been few cases
addressing the "representative of the news media" category.
33
Pre-dating the
amendment to the statute, the term "representative of the news media," was the subject
of a number of FOIA opinions, many of which held that the plaintiff before it was not
such an entity,
34
while others, including the D.C. Circuit in National Security Archive v.
31
5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(ii); see OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,018 (stating that
for freelancers, publication contract with news organization would be "clearest" proof for
inclusion in news media category but that agencies may consider "past publication record"
in this regard); see also Brown v. U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, 445 F. Supp. 2d 1347,
1356-57 (M.D. Fla. 2006) (finding that plaintiff has not shown "that he is a freelance
journalist with a 'solid basis for expecting publication'" (quoting agency regulation). But see
Hosp. & Physician Publ'g, 1999 WL 33582100, at *3, *5 (ordering agency to apply news
media status to plaintiff even though plaintiff had not gathered news in past but expressed
intention to do so in future; noting that requester represented that information received
"will eventually be disseminated to the news media," that it will "not receive any income
from its news gathering activities," and that "any windfall to the commercial aspect of its
business will be negligible").
32
OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,019.
33
See Serv. Women’s Action Network v. DOD, 888 F. Supp. 2d 282, 288 (D. Conn. 2012)
(finding that because plaintiffs "have submitted an extensive list of past publications and
adequately allege that they intend to publish" work regarding subject of requested records,
plaintiffs are representatives of news media); ACLU of Wash. v. DOJ, No. C09-0642RSL,
2011 WL 887731, at *10 (W.D. Wash. Mar. 10, 2011) (quoting statutory definition and
declaring that ACLU "qualifies as a representative of the news media" without further
analysis).
34
See Brown, 445 F. Supp. 2d at 1356-57 (holding that plaintiff who provided no evidence of
employment by news organization or evidence that he was "freelance" journalist as defined
by agency's regulation, has "not demonstrated 'firm intention' of creating or publishing an
editorialized work," and does not qualify as representative of news media), aff'd per curiam,
226 F. App'x 866 (11th Cir. 2007); Hall, 2005 WL 850379, at *6 (finding that plaintiff's
endeavors, including "'research contributions . . . email newsletters' . . . and a single
magazine or newspaper article" were more akin to those of a middleman or information
vendor; determining that second plaintiff offered only conclusory assertion that it was
representative of news media and "mentioned no specific activities [that it] conducted");
Judicial Watch, Inc. v. Rossotti, No. 01-1612, 2002 WL 535803, at *5 (D.D.C. Mar. 18,
2002) (finding persuasive prior district court decision on same issue, adopting "the
reasoning and conclusions set forth" therein, and holding that plaintiff organization before
it is not a representative of news media), rev'd on other grounds, 326 F.3d 1309 (D.C. Cir.
2003); Judicial Watch, Inc. v. DOJ, 185 F. Supp. 2d 54, 59 (D.D.C. 2002) (concluding that
plaintiff organization did not qualify for media status as it was not organized to broadcast or
publish news and was "at best a type of middleman or vendor of information that
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Fees and Fee Waivers
7
DOD,
35
held that the plaintiff organizations did qualify for status as representatives of
the news media.
36
representatives of the news media can utilize when appropriate"); Judicial Watch, Inc. v.
DOJ, No. 00-0745, slip op. at 15 (D.D.C. Feb. 12, 2001) (finding that plaintiff organization is
not "an entity that is organized and operated to publish or broadcast news," and stating that
organization's "vague intention" to use requested information is not specific enough "to
establish the necessary firm intent to publish that is required [in order] to qualify as a
representative of the news media"), partial summary judgment granted, slip op. at 22
(D.D.C. Apr. 20, 2001) (repeating that plaintiff's "vague intentions" to use requested
information are insufficient to establish media status); Judicial Watch, Inc. v. DOJ, 122 F.
Supp. 2d 13, 21 (D.D.C. 2000) (same); Judicial Watch, Inc. v. DOJ, 122 F. Supp. 2d 5, 12
(D.D.C. 2000) (commenting that by its own admission requester is not an entity that is
organized and operated to publish or broadcast news (quoting from definition found at 28
C.F.R. § 16.11(b)(6))); Judicial Watch, Inc. v. DOJ, No. 99-2315, 2000 WL 33724693, at *3-
4 (D.D.C. Aug. 17, 2000) (stating that letting reporters view documents collected from
government, faxing them to newspapers, and appearing on television or radio does not
qualify requester for news media status; concluding that if requester's "vague intentions" to
publish future reports "satisfied FOIA's requirements, any entity could transform itself into
a 'representative of the news media' by including a single strategic sentence in its request");
cf. Nat'l Sec. Archive, 880 F.3d at 1387 (noting that term "representative of the news media"
excludes "private librar[ies]" or "private repositories" of government records or middlemen
such as "'information vendors [or] data brokers'" who request records for use by others);
Elec. Privacy Info. Ctr., 241 F. Supp. 2d at 14 n.6 (stating that "not every organization with
its own newsletter will necessarily qualify for news media status" and that, to qualify,
newsletter "must disseminate actual 'news' to the public, rather than solely self-promoting
articles about that organization").
35
880 F.2d at 1388.
36
See id. at 1387; see also Ctr. for Pub. Integrity v. HHS, No. 06-1818, 2007 WL 2248071, at
*5 (D.D.C. Aug. 3, 2007) (finding that investigative reporting organization qualified as
"representative of new media" under agency regulations and OMB Guidelines as it intended
to use information sought as basis for articles and press releases, that its staff was
comprised of investigative journalists, that information received would be posted in
organization's newsletter, and that it had demonstrated its past journalistic efforts that "had
garnered various awards"); Elec. Privacy Info. Ctr., 241 F. Supp. 2d at 9 (concluding that
publication activities of public interest research center -- which included both print and
other media -- satisfied definition of "representative of the news media" under agency's
FOIA regulation); Judicial Watch, Inc. v. DOJ, 133 F. Supp. 2d 52, 53-54 (D.D.C. 2000)
(finding that requester qualified as representative of news media), appeal dismissed per
curiam, No. 01-5019, 2001 WL 800022, at *1 (D.C. Cir. June 13, 2001) (ruling that "district
court's order holding that appellee is a representative of the news media for purposes of [the
FOIA] is not final in the traditional sense and does not meet requirements of the collateral
order doctrine" for purposes of appeal); Hosp. & Physician Publ'g, 1999 WL 33582100, at *4
(finding that requester qualified under test of National Security Archive as a "representative
of the news media"); cf. Tax Analysts v. DOJ, 965 F.2d 1092, 1095 (D.C. Cir. 1992) (noting
that, in context of attorney fees, plaintiff "is certainly a news organization"); Nat'l Sec.
Archive v. CIA, 564 F. Supp. 2d 29, 34-37 (D.D.C 2008) (finding plaintiff's claim of
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
8
The D.C. Circuit also held in National Security Archive that merely making the
information received available to the public (or others) was not sufficient to qualify a
requester for placement in this fee category.
37
Additionally, the same court noted that a
request from a representative of the news media that does not support its news-
dissemination function should not be accorded the favored fee treatment of this
subcategory.
38
The District Court for the District of Columbia has found that even a
foreign news service may qualify as a representative of the news media under the
FOIA.
39
The only other circuit courts to have had before them the question of whether a
FOIA requester was properly categorized as a representative of the news media are the
Courts of Appeals for the Seventh and Eleventh Circuits.
40
In the Seventh Circuit, the
Court did not reach the issue because the appeal was resolved through settlement,
letting stand the district court’s finding that the requester before it qualified for news
media status.
41
In contrast, the Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit concluded in a
brief opinion, which affirmed the district court's more extensive findings, that the
requester before it was not a representative of the news media.
42
entitlement to news media status under Nat'l Sec. Archive v. DOD moot where agency
informed court that all future noncommercial FOIA requests submitted by plaintiff would
be accorded news media status), subsequent opinion granting plaintiff's motion for
reconsideration, 584 F. Supp. 2d 144, 147 (D.D.C. 2008) (holding that despite agency's
recent assurances to court, agency's continued placement of plaintiff into a category other
than "news media" is in violation of D.C. Circuit law, and issuing order that agency "must
treat [plaintiff] as a representative of the news media for all pending and future
noncommercial FOIA requests").
37
See Nat'l Sec. Archive, 880 F.2d at 1386 (finding that "making information available to
the public . . . [is] insufficient to establish an entitlement to preferred [fee] status"); see also
Hall, 2005 WL 850379, at *6 (stating that plaintiff's endeavors "may establish" him as
"vendor of information" but not as representative of news media).
38
See Nat'l Sec. Archive, 880 F.2d at 1387 (stating that "there is no reason to treat an entity
with news media activities in its portfolio . . . as a 'representative of the news media' when it
requests documents . . . in aid of its nonjournalistic activities").
39
See Southam News v. INS, 674 F. Supp. 881, 892 (D.D.C. 1987).
40
Brown v. U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, 226 F. App'x 866 (11th Cir. 2007); Hosp. &
Physician Publ'g, No. 99-3152 (7th Cir. Feb. 24, 2005) (remanding for purposes of adoption
of parties' settlement agreement and dismissal of case).
41
Hosp. & Physician Publ'g, 1999 WL 33582100, at *3 (ordering defendant to apply news
media status to plaintiff even though it had not gathered news in past, nor did so at time of
litigation, but had expressed its intention to "begin gathering news for dissemination . . . to
news media via free news releases").
42
Brown, 226 F. App'x at 868 (concluding that requester's "status as the publisher of a
website does not make him a representative of the news media").
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Fees and Fee Waivers
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The third and final category of requesters consists of all requesters who do not
fall within either of the preceding two categories.
43
When any FOIA request is submitted by someone on behalf of another person --
for example, by an attorney on behalf of a client -- it is the underlying requester's
identity and/or intended use that determines the requester category for fee purposes.
44
When such information is not readily apparent from the request itself, agencies "should
seek additional clarification" from the requester before assigning a requester to a
specific requester category.
45
An agency need not undertake a "fee category" analysis in any instance in which
it has granted a full fee waiver.
46
Similarly, there is no need to determine a requester's
fee category whenever the only assessable fee is a duplication fee, as that type of fee is
properly chargeable to all three categories of requesters,
47
nor is an agency required to
establish at an earlier date a requester's proper fee category with regard to any future
FOIA requests that requester might make,
48
given that a requester's category can change
over time.
49
43
See 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(ii)(III); see also Harrington v. DOJ, No. 06-0254, 2007 WL
625853, at *3 n.8 (D.D.C. Feb. 27, 2007) (explaining that because "[n]othing in the record
suggests a commercial use or a non-commercial use by a scientific or educational
institution" and given that plaintiff is not "a representative of the news media," plaintiff is
properly classified into third category of requesters).
44
See OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,013-14, 10,017-18; see also Dale v. IRS, 238 F.
Supp. 2d 99, 107 (D.D.C. 2002) ("A party's counsel is not the 'requester' for purposes of a
fee waiver" request).
45
See OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,018.
46
See Carney v. DOJ, 19 F.3d 807, 814 n.3 (2d Cir. 1994) (doubting requester's status as
"news media" but stating that there was no need to resolve issue given his entitlement to fee
waiver); Duggan v. SEC, No. 06-10458, 2007 WL 2916544, at *9 (D. Mass. July 12, 2007)
(magistrate's recommendation) (finding that given agency's decision to waive all fees,
requester's fee category (and fee waiver) claims are moot), adopted, (D. Mass. July 27,
2008), aff'd on other grounds, 277 F. App'x 16 (1st Cir. May 15, 2008); Prison Legal News v.
Lappin, 436 F. Supp. 2d 17, 27 (D.D.C. 2006) (finding "no need to analyze" entitlement to
news media status where plaintiff was entitled to full fee waiver); Judicial Watch, Inc. v.
DOT, No. 02-566, 2005 WL 1606915, at *5 n.2 (D.D.C. July 5, 2005) (same); Judicial
Watch, 310 F. Supp. 2d 271, 293 n.3 (same); Long v. ATF, 964 F. Supp. 494, 498, 499
(D.D.C. 1997) (same); Project on Military Procurement v. Dep't of the Navy, 710 F. Supp
362, 368 (D.D.C. 1989) (same).
47
See 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(ii); see also OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,017.
48
See, e.g., Long, 450 F. Supp. 2d at 85 (concluding that "any declaration" by the court of
requester's fee status for future requests was not ripe, and that denial of "such a
determination does not preclude a favorable outcome in the future, not least of all because
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
10
Types of Fees
The FOIA provides for three types of fees that may be assessed in response to
FOIA requests: search, review, and duplication.
50
The fees that may be charged to a
particular requester are dependent upon the requester's fee category.
Requesters who fall within the first requester category, commercial use
requesters, are assessed all three types of fees.
51
Requesters falling within the second
requester category, those determined to be educational or noncommercial scientific
institutions, or representatives of the news media, are assessed only duplication fees.
52
Requesters in the third category, those who do not fall within either the first or second
requester category, are assessed both search fees and duplication fees.
53
OMB
recognized that costs would necessarily vary from agency to agency and directed that
each agency promulgate regulations specifying the specific charges for search,
54
review,
55
and duplication
56
fees.
an entity's status can change"); Long, 964 F. Supp. at 498, 499 (rejecting plaintiff's request
for declaratory judgment as to requester category when no fee was at issue, and finding that
question was not ripe as to future requests).
49
See Nat'l Sec. Archive, 880 F.2d at 1388 (stating that court's determination of requester's
news media status is "not chiselled in granite"); Long, 450 F. Supp. 2d at 85 (indicating that
"an entity's status can change"); Long, 964 F. Supp. at 498 (same).
50
5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(ii)(I)-(III) (2006 & Supp. IV 2010); see also Uniform Freedom of
Information Act Fee Schedule and Guidelines [hereinafter OMB Fee Guidelines], 52 Fed.
Reg. 10,012, 10,018 (Mar. 27, 1987).
51
See 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(ii)(I); see also OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,017.
52
See 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(ii)(II).
53
See § 552(a)(4)(A)(ii)(III).
54
OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,018 ("agencies should charge at the salary rate[s]
[i.e. basic pay plus 16 percent] of the employee[s] making the search" or, "where a
homogeneous class of personnel is used exclusively . . . agencies may establish an average
rate for the range of grades typically involved").
55
Id. at 10,017-18 (in addition to collecting full "direct costs" (as defined by OMB) incurred
by agency when reviewing responsive documents, if "a single class of reviewers is typically
involved in the review process, agencies may establish a reasonable agency-wide average
and charge accordingly").
56
Id. at 10,018 ("Agencies shall establish an average agency-wide, per-page charge for paper
copy reproduction of documents.").
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
11
"Search" fees include all the time spent looking for responsive material, including
if necessary page-by-page or line-by-line identification of material within documents.
57
Additionally, agencies may charge for search time even if they fail to locate any records
responsive to the request or even if the records located are subsequently determined to
be exempt from disclosure.
58
The OMB Guidelines direct that searches for responsive
records should be done in the "most efficient and least expensive manner."
59
The term
"search" means locating records or information either "manually or by automated
means"
60
and requires agencies to expend "reasonable efforts" in electronic searches, if
requested to do so by requesters willing to pay for that search activity.
61
The "review" costs which may be charged to commercial-use requesters consist of
the "direct costs incurred during the initial examination of a document for the purposes
of determining whether [it] must be disclosed [under the FOIA]."
62
Review time thus
57
See OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,017.
58
See id. at 10,019; see also TPS, Inc. v. Dep't of the Air Force, No. C 01-4284, 2003 U.S.
Dist. LEXIS 10925, at *8-9 (N.D. Cal. Mar. 28, 2003) ("'The fact that you did not receive any
records from [the agency] . . . does not negate your responsibility to pay for programming
services provided to you in good faith, at your request with your agreement to pay applicable
fees.'" (quoting with approval exhibit to defendant's declaration)); Guzzino v. FBI, No. 95-
1780, 1997 WL 22886, at *4 (D.D.C. Jan. 10, 1997) (upholding agency's assessment of
search fees to conduct search for potentially responsive records within files of individuals
"with names similar to" requester's when no files identifiable to requester were located),
appeal dismissed for lack of prosecution, No. 97-5083 (D.C. Cir. Dec. 8, 1997); Linn v. DOJ,
No. 92-1406, 1995 WL 417810, at *13 (D.D.C. June 6, 1995) (holding that there is no
entitlement to refund of search fees when search unproductive).
59
OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,017.
60
5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(3)(D).
61
Id. at § 552(a)(3)(C); see also FOIA Update, Vol. XVIII, No. 1, at 6 ("OIP Guidance:
Amendment Implementation Questions") (analyzing 1996 FOIA amendment that requires
agencies to "make reasonable efforts" to search for records electronically); cf. OMB Fee
Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,018, 10,019 (providing that agencies should charge "the
actual direct cost of providing [computer searches]," but that for certain requester
categories, cost equivalent of two hours of manual search is provided without charge).
62
5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(iv); see also Carney v. DOJ, 19 F.3d 807, 814 n.2 (2d Cir. 1994)
(noting that fee for document review is properly chargeable to commercial requesters);
Gavin v. SEC, No. 04-4522, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 75227, at *17-18 (D. Minn. Oct. 13,
2006) (finding that agency's court-ordered initial review of documents was chargeable to
commercial-use requester); OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,018 (clarifying that
records "withheld under an exemption which is subsequently determined not to apply may
be reviewed again to determine the applicability of other exemptions not previously
considered" and, further, that "costs for such a subsequent review would be properly
assessable").
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
12
includes processing the documents for disclosure, i.e., doing all that is necessary to
prepare them for release,
63
but it does not include time spent resolving general legal or
policy issues regarding the applicability of particular exemptions or reviewing on appeal
exemptions that already are applied.
64
The OMB Fee Guidelines provide that records
that have been withheld in full under an exemption that is later determined to no longer
apply may be "reviewed again to determine the application of other exemptions not
previously considered"
65
and that review fees "for such a subsequent review would be
properly assessable."
66
Under the FOIA, "duplication" charges represent the reasonable "direct costs" of
making copies of documents.
67
Copies can take various forms, including paper copies or
machine-readable documentation.
68
As further required by the FOIA, agencies must
honor a requester's choice of form or format if the record is "readily reproducible" in
that form or format with "reasonable efforts" by the agency.
69
63
See OSHA Data/CIH, Inc. v. U.S. Dep't of Labor, 220 F.3d 153, 168 (3d Cir. 2000)
(concluding that review fees include, in the context of commercial information submitted by
outside entity, costs of conducting mandatory predisclosure notification under Exec. Order
No. 12,600 and evaluation of companies' responses by agency for purpose of determining
applicability of exemption to companies' submitted commercial information); Nelson v. U.S.
Army, No. 10 C 1735, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17193, at *23 (N.D. IL Feb. 22, 2011) (noting
that cost of submitter notice required under Exec. Order No. 12,600 is chargeable to
commercial use requester).
64
See OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,017, 10,018.
65
Id. at 10,018. But see Hall & Associates v. EPA, 846 F. Supp. 2d 231, 240 (D.D.C. 2012)
(concluding that when administrative appellate authority determined agency "improperly
withheld documents in its first response" agency cannot "make its production of the
originally improperly withheld documents contingent upon further payment from the
requester under the theory that the work done in an effort to cure its initial inadequate
response is still part of the 'initial review'"); AutoAlliance Int'l v. U.S. Customs Serv., No. 02-
72369, slip op. at 7-8 (E.D. Mich. July 31, 2003) (finding that where agency did not review
all responsive documents during initial review -- and charged no fee -- it effectively waived
agency's ability to charge commercial requester review fees for agency's "thorough review"
conducted at administrative appeal level inasmuch as statute limits such fees to "initial
examination" only).
66
OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,018.
67
5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(iv); see OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,018.
68
See OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,017.
69
5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(3)(B); see FOIA Update, Vol. XVIII, No. 1, at 5-6 ("OIP Guidance:
Amendment Implementation Questions") (advising agencies on format disclosure
obligations); FOIA Update, Vol. XVII, No. 4, at 2 ("Congress Enacts FOIA Amendments")
(same).
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
13
For paper copies, the OMB Fee Guidelines specifically require that agencies
establish an "average agency-wide, per-page charge for paper copy reproduction."
70
For
non-paper copies, such as disks or other electronic media, the Guidelines provide that
agencies should charge the actual costs of production of that medium.
71
For any of these
forms of duplication, agencies should consult with their technical support staff for
assistance in determining their actual costs associated with producing the copies in the
various media sought.
72
In addition to charging the costs provided by agency implementing regulations
for searching, reviewing, and duplicating records, the OMB Fee Guidelines authorize the
recovery of the full costs of providing all categories of requesters with "special services"
that are not required by the FOIA, such as when an agency agrees to certify records as
true copies or mails records by express mail.
73
The OMB Guidelines provide that agencies may use contractor services, as long
as an agency does not relinquish responsibilities it alone must perform, such as making
fee waiver determinations.
74
With regard to any contractor services that agencies may
employ, the OMB Fee Guidelines require that agencies ensure that the cost to the
requester "is no greater than it would be if the agency itself had performed the task."
75
Fee Restrictions
The FOIA includes restrictions both on the assessment of certain fees
76
and on
the authority of agencies to ask for an advance payment of a fee.
77
No FOIA fee may be
70
See OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,017, 10,018 (detailing elements included in
direct costs of duplication).
71
See id. at 10,018; FOIA Update, Vol. XI, No. 3, at 4 & n.25 ("Department of Justice Report
on 'Electronic Record' FOIA Issues, Part II").
72
See OMB Fee Guidelines at 10,017-18 (advising agencies to "charge the actual cost,
including computer operator time, of production of [a computer] tape or printout").
73
Id. at 10,018; see, e.g., DOJ Fee Regulations, 28 C.F.R. § 16.11(f); cf. OMB Fee Guidelines,
52 Fed Reg. at 10,016 (specifying that charges for ordinary packaging and mailing are to be
borne by government).
74
See OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,018 ("Agencies are encouraged to contract
with private sector services to locate, reproduce and disseminate records in response to
FOIA requests when that is the most efficient and least costly method.").
75
Id.
76
See 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(iv)(I)-(II) (2006 & Supp. IV 2010).
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
14
charged by an agency if the government's cost of collecting and processing the fee is
likely to equal or exceed the amount of the fee itself.
78
In addition, except with respect
to commercial-use requesters, agencies must provide the first one hundred pages of
duplication, as well as the first two hours of search time, without cost to the requester.
79
These two provisions work together so that, except with respect to commercial-use
requesters, agencies should not begin to assess fees until after they provide this amount
of free search and duplication; the assessable fee for any requester then must be greater
than the agency's cost to collect and process the fee in order for it actually to be
charged.
80
Agencies also may not require a requester to make an advance payment, i.e.,
payment before work is begun or continued on a request, unless the agency first
estimates that the assessable fee is likely to exceed $250, or unless the requester has
previously failed to pay a properly assessed fee in a timely manner (i.e., within thirty
days of the billing date).
81
Estimated fees, though, are not intended to be used to
discourage requesters from exercising their access rights under the FOIA.
82
77
See id.
78
See id. § 552(a)(4)(A)(iv)(I); see also Uniform Freedom of Information Act Fee Schedule
and Guidelines [hereinafter OMB Fee Guidelines], 52 Fed. Reg. 10,012, 10,018 (Mar. 27,
1987).
79
See 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(iv)(II); OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,018-19; see
also Carlson v. USPS, No. 02-05471, 2005 WL 756573, at *8 (N.D. Cal. Mar. 31, 2005)
(upholding requester's statutory entitlement to two hours of search time and 100 pages of
duplication without cost regardless of whether remainder of responsive records were to be
processed); cf. Skinner v. DOJ, 744 F. Supp. 2d 185, 196-97 (D.D.C. 2010) (concluding that
requester's lack of response to agency's fee estimate does not preclude release of 100 pages
free of charge to requester); Trupei v. DEA, No. 04-1481, 2005 WL 3276290, at *3 (D.D.C.
Sept. 27, 2005) (upholding agency's refusal to expend additional search time without
payment of fees where statutory allowance of two hours was already exceeded); Hicks v.
Hardy, No. 04-0769, slip op. at 2 (D.D.C. Sept. 25, 2005) (observing that agency had
apprised requester that "100-page limit on free releases" was reached and that commitment
was needed to pay for remaining responsive records), renewed motion for summary
judgment granted to agency, No. 04-0769, 2006 WL 949918 (D.D.C. Apr. 12, 2006).
80
See 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(iv)(I); OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,018; see, e.g.,
DOJ Fee Regulations, 28 C.F.R. § 16.11(d)(4) (2012) (establishing fee threshold below which
no fee will be charged).
81
See 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(v); OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,020; see also
O'Meara v. IRS, No. 97-3383, 1998 WL 123984, at *1-2 (7th Cir. Mar. 17, 1998) (upholding
agency's demand for advance payment when fees exceeded $800); Morales v. Pension
Benefit Guar. Corp., No. L-10-1167, 2011 WL 253407, at *3 (D. Md. Jan. 26, 2012) (finding
that because requester "had previously failed to pay a properly assessed balance, [agency]
was entitled to advance payment or reasonable assurances that [requester] would pay");
Chaplin v. Stewart, 796 F. Supp. 2d 209, 211 (D.D.C. 2011) (citing agency's regulation
permitting advance payment when fees exceed $250); Wall v. EOUSA, No. 3:09-cv-344,
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
15
The statutory restriction generally prohibiting a demand for advance payments
does not prevent agencies from requiring payment before actually releasing records
which have been processed.
83
When an agency reasonably believes that a requester or
2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 120826, at *14-15 (D. Conn. Nov 16, 2010) (same); Saldana v. BOP,
715 F. Supp. 2d 10, 21 (D.D.C. 2010) (noting that pursuant to agency's regulations, until
requester has paid full amount in arrears, agency may stop processing pending request and
may require advance payment for other requests); Jordan v. DOJ, No. 07-cv-02303, 2009
WL 2913223, at *17 (D. Colo. Sept. 8, 2009) (observing that agency "is entitled to collect
advance fees when anticipated reproduction costs exceed $250"); Antonelli v. ATF, 555 F.
Supp. 2d 16, 23 (D.D.C. 2008) (stating that "under DOJ regulations, plaintiff's failure to pay
fees to which he had agreed 'within 30 days of the [billing] date' provided an adequate basis
for defendant to require" advance payment); Brunsilius v. DOE, 514 F. Supp. 2d 30, 34-36
(D.D.C. 2007) (citing agency's regulation allowing collection of fees before processing when
they exceed $250 and concluding "request is not considered received until the payment is in
the agency's possession"); Emory v. HUD, No. 05-00671, 2007 WL 641406, at *4 (D. Haw.
Feb. 23, 2007) (same); Pietrangelo v. U.S. Dep't of the Army, No. 2:04-CV-44, slip op. at 14
(D. Vt. Mar. 7, 2005) ("Fees may be estimated by the agency and demanded in advance if
the fee will exceed $250."); Jeanes v. DOJ, 357 F. Supp. 2d 119, 123 (D.D.C. 2004) (citing
agency's regulation requiring advance fee payment noting that "'the request shall not be
considered received and further work will not be done on it until required payment is
received'" (quoting 28 C.F.R. § 16.11(i)(4))); TPS, Inc. v. Dep't of the Air Force, No. C 01-
4284, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10925, at *8-9 (N.D. Cal. Mar. 28, 2003) (upholding agency's
refusal to process further requests until all outstanding FOIA debts were paid), appeal
dismissed voluntarily, No. 03-15950 (9th Cir. May 24, 2007)); Rothman v. Daschle, No. 96-
5898, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13009, at *2 (E.D. Pa. Aug. 20, 1997) (upholding agency's
request for advance payment when fees exceeded $250); Mason v. Bell, No. 78-719-A, slip
op. at 1 (E.D. Va. May 16, 1979) (finding dismissal of FOIA case proper when plaintiffs failed
to pay fees to other federal agencies for prior requests). But cf. Ruotolo v. DOJ, 53 F.3d 4,
9-10 (2d Cir. 1995) (suggesting that agency should have processed request up to amount
offered by requesters rather than state that estimated cost "would greatly exceed" $250
without providing an amount to be paid or offering assistance in reformulating request).
82
See Hall v. CIA, No. 04-0814, 2006 WL 197462, at *3 & n.4 (D.D.C. Jan. 25, 2006)
(recognizing that it would be improper for agencies to inflate fees to discourage requests);
see also Presidential Memorandum for Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies
Concerning the Freedom of Information Act, 74 Fed. Reg. 4683 (Jan. 21, 2009) (directing
agencies to "act promptly and in a spirit of cooperation" in responding to FOIA requests).
83
See Strout v. U.S. Parole Comm'n, 40 F.3d 136, 139 (6th Cir. 1994) (finding that agency
regulation requiring payment before release of processed records does not conflict with
statutory prohibition against advance payment); Farrugia v. EOUSA, 366 F. Supp. 2d 56, 57
(D.D.C. 2005) (explaining that where requested records are already processed, payment
may be required by agency before sending them), subsequent opinion granting summary
judgment to agency, No. 04-0294, 2006 WL 33577 (D.D.C. Feb. 14, 2006); Taylor v. U.S.
Dep't of the Treasury, No. A-96-CA-933, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19909, at *5 (W.D. Tex. Dec.
17, 1996) (explaining that agency regulation requires payment before records can be
released); cf. Lee v. DOJ, 235 F.R.D. 274, 285 (W.D. Pa. 2006) (finding agency's proposal to
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
16
group of requesters is attempting to divide a request into a series of requests for the
purpose of avoiding the assessment of fees, the agency may aggregate those requests
and charge accordingly.
84
The OMB Fee Guidelines should be consulted for additional
guidance on aggregating requests.
85
The FOIA also provides that FOIA fees are superseded by "fees chargeable under
a statute specifically providing for setting the level of fees for particular types of
records."
86
Thus, when documents responsive to a FOIA request are maintained for
distribution by an agency according to a statutorily based fee schedule, requesters
should obtain the documents from that source and pay the applicable fees in accordance
with the fee schedule of that other statute.
87
This may at times result in the assessment
search large number of district offices designated by requester "three offices at a time" and,
after requester's payment was made for searching those three offices, "repeating the process
until all districts had been searched," is permissible); Sliney v. BOP, No. 04-1812, 2005 WL
3273567, at *4 (D.D.C. Sept. 28, 2005) (noting that no authority supported plaintiff's
proposal that his suggested "installment plan" for paying fees "constitutes an agreement to
pay the total fee"), subsequent opinion granting summary judgment to agency, 2005 WL
3273567, at *4 (resolving ultimately that requester failed to exhaust with regard to
processing fee). But cf. Hemmings v. Freeh, No. 95-0738, 2005 WL 975626, at *3 (D.D.C.
Apr. 25, 2005) (criticizing government's exhaustion argument as "form over substance"
where none of its several requests for fee payment -- ultimately made by plaintiff after
government filed motion to dismiss -- provided any "hard and fast deadline" for doing so).
84
See OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,019; see also Smith v. BOP, 517 F. Supp. 2d
451, 453-54 (D.D.C. 2007) (finding it reasonable to "aggregate plaintiff's separate requests .
. . submitted over the course of three weeks" for similar documents); Atkin v. EEOC, No. 91-
2508, slip op. at 20-21 (D.N.J. Dec. 4, 1992) (finding agency's decision to aggregate requests
proper; reasonable for agency to believe that thirteen requests relating to same subject
matter submitted within three-month period were made by requester to evade payment of
fees), appeal dismissed for failure to timely prosecute sub nom. Atkin v. Kemp, No. 93-5548
(3d Cir. Dec. 6, 1993).
85
OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,019-20.
86
5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(vi); see OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,017-18; see also
Oglesby v. U.S. Dep't of the Army, 79 F.3d 1172, 1177-78 (D.C. Cir. 1996) (stating that
NARA's enabling statute, 44 U.S.C. § 2116 (2006), qualifies "as the genre of fee-setting
provision" that supersedes FOIA's fee provisions); cf. Envtl. Prot. Info. Ctr. v. U.S. Forest
Serv., 432 F.3d 945, 947-48 (9th Cir. 2005) (finding FOIA's superseding fee provision to be
"ambiguous," relying instead on OMB's Guidelines that discuss that provision, and
determining that FOIA's reference to "a statute specifically providing for setting the level of
fees" means "'any statute that specifically requires a government agency . . . to set the level
of fees'" and not one that simply allows it to do so (quoting OMB Fee Guidelines) (emphasis
added)).
87
See OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,012-13, 10,017-18 (implementing 5 U.S.C.
§ 552(a)(4)(A)(vi), and advising agencies to "inform requesters of the steps necessary to
obtain records from those sources"); id. at 10,017 (contemplating "statutory-based fee
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
17
of fees that are higher than those that would otherwise be chargeable under the FOIA,
88
but it ensures that such fees are properly borne by the requester and not by the general
public.
89
The superseding of FOIA fees by the fee provisions of another statute raises a
related question as to whether an agency with a statutorily based fee schedule for
particular types of records is subject to the FOIA's fee waiver provision in those
instances where it applies an alternate fee schedule.
90
Although this question has been
raised, it has not yet been explicitly decided by an appellate court.
91
The FOIA requires that requesters follow the agency's published rules for making
FOIA requests, including those pertaining to the payment of authorized fees.
92
schedule programs . . . such as the NTIS [National Technical Information Service]"); see
also Wade v. Dep't of Commerce, No. 96-0717, slip op. at 5-6 (D.D.C. Mar. 26, 1998)
(concluding that fee was "properly charged by NTIS" under its fee schedule). But see Envtl.
Prot. Info. Ctr., 432 F.3d at 948-49 (holding that statute permitting agency to sell maps and
Geospatial Information System data "at not less than the estimated [reproduction] cost," or
allowing agency "to make other disposition of such . . . materials," was not "superseding fee
statute" given discretionary nature of agency's authority to charge fees, and recognizing that
court's decision "may be at odds" with D.C. Circuit's decision in Oglesby, 79 F.3d 1172).
88
See, e.g., Wade, No. 96-0717, slip op. at 2, 6 (D.D.C. Mar. 26, 1998) (approving
assessment of $1300 fee pursuant to National Technical Information Service's superseding
fee statute and noting cost of $210 if processed under FOIA).
89
See OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,017.
90
See Envtl. Prot. Info. Ctr., 432 F.3d at 946, 948 (recognizing FOIA's superseding fee
provision as "exception to the fee waiver provision of FOIA," but stating that statute in
question did not qualify as a superseding fee statute).
91
Compare Oglesby, 79 F.3d at 1178 (refusing to rule on plaintiff's argument that a
superseding fee statute does not exempt agency from making FOIA fee waiver
determination, because plaintiff failed to raise argument in timely manner), and Oglesby v.
U.S. Dep't of the Army, 920 F.2d 57, 70 n.17 (D.C. Cir. 1990) (declining to reach fee waiver
issue because plaintiff failed to exhaust administrative remedies), with Envtl. Prot. Info.
Ctr., 432 F.3d at 946, 948 (recognizing FOIA's superseding fee provision as "exception to
the fee waiver provision of the FOIA"), and St. Hilaire v. DOJ, No. 91-0078, slip op. at 4-5
(D.D.C. Sept. 10, 1991) (avoiding fee waiver issue because requested records were made
publicly available), summary judgment granted to agency, (D.D.C. Mar. 18, 1992), aff'd per
curiam, No. 92-5153 (D.C. Cir. Apr. 28, 1994).
92
See 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(3)(B); Harrington v. DOJ, No. 06-0254, 2007 WL 625853, at *3
(D.D.C. Feb. 27, 2007) (citing agency's regulation that request not deemed received "until
the requester agrees in writing to pay the anticipated total fee"); Hinojosa v. Dep't of
Treasury, No. 06-0215, 2006 WL 2927095, at *4 (D.D.C. Oct. 11, 2006) (stating that request
must comply with FOIA and with agency's requirements, "including a firm promise to pay
applicable processing fees"); Dinsio v. FBI, 445 F. Supp. 2d 305, 311 (W.D.N.Y. 2006)
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
18
Requesters have been found not to have exhausted their administrative remedies when
they fail to satisfy the FOIA's fee requirements,
93
such as failing to file an administrative
appeal of an adverse fee determination
94
or failing to agree to pay estimated fees.
95
(reiterating that requester is required to follow agency rules "for requesting, reviewing and
paying for documents").
93
See, e.g., Trenerry v. IRS, No. 95-5150, 1996 WL 88459, at *2 (10th Cir. Mar. 1, 1996)
(explaining that exhaustion includes payment of FOIA fees); Stuler v. IRS, No. 10-1342,
2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 66942, at *8 (W.D. Pa. June 23, 2011) (declaring that requester has
not exhausted administrative remedies when requester "declines to provide a firm
agreement to pay for, or request a waiver of, fees and costs" and "the process is properly
suspended pending compliance"); Island Film, S.A. v. Dep't of Treasury, 768 F. Supp. 2d
286, 288 (D.D.C. 2011) (holding that "[b]ecause [requester] has not paid, committed to
paying or sought a waiver of . . . fees, [requester] has not exhausted its administrative
remedies"); Godaire v. Napolitano, No. 3:10cv01266, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 122237, at *14-
15 (D. Conn. Nov. 17, 2010) (observing no exhaustion where plaintiff failed to specify a
maximum fee and had not submitted a fee waiver request); Hines v. U.S., 736 F. Supp. 2d
51, 54 (D.D.C. 2010) (dismissing requester's complaint due to failure to exhaust
administrative remedies by not paying assessed fee, not seeking fee waiver, nor filing
administrative appeal); McLaughlin v. DOJ, No. 07-2347, 2009 WL 428925, at *3 (D.D.C.
Feb. 23, 2009) (finding no exhaustion where plaintiff admitted to nonpayment of fees);
Skrzypek v. Dep't of Treasury, 550 F. Supp. 2d 71, 73-74 (D.D.C. 2008) (concluding that
plaintiff had not exhausted administrative remedies when he admitted to not having paid
assessed fees); Antonelli, 555 F. Supp. 2d at 23 (stating "payment or waiver of assessed fees
or an administrative appeal from the denial of a fee waiver request is a prerequisite to filing
a FOIA lawsuit"); Smith, 517 F. Supp. 2d at 455 (finding that because requester's fee waiver
was properly denied, exhaustion by paying fees required prior to seeking judicial review of
agency action); Bansal v. DEA, No. 06-3946, 2007 WL 551515, at *4 (E.D. Pa. Feb. 16, 2007)
(stating "[p]laintiff has failed to exhaust administrative remedies because he has not paid
the required fees"); Dinsio, 445 F. Supp. 2d at 311 (determining that plaintiff was barred
from seeking judicial review due to failure to agree to pay fees). But cf. Wall v. EOUSA, No.
3:09-cv-344, 2010 U. S. Dist. LEXIS 120826 (D. Conn. Nov. 16, 2010) (determining that
plaintiff's initial request for waiver of fees made to appellate authority satisfied requirement
to exhaust).
94
See, e.g., Oglesby, 920 F.2d at 66 & n.11, 71 ("Exhaustion does not occur until the required
fees are paid or an appeal is taken from the refusal to waive fees."); Smith, 517 F. Supp. 2d at
454 (dismissing plaintiff's aggregation claim "because plaintiff did not exhaust this claim at
the administrative level" by appealing agency's determination); Gonzalez v. ATF, No. 04-
2201, 2005 WL 3201009, at *6 (D.D.C. Nov. 9, 2005) (finding that requester's inaction --
i.e., that he never paid assessed fee nor appealed agency's refusal of fee waiver denial --
precludes judicial review of request); Sliney, 2005 WL 3273567, at *4 (reiterating that
where plaintiff neither agreed to pay processing fee nor appealed agency's refusal of his
"'installment' plan" offer, administrative exhaustion had not occurred); Antonelli v. ATF,
No. 04-1108, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17089, at *28 (D.D.C. Aug. 16, 2005) (finding
requester's unsuccessful administrative appeal challenging amount of fee to be insufficient
to satisfy exhaustion requirement); Tinsley v. Comm'r, No. 3:96-1769-P, 1998 WL 59481, at
*4 (N.D. Tex. Feb. 9, 1998) (finding that because plaintiff failed to appeal fee waiver denial,
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
19
Courts, however, have not required exhaustion where an agency has failed in some way
to fully comply with its own regulations or the FOIA statute.
96
A requester's obligation
to comply with the agency's fee requirements does not cease after litigation has been
initiated under the FOIA.
97
(For a further discussion of the exhaustion requirement,
exhaustion was not achieved). But cf. Payne v. Minihan, No. 97-0266, slip op. at 34 n.17
(D.N.M. Apr. 30, 1998) (holding plaintiff was not required to exhaust by appealing fee
waiver denial when requester's right to sue already was perfected on different issue),
summary judgment granted, (D.N.M. Oct. 27, 1999), aff'd, 232 F.3d 902 (10th Cir. 2000)
(unpublished table decision).
95
See Monaghan v. DOJ, No. 2:09-CV-2199, 2011 U. S. Dist. LEXIS 28981, at *5 (D. Nev.
Mar. 16, 2011) (holding that "failure to pay the required fees results in a failure to exhaust . .
. administrative remedies); King v. DOJ, 772 F. Supp. 2d 14, 18 (D.D.C. 2010) (emphasizing
that plaintiff who did not pay fees associated with search and processing of responsive
records had not exhausted administrative remedies); Cnty. of Santa Cruz v. Ctr. for
Medicare and Medicaid Advocacy, No. C-07-2889, 2009 WL 816633, at *1 (N.D. Cal. Mar.
26, 2009) (finding that requester who "failed to pay the full amount of search fees assessed"
by agency had not exhausted administrative remedies); Banks v. DOJ, 605 F. Supp. 2d 131,
139 (D.D.C. 2009) (finding that plaintiff had not exhausted administrative remedies
"because he failed to pay duplication fees"); Research Air, Inc. v. Kempthorne, 589 F. Supp.
2d 1, 10 & n.6 (D.D.C. 2008) (concluding that because requester did not commit to pay
assessed fee, "agency properly refused to process his FOIA requests"); Brunsilius, 514 F.
Supp. 2d at 34 (citing agency regulation allowing agency to treat request as not received
once fees are determined or estimated to exceed $25 until requester agrees to pay fees);
Dale v. IRS, 238 F. Supp. 2d 99, 107 (D.D.C. 2002) (dismissing case because plaintiff failed
to make "firm commitment" to pay fees); cf. Kemmerly v. U.S. Dep't of Interior, No. 06-
2386, 2006 WL 2990122, at *1 (E.D. La. Oct. 17, 2006) (finding requester's agreement to
pay "reasonable fees" to be insufficient under FOIA and agency's implementing regulation);
Hall v. CIA, No. 04-0814, 2005 WL 850379, at *5 n.9 (D.D.C. Apr. 13, 2005) (noting that
although plaintiff characterized agency's six-figure fee estimate as "ludicrous," he sought
neither accounting nor relief from estimated fees from court). But see Hinojosa v. Dep't of
Treasury, No. 06-0215, 2006 WL 2927095, at *4-5 (D.D.C. Oct. 11, 2006) (finding that
requesters' commitment to pay up to $50 per request "appears to satisfy" requirement of
"firm promise" to pay).
96
See, e.g., Hall & Associates v. EPA, 846 F. Supp. 2d 231, 240 (D.D.C. 2012) (finding that
because agency failed to comply with own regulations that require informing requester of
adverse determination concerning assessment of fees, agency's argument that requester had
failed to exhaust administrative remedies was "baseless"); Bansal, 2007 WL 551515, at *6
(E.D. Pa. Feb. 16, 2007) (refusing to grant agency's motion for summary judgment for
failure to pay fees as agency had not shown it had complied with its regulation requiring
notification when fees are estimated to exceed $25); Sliney, 2005 WL 839540, at *4
(characterizing agency's contention that requester failed to exhaust by paying fees as
"disingenuous" where agency failed to notify requester of fee at administrative level as
required by agency fee regulation).
97
See Pollack v. DOJ, 49 F.3d 115, 119-20 (4th Cir. 1995) (providing that commencement of
FOIA action does not relieve requester of obligation to pay for documents); Chaplin v.
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
20
including exhaustion of "fee" issues, see Litigation Considerations, Exhaustion of
Administrative Remedies, below.)
Further, the FOIA contains no provision for reimbursement of fees if the
requester is dissatisfied with the agency's response,
98
nor does it provide for penalties to
be assessed against an agency or its administrators for delays in refunding a requester's
overpayment.
99
In addition, absent specific statutory authority allowing an agency (or a
Stewart, 796 F. Supp. 2d 209, 211 (D.D.C. 2011) (same); Scaff-Martinez v. DEA, 770 F. Supp.
2d 17, 23 (D.D.C. 2011) ((same, citing Trueblood v. U.S. Dep't of Treasury, 943 F. Supp. 64,
68 (D.D.C. 1996))); King, 772 F. Supp. 2d at 18 (same, citing Pollack, 49 F.3d at 120);
Harrington, 2007 WL 625853, at *2 (same); Kemmerly, 2006 WL 2990122, at *2
(emphasizing that whether request for payment is made by agency pre- or post-litigation,
"'the plaintiff has an obligation to pay'" (quoting Trueblood v. U.S. Dep't of the Treasury,
943 F. Supp. 64, 68 (D.D.C. 1996))); Gavin v. SEC, No. 04-4522, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS
75227, at *16 (D. Minn. Oct. 13, 2006) (stating that FOIA fees may be assessed post-
litigation); Hicks, 2006 WL 949918, at *2 (same); Pietrangelo, No. 2:04-CV-44, slip op. at
13 (D. Vt. Mar. 7, 2005) (explaining that constructive exhaustion based on agency's failure
to respond "'did not relieve [requester] of his statutory obligation to pay any and all fees'"
(quoting Pollack, 49 F.3d at 119)); Jeanes, 357 F. Supp. 2d at 123 (observing that although
plaintiff did not receive notice of fees until after litigation ensued, obligation to pay fees
remained); Maydak v. DOJ, 254 F. Supp. 2d 23, 50 (D.D.C. 2003) (noting that plaintiff is
still obligated to pay fee or seek waiver even if agency's fee assessment is made after plaintiff
files suit); Goulding v. IRS, No. 97 C 5628, 1998 WL 325202, at *9 (N.D. Ill. June 8, 1998)
(finding plaintiff's constructive exhaustion did not relieve his obligation to pay authorized
fees), summary judgment granted, No. 97 C 5628 (N.D. Ill. July 30, 1998) (restating that
plaintiff's failure to comply with fee requirements is fatal to claim against government);
Trueblood v. U.S. Dep't of the Treasury, 943 F. Supp. 64, 68 (D.D.C. 1996) (stating even if
request for payment not made until after litigation commences, that fact does not relieve
requester of obligation to pay reasonably assessed fees); cf. Pub. Citizen, Inc. v. Dep't of
Educ., 292 F. Supp. 2d 1, 5 (D.D.C. 2003) (disallowing assessment of fees after litigation
ensued where agency failed to inform requester that fees were in excess of amount to which
it agreed, failed to give notice that fees would exceed $250 as required by regulation, and
failed to address request for fee waiver); Judicial Watch of Fla., Inc. v. DOJ, No. 01-0212,
slip op. at 3 (D.D.C. Oct. 19, 2001) (finding that plaintiff, through its actions, including its
ambiguous response to court's order to notify agency of its intent with regard to payment of
fees, "constructively abandoned its FOIA request").
98
See Stabasefski v. U.S., 919 F. Supp. 1570, 1573 (stating that the FOIA does not provide
for reimbursement of fees when agency redacts portions of records that are released).
99
See Johnson v. EOUSA, No. 98-0729, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6095, at *8 (D.D.C. May 2,
2000) (observing that despite delay in refunding overpayment, FOIA does not provide for
award of damages to requester, nor does delay rise to level of constitutional violation by
agency or its employees), aff'd, 310 F.3d 771 (D.C. Cir. 2002).
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
21
subdivision of it) to do so,
100
all fees collected in the course of providing FOIA services
are to be deposited into the Treasury of the United States.
101
The appropriate standard of judicial review for fee issues has yet to be clearly
established in the decisions that have considered this issue.
102
The majority of courts
that have reviewed fee issues under the FOIA have applied a single review standard (i.e.,
de novo review) to both fee and fee waiver matters, and they have done so with little or
no discussion.
103
As for the scope of the review, courts have limited their review to the
100
See Food and Drug Administration Revitalization Act, Pub. L. No. 101-635, § 201, 104
Stat. 4584 (1990) (codified as amended at 21 U.S.C. § 379f(a)(2) (2006)) (authorizing FDA
to "retain all fees charged for [FOIA] requests").
101
See OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,012, 10,017 (directing that funds collected for
providing FOIA services must be deposited into general revenues of United States and not
into agency accounts).
102
Compare Hall, 2005 WL 850379, at *6 n.10 (acknowledging that there is "some dispute"
as to review standard for fee limitation based on news media status (citing Judicial Watch,
122 F. Supp. 2d 5, 11-12 (applying arbitrary and capricious standard), and Judicial Watch,
Inc. v. DOJ, 133 F. Supp. 2d 52, 53 (D.D.C. 2000) (applying de novo standard))), Crain v.
Customs, No. 02-0341, slip op. at 5 & n.5 (D.D.C. Mar. 25, 2003) (stating that there is
uncertainty within D.C. Circuit as to standard of review regarding fee category status),
Judicial Watch, Inc. v. DOJ, 185 F. Supp. 2d 54, 59 (D.D.C. 2002) (conceding that there is
"some disagreement as to the correct standard" for review of agency's denial of media
status), and Rozet v. HUD, 59 F. Supp. 2d 55, 56 (D.D.C. 1999) (emphasizing that although
denials of fee waiver requests are reviewed de novo, "the appropriate standard of review for
an agency determination of fee status under FOIA . . . has not been decided in this Circuit"),
with Brown v. U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, 445 F. Supp. 2d 1347, 1356 (M.D. Fla. 2006)
(acknowledging some disagreement as to appropriate standard of review for media category
but applying de novo standard "because review under the de novo standard or under some
more deferential standard leads to the same conclusion" in instant case), Elec. Privacy Info.
Ctr. v. DOD, 241 F. Supp. 2d 5, 9 (D.D.C. 2003) (concluding that "[t]he statutory language,
judicial authority, and [FOIA Reform Act's] legislative history . . . support the view that
determinations regarding preferred fee status are reviewed de novo" while acknowledging
that at least one recent court has applied "arbitrary and capricious" standard), and Hosp. &
Physician Publ'g v. DOD, No. 98-CV-4117, 1999 WL 33582100, at *2 (S.D. Ill. June 22,
1999) (stating in single sentence that court review of fee category is de novo, yet citing to
statutory provision for de novo review of fee waivers).
103
See, e.g., Judicial Watch, No. 00-0745, slip op. at 14-15 (D.D.C. Feb. 12, 2001) (applying
de novo standard to both fee category and fee waiver issues); Judicial Watch, 133 F. Supp.
2d at 53 (rejecting government's argument that arbitrary and capricious standard applied to
matter of fee category; undertaking de novo review on both fee and fee waiver issues);
Judicial Watch, Inc. v. DOJ, No. 99-2315, 2000 WL 33724693, at *3-4 (D.D.C. Aug. 17,
2000) (applying de novo standard to fee category and fee waiver issues); cf. Hosp. &
Physician Publ'g, 1999 WL 33582100, at *2 (using de novo standard for media issue,
without discussion).
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
22
administrative record before the agency at the time of its decision.
104
The extent of
judicial deference given to agency fee regulations that are based upon the OMB Fee
Guidelines still remains unclear.
105
Fee Waivers
The fee waiver standard of the Freedom of Information Act
106
provides that fees
should be waived or reduced "if disclosure of the information is in the public interest
because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations
or activities of the government and is not primarily in the commercial interest of the
requester."
107
To implement this standard, the Department of Justice issued fee waiver
policy guidance
108
advising agencies of six analytical factors to be considered in applying
this statutory fee waiver standard.
109
These factors have been referenced and applied by
104
See Stewart v. Dep't. of the Interior, 554 F.3d 1236, 1243 (10th Cir. 2009) (declining, as
did district court, to rely on affidavit submitted by agency because it "was not contained in
the administrative record"); Ctr. for Pub. Integrity v. HHS, No. 06-1818, 2007 WL 2248071,
at *5 & n.3 (D.D.C. Aug. 3, 2007) (limiting administrative record to website pages actually
viewed by agency instead of incorporating requester's entire website as suggested by
plaintiff); Crain, No. 02-0341, slip op. at 7 (D.D.C. Mar. 25, 2003) (stating that "this Court's
review of fee categorization is limited to the record that was before the agency at the time it
made its decision"); Judicial Watch, Inc. v. DOJ, 122 F. Supp. 2d 5, 12 (D.D.C. 2000)
(stating that scope of court's review is limited to administrative record).
105
Compare Media Access Project v. FCC, 883 F.2d 1063, 1071 (D.C. Cir. 1989) (stating that
agency's interpretation of its own fee regulations "must be given at least some deference"),
and Pietrangelo v. U.S. Dep't of the Army, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 46495, at *16 (same)
(quoting Media Access Project, 883 F.2d at 1071), with Judicial Watch, Inc. v. Rossotti, 326
F.3d 1309, 1313 (D.C. Cir. 2003) (emphasizing that court owes "no particular deference to
the [agency's] interpretation of FOIA") (fee waiver case), Physicians Comm. for Responsible
Med. v. HHS, 480 F. Supp. 2d 119, 122 n.3 (D.D.C. 2007) (noting that while no deference
was owed agency's interpretation of FOIA, court would apply agency's regulation because it
was not in controversy and plaintiff had relied upon it in its request) (fee waiver context),
and Inst. for Wildlife Prot. v. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Serv., 290 F. Supp. 2d 1226, 1230 (D. Or.
2003) (stating that court owes no particular deference to agency's interpretation of FOIA
(citing Judicial Watch, 326 F.3d at 1313)).
106
5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(iii) (2006 & Supp. IV 2010).
107
Id.
108
See 5 U.S.C. § 552(e)(6).
109
See FOIA Update, Vol. VIII, No. 1, at 3-10 ("New Fee Waiver Policy Guidance").
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
23
the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit,
110
as well as the Courts of
Appeals for the Ninth
111
and Tenth Circuits.
112
The statutory fee waiver standard contains two basic requirements: the public
interest requirement (consisting of fee waiver factors one through four); and the
requirement that the requester's commercial interest in the disclosure, if any, must be
less than the public interest in disclosure (consisting of fee waiver factors five and six).
113
Both of these statutory requirements must be satisfied
114
before properly assessable fees
110
See Judicial Watch, Inc. v. DOJ, 365 F.3d 1108, 1126 (D.C. Cir. 2004) (stating that "[f]or a
request to be in the 'public interest,' four criteria must be satisfied," citing agency's multi-
factor fee waiver regulation); cf. Judicial Watch, Inc. v. Rossotti, 326 F.3d 1309, 1313-15
(D.C. Cir. 2003) (applying agency's multi-factor public interest test but noting that no
particular deference is owed to agency's interpretation of FOIA) (citation omitted).
111
See Friends of the Coast Fork v. U.S. Dep't of the Interior, 110 F.3d 53, 55 (9th Cir. 1997)
(noting that agency had "promulgated a multi-factor balancing test to assist it in evaluating
the statutory standard"); McClellan Ecological Seepage Situation v. Carlucci, 835 F.2d 1282,
1285-86 (9
th
Cir. 1987) (identifying four public interest factors regarding fee waiver
considerations articulated in Department of Defense FOIA regulations).
112
See Stewart v. U.S. Dep't of the Interior, 554 F.3d 1236, 1242 (10th Cir. 2009) (stating
that agency "established several [fee waiver] criteria that must be met . . . to obtain a fee
waiver").
113
See 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(iii); see also Larson v. CIA, 843 F.2d 1481, 1483 (D.C. Cir.
1988) (per curiam) (recognizing that "fee waiver test provides a two-pronged analysis");
Perkins v. VA, 754 F. Supp. 2d 1, 5 (D.D.C. 2010) (acknowledging two-prong test);
Monaghan v. DOJ, No. 2:09-CV-2199, 2010 U. S. Dist. LEXIS 60310, at *3 (D. Nev. June 17,
2010) (stating "requester may obtain a waiver of fees if he can satisfy a two prong test");
Coven v. OPM, No. CIV-07-1831, 2009 WL 3174423, at *2 (D. Ariz. Sept. 29, 2009) (noting
that "FOIA sets forth a two prong test for determining whether an agency is required to
waive fees"); FedCURE v. Lappin, 602 F. Supp. 2d 197, 201 (D.D.C. 2009) (stating that
statute "prescribes a two-pronged test the requester must satisfy"); Brown, 445 F. Supp. 2d
at 1358 (referencing two-part test used for fee waiver determinations); Inst. for Wildlife
Prot. v. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Serv., 290 F. Supp. 2d 1226, 1228 (D. Or. 2003) (observing that
statute establishes two-part test for fee waiver); Sloman v. DOJ, 832 F. Supp. 63, 68
(S.D.N.Y. 1993) (acknowledging statutory "two-pronged test" to be used for fee waiver
determinations); DOJ Fee Waiver Regulation, 28 C.F.R. § 16.11(k) (2012).
114
See, e.g., Reynolds v. Attorney Gen. of the U.S., 391 F. App'x 45, 46 (2d Cir. Aug. 26,
2010) (declaring that "requester bears the burden of establishing" that he satisfies two-
prong test); Perkins, 754 F. Supp. 2d, at 5 (noting that requester "retains the burden of
satisfying both prongs" of the statutory standard); Ctr. for Medicare Advocacy, Inc. v. HHS,
577 F. Supp. 2d 221, 239 (D.D.C. 2008) (noting that "[c]ourts employ a two part test to
determine whether the requester has satisfied [its] burden"); In Def. of Animals v. NIH, 543
F. Supp. 2d 83, 97 (D.D.C. 2008) (noting that "requester bears the initial burden" of
meeting two-prong statutory test); S.A. Ludsin & Co. v. SBA, No. 96 Civ. 2146, 1997 U.S.
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
24
are waived or reduced, with the requester bearing the burden of showing the statutory
standard is met.
115
Courts have held that requests for a waiver or reduction of fees must
be considered on a case-by-case basis
116
inasmuch as the information sought varies from
request to request.
117
Further, the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
has held that requesters should address both of the statutory requirements in sufficient
detail for the agency to make an informed decision as to whether it can appropriately
waive or reduce the fees in question.
118
If a requester is represented by an attorney, the
Dist. LEXIS 8617, at *10-11 (S.D.N.Y. June 19, 1997) (noting that fee waiver provision
contains two requirements and that requester carries burden of proof on both), summary
affirmance granted, 162 F.3d 1148 (2d Cir. 1998) (unpublished table decision); see also
FOIA Update, Vol. VIII, No. 1, at 4 ("New Fee Waiver Policy Guidance").
115
See, e.g., Monaghan v. FBI, 506 F. App'x 596, 597 (9th Cir. Jan 28, 2013) (acknowledging
that "burden is on the requester to satisfy FOIA’s statutory requirements and the
Department of Justice’s regulatory requirements"); Friends of the Coast Fork, 110 F.3d at 55
(reiterating that "requesters bear the initial burden of satisfying the statutory and regulatory
standards for a fee waiver" (citing McClellan, 835 F.2d at 1284-85)); Wall v. EOUSA, No.
3:09-cv-344, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 120826, at *16 (D. Conn. Nov 16, 2010) (stating that
"burden is on the requester to establish that a fee waiver is warranted"); Clemente v. FBI,
741 F. Supp. 2d 64, 75 (D.D.C. 2010) (noting that "before the agency and before a reviewing
court, the FOIA requester bears the burden of demonstrating" statutory standard is
satisfied); Saldana v. BOP, 715 F. Supp. 2d 10, 20 (D.D.C. 2010) (articulating that "requester
bears the burden of demonstrating that he and his request qualify" for waiver of fees);
Coven, 2009 WL 3174423, at *12 (acknowledging that requester "'bear[s] the initial burden
of satisfying the statutory and regulatory standards for a fee waiver'") (quoting Friends of
the Coast Fork, 110 F.3d, at 55); Brown, 445 F. Supp. 2d at 1354 (stating that requester
"bears the burden of providing information that supports his fee waiver request with the
initial FOIA request"); McQueen v. United States, 264 F. Supp. 2d 502, 524 (S.D. Tex.
2003) (same), aff'd per curiam in pertinent part, 100 F. App'x 964 (5th Cir. 2004); Citizens
Progressive Alliance v. U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, 241 F. Supp. 2d 1342, 1366 (D.N.M.
2002) (same); Anderson v. DEA, No. 93-253, slip op. at 4 (W.D. Pa. May 11, 1995)
(magistrate's recommendation) (stating that burden is on requester to establish fee waiver
standard met), adopted, (W.D. Pa. June 21, 1995).
116
See Media Access Project v. FCC, 883 F.2d 1063, 1065 (D.C. Cir. 1989) (remarking that
any requester may seek waiver of assessed fees on "case-by-case" basis); Nat'l Sec. Archive v.
DOD, 880 F.2d 1381, 1383 (D.C. Cir. 1989) (dictum) (noting that statute provides for fee
waivers on "case-by-case" basis); Nat'l Wildlife Fed'n v. Hamilton, No. 95-017-BU, slip op.
at 2 (D. Mont. July 15, 1996) (same); FOIA Update, Vol. VIII, No. 1, at 6 ("New Fee Waiver
Policy Guidance").
117
See, e.g., Judicial Watch, Inc. v. DOJ, No. 99-2315, 2000 WL 33724693, at *5 (D.D.C.
Aug. 17, 2000) ("Under the FOIA, the analysis focuses on the subject and impact of the
particular disclosure, not the record of the requesting party.").
118
See, e.g., Judicial Watch, 326 F.3d at 1312 (reiterating that requests for fee waivers "must
be made with reasonable specificity . . . and based on more than conclusory allegations")
(quotation marks and internal citations omitted); McClellan, 835 F.2d at 1285 (stating that
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
25
fee waiver showing must be made as to the requester, and not the requester's counsel.
119
To the extent that an agency in its fee waiver analysis does not consider a factor or
factors addressed by the requester in its request, courts generally have construed that
factor as not at issue and thus conceded.
120
When a requester fails to provide sufficient information for the agency to make a
fee waiver decision, the agency may defer consideration of the fee waiver request in
order to ask the requester for necessary supplemental or clarifying information.
121
As
conclusory statements will not support fee waiver request); Saldana, 715 F. Supp. 2d at 21
(holding that conclusory statements regarding public interest do not satisfy the statutory
requirements); In Def. of Animals, 543 F. Supp. 2d at 109 (observing that fee waiver
requests must be reasonably specific and not based on conclusory allegations); Jarvik v.
CIA, 495 F. Supp. 2d 67, 73 (D.D.C. 2007) (stating that requester "must pinpoint the type of
government activity he is investigating"); Prison Legal News v. Lappin, 436 F. Supp. 2d 17,
26 (D.D.C. 2006) (finding that requester had provided reasonable specificity as to how
records about events within agency's facilities would benefit public); McQueen, 264 F. Supp.
2d at 525 (emphasizing that "[c]onclusory statements on their face are insufficient" to prove
entitlement to fee waiver).
119
See Dale v. IRS, 238 F. Supp. 2d 99, 107 (D.D.C. 2002) ("A party's counsel is not the
'requester' for purposes of a fee waiver" request); cf. Trulock v. DOJ, 257 F. Supp. 2d 48, 52
(D.D.C. 2003) (finding that plaintiff failed to exhaust where "blanket" fee waiver request
was submitted to agency in plaintiff's counsel's name, not his own); Uniform Freedom of
Information Act Fee Schedule and Guidelines [hereinafter OMB Fee Guidelines], 52 Fed.
Reg. 10,012, 10,018 (Mar. 27, 1987) (addressing same matter in fee category context).
120
See, e.g., Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Wash. v. U.S. Dep't of Educ., 593 F. Supp.
2d 261, 269-270 (D.D.C. 2009) (noting that by not addressing plaintiff's assertion that its
requests "were not primarily for its commercial interest," defendant conceded point);
Physicians Comm. for Responsible Med. v. HHS, 480 F. Supp. 2d 119, 122 (D.D.C. 2007)
(deciding that because agency did not raise any argument with regard to "commercial
interest prong," plaintiff's commercial interest is not at issue).
121
See, e.g., McClellan, 835 F.2d at 1287 (noting that "[t]he fee waiver statute nowhere
suggests that an agency may not ask for more information if the requester fails to provide
enough"; finding twenty-three questions posed by agency not burdensome); Citizens, 241 F.
Supp. 2d at 1366 (recognizing that agency "is entitled to ask for more information with
regards to a fee waiver request, where the information provided is not sufficient"); see also
FOIA Update, Vol. VIII, No. 1, at 8 & n.5 ("New Fee Waiver Policy Guidance") ("Where not
readily apparent to an agency, requesters should be asked to describe specifically their
qualifications, the nature of their research, the purposes for which they intend to use the
requested information, and their intended means of dissemination to the public"); cf. OMB
Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,018 (specifying same in context of fee issue). But see
Judicial Watch, 326 F.3d at 1315 (concluding that initial request demonstrated with
reasonable specificity requester's eligibility for fee waiver, thus rejecting propriety of
agency's request for additional information).
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
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amended by the OPEN Government Act of 2007,
122
the FOIA expressly provides that an
agency may request additional information from the requester "if necessary to clarify
with the requester issues regarding fee assessment."
123
(For a discussion of when it is
appropriate to make such an inquiry, see Procedural Requirements, Time Limits,
above.)
As an additional threshold matter, agencies analyzing fee waiver requests are not
strictly bound by previous administrative decisions.
124
In order to determine whether the first fee waiver requirement has been met --
i.e., that disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest because it is
likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of government operations or
activities
125
-- agencies should consider the following four factors,
126
collectively referred
to as the "public interest requirement," in sequence:
122
Pub. L. No. 110-175, 121 Stat. 2524 § 6.
123
5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(A)(ii)(II) (2006 & Supp. IV 2010).
124
See, e.g., Judicial Watch, Inc., 2000 WL 33724693, at *5 (noting that requester's "past
record in uncovering information [through use of FOIA] is simply irrelevant"); Judicial
Watch, Inc. v. DOJ, No. 97-2089, slip op. at 14 (D.D.C. July 14, 1998) (finding, in case at
hand, that it was "wholly irrelevant" that requester received fee waivers in other cases);
Dollinger v. USPS, No. 95-CV-6174T, slip op. at 7-8 (W.D.N.Y. Aug. 24, 1995) (concluding
that agency is not bound by previous decision on fee waiver for similar request from same
requester); cf. Judicial Watch, Inc. v. GSA, No. 98-2223, slip op. at 14 (D.D.C. Sept. 25,
2000) (reiterating that although prior judicial recognition of requester's "ability to
disseminate FOIA-disclosed information is not binding," agency should consider requester's
"track record" and reputation for disseminating information).
125
See, e.g., Judicial Watch, 326 F.3d at 1312 (stating that case turns on whether public
interest requirement is met, and noting that agency's implementing regulation included
"non-exclusive list of factors the agency 'shall consider'" (quoting agency's regulation)); S.A.
Ludsin & Co. v. SBA, No. 97-7884, 1998 WL 642416, at *1 (2d Cir. Mar. 26, 1998)
(reiterating that first requirement not met when requester "merely paraphrased" fee waiver
provision); Oglesby v. U.S. Dep't of the Army, 920 F.2d 57, 66 n.11 (D.C. Cir. 1990)
(conclusory statements insufficient to make public interest showing); Ctr. for Biological
Diversity v. OMB, 546 F. Supp. 2d 722, 727 (N.D. Cal. 2008) (finding request was in "the
public interest" and thus qualified for fee waiver where requester established why records
were sought, what it intended to do with them, to whom it would give records, and "the
[subject matter] expertise of [its] membership"); Judicial Watch, Inc. v. DOJ, 122 F. Supp.
2d 5, 9 (D.D.C. 2000) (finding that nonprofit group's "general description of [its]
organizational mission" failed to identify public interest to be served by release of specific
information requested); Sloman, 832 F. Supp. at 68 (finding that public interest
requirement is not met merely by quoting statutory standard).
126
See Judicial Watch, Inc., 365 F.3d at 1126 (D.C. Cir. 2004) (invoking agency's four-factor
fee waiver test, and stating that "[the] four criteria must be satisfied" in order "for a request
to be in the 'public interest'"); Judicial Watch, 326 F.3d at 1312 (applying agency's four-
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
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First, the subject matter of the requested records, in the context of the request,
must specifically concern identifiable "operations or activities of the government."
127
Although in most cases records possessed by a federal agency will meet this threshold,
the records must be sought for their informative value with respect to specifically
identified government operations or activities.
128
However, when a federal agency has
factor analysis of fee waivers, but referring to factors as "non-exclusive list"); Monroe-Bey v.
FBI, No. 11-1915, 2011 WL 4017729, at *3 (D.D.C. Sept 13, 2012) (reiterating that all four
factors must be satisfied for request to be in public interest); Perkins, 754 F. Supp. 2d, at 5
(listing the four factors to be considered under public interest prong); Coven, 2009 WL
3174423, at *13 (adhering to the four-factor test of public interest prong); Clemente, 741 F.
Supp. 2d, at 75 (noting the four factors of public interest prong); In Def. of Animals, 543 F.
Supp. 2d at 108-09 (applying agency's four-factor public interest test set forth in its
regulations); Physicians Comm. for Responsible Med., 480 F. Supp. 2d at 122
(acknowledging defendant's use of four-part regulatory test to determine furtherance of
public interest); Inst. for Wildlife Prot., 290 F. Supp. 2d at 1229 (recognizing that "agency is
to consider [four fee waiver] factors in sequence").
127
5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(iii); see Brown v. U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, 226 F. App'x
866, 869 (11th Cir. 2007) (holding that requester failed to adequately explain how requested
records were "related to the activities and operations" of agency); Oglesby v. DOJ, No. 02-
0603, slip op. at 4 (D.D.C. Sept. 3, 2002) (finding that requester's statement that records
pertaining to him would show "which [of his] activities were of interest to the Government
and what actions it took with respect to them" was conclusory and did not identify "the link
between identifiable government operations and the information requested"); FOIA
Update, Vol. VIII, No. 1, at 6 ("New Fee Waiver Policy Guidance").
128
See, e.g., Monroe-Bey, 2012 WL 4017729, at *4 (holding that agency regulation requires
direct and clear connection to activities and operations of federal government); Wall, 2010
U.S. Dist. LEXIS 120826, at *17-18 (finding plaintiff's "conclusory, and not entirely
comprehensible, allegations of government corruption" insufficient to meet statutory
standard); Saldana, 715 F. Supp. 2d at 21 (noting that "conclusory statement [of public
interest] do not entitle plaintiff to a fee waiver"); Brown, 445 F. Supp. 2d at 1358-59 (finding
that the allegations made in lawsuits brought against agency did not concern operations or
activities of agency); Judicial Watch, Inc. v. Reno, No. 00-0723, 2001 WL 1902811, at *10
(D.D.C. Mar. 30, 2001) (upholding agency's assessment of fees, reasoning that while
agency's response to citizen letters regarding Cuban emigré Elian Gonzales would likely
contribute to understanding of agency actions, incoming citizen letters to agency on that
topic do not), summary judgment granted on other grounds, (D.D.C. Sept. 25, 2001); S.A.
Ludsin, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8617, at *14 (holding that disclosure of appraisals of
government property do not "in any readily apparent way" contribute to public's
understanding of operations or activities of government); Atkin v. EEOC, No. 91-2508, slip
op. at 27-28 (D.N.J. Dec. 4, 1992) (finding requested list of agency attorneys and their bar
affiliations "clearly does not concern identifiable government activities or operations"),
appeal dismissed for failure to timely prosecute sub nom. Atkin v. Kemp, No. 93-5548 (3d
Cir. 1993); Nance v. USPS, No. 91-1183, 1992 WL 23655, at *2 (D.D.C. Jan. 24, 1992)
(reiterating that disclosure of illegally cashed money orders will not contribute significantly
to public understanding of operations of government.
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
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in some manner used records that came into its possession that ordinarily would not in
and of themselves be reflective of the operations of the government, some courts have
found them to concern the operations or activities of the government.
129
Second, in order for the disclosure to be "likely to contribute" to an
understanding of specific government operations or activities, disclosure of the
requested information must be meaningfully informative in relation to the subject
matter of the request.
130
Requests for information that is already in the public domain,
129
See Forest Guardians v. U.S. Dep't of Interior, 416 F.3d 1173, 1178 (10th Cir. 2005)
(finding that lienholder agreements that derived from private transactions have connection
to activities of government where government maintains copies of those records and notifies
submitters of agency actions that "might affect" their value); Schoenman v. FBI, 604 F.
Supp. 2d 174, 192 (D.D.C. 2009) (finding that records that originated outside government
are not "categorically ineligible" for fee waiver when they are "targeted and collected" by
agency); Ctr. for Medicare Advocacy, 577 F. Supp. 2d at 240-41 (finding that although
certain documents sought were "submitted by private parties seeking to do business with
the federal government" they "were reviewed by the agency" as part of its considerations
and thus concern activities of government); Inst. for Wildlife Prot., 290 F. Supp. 2d at 1231
(ordering fee waiver where requested documents consisted of petitions submitted to agency
by outside parties seeking to list particular species as endangered and where requester
"theorized" that such petitions were "likely to contain marginal notes" by agency employees
whose "opinions are often ignored or overturned" by agency personnel of higher authority).
130
5 U.S.C. § 552 (a)(4)(A)(iii); see Monaghan, 506 F. App'x at 598 (finding requester did
not demonstrate "how documents that address 'broad public skepticism' and 'public doubts'
regarding" the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 "are 'meaningfully informative' on
governmental operations or activities"); Carney v. DOJ, 19 F.3d 807, 814 (2d Cir. 1994)
(stating that it is relevant to consider subject matter of fee waiver request); Larson, 843 F.2d
at 1483 (noting that character of information is proper factor to consider); Perkins, 754 F.
Supp. 2d at 6 (noting that where stated goal of FOIA request is to evaluate racial disparities
among federal employees, but requested records do not reveal this information release
cannot contribute to public understanding); Wall, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 120826, at *18
(determining plaintiff failed to demonstrate how request for records concerning himself
would be informative regarding his unsubstantiated allegations of government corruption);
Clemente, 741 F. Supp. 2d at 76 (stating that records revealing "extent to which the FBI
countenances the criminal behavior" of high profile informant would "likely improve the
public's understanding of the FBI's activities); Manley v. Dep't of the Navy, No. 1:07-cv-721,
2008 WL 4326448, at *4 (S.D. Ohio Sept. 22, 2008) (quoting with approval agency's
regulation requiring "assessment of the 'the substantive content of the record . . . to
determine whether disclosure is meaningful'"); Klein v. Toupin, No. 05-647, 2006 U.S. Dist.
LEXIS 32478, at *11-12 (D.D.C. May 24, 2006) (reiterating that conclusory and unsupported
assertions of misconduct are not "meaningfully informative" of government operations);
VoteHemp, Inc. v. DEA, 237 F. Supp. 2d 55, 61 (D.D.C. 2002) (rejecting as "rank
speculation" plaintiff's allegations that agency had "ulterior motive" when it published
interpretive rule, thus concluding that plaintiff "failed to establish that the disclosure it
seeks has informative value"); AFGE v. U.S. Dep't of Commerce, 632 F. Supp. 1272, 1278
(D.D.C. 1986) (finding union's allegations of malfeasance to be too ephemeral to warrant
waiver of search fees without further evidence that informative material will be found), aff'd
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
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either in a duplicative or a substantially identical form, or responsive files that consist
largely of routine administrative information in comparison with a limited amount of
substantive information, may not warrant a full fee waiver because the disclosure would
not be likely to contribute to an understanding of government operations or activities
when nothing new or substantive about the agency's activities would be added to the
public's understanding.
131
There is no clear consensus among the courts as to what is
considered information in the public domain for purposes of a fee waiver
determination.
132
on other grounds, 907 F.2d 203 (D.C. Cir. 1990); FOIA Update, Vol. VIII, No. 1, at 6 ("New
Fee Waiver Policy Guidance"). But see Schoenman, 604 F. Supp. 2d at 191 (finding
persuasive observation of D.C. Circuit that "'the presence of administrative material within
files that also contain substantive documents does not justify charging fees for the non-
substantive clutter'" (quoting Campbell v. DOJ, 164 F.3d 20, 36 (D.C. Cir. 1998))); cf.
Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Wash. v. HHS, 481 F. Supp. 2d 99, 112 (D.D.C. 2006)
(considering agency's characterization of agency contracts sought by requesters as of
"routine administrative nature" irrelevant where public interest in understanding such
agency activities demonstrated).
131
See Monaghan, 506 F. App'x at 598 (affirming district court's dismissal of requester's
challenge to fee waiver denial and observing that requester did not challenge that "portions
of the responsive documents have previously been released to the public" and finding that
their "prior availability makes them unlikely to contribute to public understanding");
Judicial Watch, Inc., 365 F.3d at 1127 (upholding denial of "blanket fee waiver,"
emphasizing that plaintiff failed to counter government's representations that requested
information "was already in the public domain"); Sierra Club Legal Def. Fund, No. 93-
35383, slip op. at 4 (9th Cir. Aug. 29, 1994) (determining that plaintiff failed to explain "how
its work would add anything to 'public understanding'" where requested material already
widely disseminated and publicized); Carney, 19 F.3d at 815 (observing that where records
"are readily available from other sources . . . further disclosure by the agency will not
significantly contribute to the public's understanding"); McClellan, 835 F.2d at 1286
(recognizing new information has more potential to contribute to public understanding);
Coven, 2009 WL 3174423, at *13 (agreeing with agency's fee waiver denial and puzzling over
how request for job vacancy data already provided by agency on own website could
contribute to public understanding); Bansal v. DEA, No. 06-3946, 2007 WL 551515, at *5
(E.D. Pa. Feb. 16, 2007) (observing that allegations that records sought '"are proof of
corrupt government practices'" to support fee waiver were raised during requester's
criminal prosecution and thus are "already on the public record"); Brown, 445 F. Supp. 2d
at 1359-60 (applying agency regulation that specified that "'disclosure of information that
already is in the public domain,'" such as that found "in open records and available to the
public in court documents "would not be likely to contribute" to public understanding);
Sloman, 832 F. Supp. at 68 (stating that public's understanding would not be enhanced to
significant extent where material was previously released to other writers and "more
important[ly]" was available in agency's public reading room "where the public has access
and has used the information extensively").
132
See Schrecker v. DOJ, 970 F. Supp. 49, 51 n.3 (D.D.C. 1997) ("The fact that some of the
information is available in the FBI reading room does not necessarily render it public
domain." (citing Fitzgibbon v. AID, 724 F. Supp. 1048 (D.D.C. 1989))); cf. Manley, 2008 WL
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
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Third, the disclosure must contribute to "public understanding"
133
as opposed to
the individual understanding of the requester or a narrow segment of interested
persons.
134
A few courts have found prisoners to be the "public" within the meaning of
the FOIA.
135
Only one case has directly addressed the issue of whether the "public"
4326448, at *4 (recognizing that "extent to which the information already exists in the
public domain is relevant in assessing [factor two]," but finding that defendant had failed to
substantiate that requested information in this instance was publicly available). Compare
Judicial Watch, 2001 WL 1902811, at *10 (sustaining agency's assessment of fees for
duplication of court documents, press clippings, and citizen letters where material was
"'easily accessible and available to everyone else for a fee'" (quoting Durham v. DOJ, 829 F.
Supp. 428, 434-35 (D.D.C. 1993))), and Durham, 829 F. Supp. at 434-35 (denying fee
waiver for 2340 pages of public court records), appeal dismissed for failure to timely file,
No. 93-5354 (D.C. Cir. Nov. 29, 1994), with Friends of the Coast Fork, 110 F.3d at 55 (9th
Cir. 1997) (holding that availability in agency's public reading room alone does not justify
denial of fee waiver), Carney, 19 F.3d at 815 (finding that mere fact records released to
others does not mean same information is readily available to public), and In Def. of
Animals, 543 F. Supp. 2d at 111 (commenting that courts "have been reluctant to treat
information that is technically available, through a reading room or upon a FOIA request, as
part of the public domain").
133
5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(iii); see FOIA Update, Vol. VIII, No. 1, at 7-8 ("New Fee Waiver
Policy Guidance").
134
See Forest Guardians, 416 F.3d at 1179 (emphasizing that "FOIA fee waivers are limited
to disclosures that enlighten more than just the individual requester"); Carney, 19 F.3d at
814 (observing that relevant inquiry is "whether the requester will disseminate the disclosed
records to a reasonably broad audience of persons interested in the subject"); Cmty. Legal
Servs., Inc. v. HUD, 405 F. Supp. 2d 553, 557 (E.D. Pa. 2005) (acknowledging that while
requester's limited dissemination methods are unlikely to reach general audience "there is a
segment of the public interested in [requester's] work"); Citizens, 241 F. Supp. 2d at 1367
(holding that requester's intent to release information obtained "to the media is not
sufficient to demonstrate that disclosure would contribute significantly to public
understanding"); Judicial Watch, Inc. v. DOJ, 185 F. Supp. 2d 54, 62 (D.D.C. 2002) (stating
that requester must show that disclosure will contribute to understanding of "reasonably
broad audience of persons"); Fazzini v. DOJ, No. 90-C-3303, 1991 WL 74649, at *5 (N.D. Ill.
May 2, 1991) (finding that requester cannot establish public benefit merely by alleging he
has "corresponded" with members of media and intends to share requested information
with them), summary affirmance granted, No. 91-2219 (7th Cir. July 26, 1991).
135
See FedCURE, 602 F. Supp. 2d at 202-03 (rejecting agency's "small audience" argument,
finding that plaintiff's dissemination to "federal inmates, their families and others,"
constitutes "sufficiently broad audience" interested in subject); Ortloff v. DOJ, No. 98-2819,
slip op. at 21 (D.D.C. Mar. 22, 2002) (stressing that to qualify for fee waiver, requester's
ability to disseminate information "to the general public, or even to a limited segment of the
public such as prisoners" must be demonstrated); Linn v. DOJ, No. 92-1406, 1995 WL
631847, at *14 (D.D.C. Aug. 22, 1995) (rejecting agency's position that dissemination to
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
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encompasses only the population of the United States.
136
In that case the court held that
disclosure to a foreign news syndicate that published only in Canada satisfied the
requirement that it contribute to "public understanding."
137
Courts have held that because the proper focus must be on the benefit to be
derived by the public, any personal benefit to be derived by the requester, or the
requester's particular financial situation, are not considerations entitling him or her to a
fee waiver.
138
Indeed, it is well settled that indigence alone, without a showing of a
public benefit, is insufficient to warrant a fee waiver.
139
prison population is not to public at large; statute makes no distinction between
incarcerated and nonincarcerated public).
136
See Southam News v. INS, 674 F. Supp. 881 (D.D.C. 1987).
137
Id. at 892-93; cf. Edmonds Inst. v. U.S. Dep't of Interior, 460 F. Supp. 2d 63, 74 n.7
(D.D.C. 2006) (refraining from addressing agency's claim that meaning of "public" for fee
waiver purposes "does not include members of the international community" given that
there were sufficient number of U.S.-based organizations involved in supporting request
before agency).
138
See, e.g., Carney, 19 F.3d at 816 (finding fee waiver inappropriate for portion of
responsive records that concerned processing of plaintiff's own FOIA requests); McClain v.
DOJ, 13 F.3d 220, 220-21 (7th Cir. 1993) (stating that fee waiver not merited when
requester sought to serve private interest rather than "public understanding of operations or
activities of the government"); Ferrigno v. DHS, No. 09 civ. 5878, 2011 WL 1345168, at *6
(S.D.N.Y. Mar. 29, 2011) (holding that private benefit outweighed public interest where
"request for . . . emails seems to be . . . an attempt to continue [an] investigation and settle
old scores"); Banks v. DOJ, 605 F. Supp. 2d 131, 139 (D.D.C. 2009) (finding that individual's
"attack on a criminal conviction is a private interest"); Cotton v. Stine, No. 6:07-98, 2008
U.S. Dist. LEXIS 93149, at *1-2 (E.D. Ky. Nov. 14, 2008) (finding no indication of public
benefit where prisoner sought fee waiver for papers lost during his transfer to another
facility); Bansal, 2007 WL 551515, at *5 (observing that records needed to perfect appeal of
requester's criminal conviction "primarily serves his own interests"); Klein, 2006 U.S. Dist.
LEXIS 32478, at *12 (finding that plaintiff presented no evidence to show how records
related to his suspension from practice before agency "would benefit anyone other than
himself"); McQueen, 264 F. Supp. 2d at 525 (acknowledging that although plaintiff asserted
more than one basis in support of fee waiver, his "primary purposes" served private
interests and disqualified him on that basis alone); Mells v. IRS, No. 99-2030, 2002 U.S.
Dist. LEXIS 24275, at *10 (D.D.C. Nov. 21, 2002) (noting that requester's reasons for fee
waiver were "overwhelmingly personal in nature" where he claimed that disclosure "would
yield exculpatory evidence pertaining to his criminal conviction"). But see Johnson v. DOJ,
No. 89-2842, slip op. at 3 (D.D.C. May 2, 1990) (stressing that death-row prisoner seeking
previously unreleased and possibly exculpatory information was entitled to partial fee
waiver on rationale that potential "miscarriage of justice . . . is a matter of great public
interest"), summary judgment granted, 758 F. Supp. 2, 5 (D.D.C. 1991) (holding that,
ultimately, FBI not required to review records or forego FOIA exemption for possibly
exculpatory information); see also Pederson v. RTC, 847 F. Supp. 851, 856 (D. Colo. 1994)
(concluding that requester's personal interest in disclosure of requested information did not
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
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Additionally, agencies should evaluate the identity and qualifications of the
requester -- e.g., his or her expertise in the subject area of the request and ability and
intention to disseminate the information to the public -- in order to determine whether
the public would benefit from disclosure to that requester.
140
Specialized knowledge
undercut fee waiver request when requester established existence of concurrent public
interest).
139
See, e.g., Reynolds, 391 F. App'x at 46 (upholding district court's denial of fee waiver
request, noting that requester "argued only that he should be granted the waiver because he
could not afford the fees"); Brunsilius v. DOE, No. 07-5362, 2008 U.S. App. LEXIS 15314, at
*2 (D.C. Cir. July 16, 2008) (per curiam) (emphasizing that "[a]ppellant's indigence and his
private litigation interest are not valid bases for waiving fees under FOIA"); Ely v. USPS, 753
F.2d 163, 165 (D.C. Cir. 1985) ("Congress rejected a fee waiver provision for indigents.");
Cotton, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 93149, at *1-2 (reiterating that Congress has "rejected a fee
waiver provision for indigents" and that fee waiver denials for records on self "will be upheld
despite requester's indigence"); Bansal, 2007 WL 551515, at *6 (finding "no special
provision" in statute for "reduced fees based on indigence or incarcerated status");
Rodriguez-Estrada v. United States, No. 92-2360, slip op. at 2 (D.D.C. Apr. 16, 1993)
(explaining no entitlement to fee waiver on basis of in forma pauperis status under
28 U.S.C. § 1915 (2000)); see also S. Conf. Rep. No. 93-1200, at 8 (1974), reprinted in 1974
U.S.C.C.A.N. 6285, 6287 (proposed fee waiver provision for indigents eliminated; "such
matters are properly the subject for individual agency determination in regulations"); cf.
Banks, 605 F. Supp. 2d at 137 (distinguishing between in forma pauperis status for civil
filings and obligation to pay fees for FOIA requests); Emory v. HUD, No. 05-00671, 2007
WL 641406, at *4 (D. Haw. Feb. 23, 2007) (stating that order granting in forma pauperis
status is not waiver of FOIA fee requirement in agency regulation).
140
Compare Monaghan, 506 F. App'x at 598 (holding that publication on "sub blog . . . not
easily accessible through a general searches conducted on common search engines" does not
demonstrate ability to effectively disseminate information); Brunsilius, 2008 U.S. App.
LEXIS 15314, at *2 (finding no entitlement to fee waiver where plaintiff failed to
"demonstrate his ability to disseminate . . . to the general public"), Brown, 226 F. App'x at
868-69 (determining that requester's stated purpose of his website, its traffic, and attention
it has received "do not establish that he . . . disseminates news to the public at large"),
McClain, 13 F.3d at 221 (stating that fee waiver must be assessed in light of identity and
objectives of requester), Larson, 843 F.2d at 1483 & n.5 (holding that inability to
disseminate information alone is sufficient basis for denying fee waiver request; requester
cannot rely on tenuous link to newspaper to establish dissemination where administrative
record "failed to identify the newspaper company to which he intended to release the
requested information, his purpose for seeking the requested material, or his . . . contacts
with any major newspaper companies"), Ferrigno, 2011 WL 1345168, at *6 (finding that
requester "has not even argued that he has an intention of disseminating the [requested]
emails to the public, much less demonstrated his ability to do so"), Perkins, 754 F. Supp. 2d
at 8 (concluding that lack of "professional or personal contacts" at newspaper and no
"history of publishing in it" does not "lend credence to [requester's] statement of
intention"), Hall v. CIA, No. 04-0814, 2005 WL 850379, at *7 (D.D.C. Apr. 13, 2005)
(viewing requester's statement that he "'makes pertinent information available to
newspapers and magazines' . . . [as] exactly the kind of vague statement that will preclude a
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
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may be required to extract, synthesize, and effectively convey the information to the
public, and courts have taken that into account in making fee waiver determinations.
141
fee waiver"), subsequent opinion, No. 04-0814, 2006 WL 197462 (D.D.C. Jan. 25, 2006),
Citizens, 241 F. Supp. 2d at 1366 (stating that when applying fee waiver standard, it is
relevant to consider ability of requester to disseminate information), and Anderson, No. 93-
253, slip op. at 4 (W.D. Pa. May 11, 1995) (finding requester's inability to disseminate fatal
to fee waiver), with Forest Guardians, 416 F.3d at 1180 (finding requester's publication of
online newsletter and its intent to create interactive website using requested records,
"[a]mong other things," to be sufficient for dissemination purposes), Judicial Watch, 326
F.3d at 1314 (granting fee waiver where requester did not specifically state its intent to
disseminate requested information but had presented multiple ways in which it could
convey information to public), Carney, 19 F.3d at 814-15 (characterizing dissemination
requirement as ability to reach "a reasonably broad audience of persons interested in the
subject" and not need to "reach a broad cross-section of the public"), Friends of Oceano
Dunes v. Salazar, No. C-11-1476, 2011 WL 6748575, at *3 (N.D. Cal. Dec. 22, 2011) (finding
that non-profit organization satisfied dissemination requirement by highlighting its
"insight, guidance and [provision of] information on issues of import" and emphasizing how
disclosure "may impact recreational opportunities for its 28,000 members"), Clemente, 741
F. Supp. 2d at 76-77 (lauding plaintiff's ability to initiate "article about her FOIA request in a
very prominent national newspaper" as clear evidence of her ability to disseminate),
Manley, 2008 WL 4326448, at *6 (noting that requester must demonstrate ability to
"'disseminate the disclosed records to a reasonably broad audience of persons interested in
the subject'") (quoting Carney, 19 F.3d at 815), Consumers' Checkbook v. HHS, 502 F. Supp.
2d 79, 87-88 (D.D.C. 2007) (determining requester's dissemination plan adequate where
requester had broad base of subscribers for its publication, coverage of its press releases by
"numerous major media outlets," and ongoing relationship with local television station),
Cmty. Legal Servs., 405 F. Supp. 2d at 557 n.3 (noting that agency's demand for "detailed
numbers" with regard to requester's dissemination plan is not required by at least three
other courts), W. Watersheds Project v. Brown, 318 F. Supp. 2d 1036, 1040-41 (D. Idaho
2004) (concluding that requester had adequately demonstrated its intent and ability "to
reach a large audience" through multiple means including its regular newsletter, radio and
newspapers, website, presentations to diverse groups, and participation in conferences and
nationwide public events, and Eagle v. U.S. Dep't of Commerce, No. C-01-20591, 2003 WL
21402534, at *3, *5 (N.D. Cal. Apr. 28, 2003) (finding that educator-requester made
adequate showing of his ability to disseminate through his proposed distribution of
newsletter to Congress, through publication in academic journals, and through publication
on website).
141
See McClellan, 835 F.2d at 1286 (affirming fee waiver denial and observing that fee
waiver request gave no indication of requesters' ability to understand and process
information nor whether they intended to actually disseminate it); Friends of Oceano
Dunes, 2011 WL 6748575, at *5 (granting fee waiver and observing that requester hired an
attorney with "experience dealing with . . . critical habitat designations" and board members
have experience analyzing conservation programs); Perkins, 754 F. Supp. 2d, at 8 (denying
fee waiver and noting that although plaintiff had contacted university for assistance "he fails
to indicate that the [s]chool has agreed to assist him"); S. Utah Wilderness Alliance v. U.S.
Bureau of Land Mgmt., 402 F. Supp. 2d 82, 87 (D.D.C. 2005) (granting fee waiver and
finding that requester's past publication history in area of cultural resources, its recent
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
34
Although courts have found that representatives of the news media, as defined by
the FOIA,
142
are not "automatically" entitled to a fee waiver
143
they are generally able to
meet this aspect of the statutory requirement by showing their ability to disseminate
information.
144
(For a further discussion of news media requesters as defined by the
OPEN Government Act, see Fee and Fee Waivers, Fees, Requester Categories, above.)
Additionally in this regard, while nonprofit organizations and public interest groups
often are capable of disseminating information, they do not automatically qualify for fee
waivers; rather courts likewise have held that they must, like any requester, meet the
statutory requirements to qualify for a waiver of fees.
145
report on related issues, and its periodic comments to federal agencies on same were
sufficient to establish for fee waiver purposes its expertise in "analyzing and disseminating
records"); W. Watersheds, 318 F. Supp. 2d at 1038, 1040 (granting fee waiver and accepting
requester's statement that it could put requested ecological information -- characterized by
requester as "tedious to read and difficult to understand" -- into more user-friendly format
given its past analysis of similar information, and noting there was no evidence in record
demonstrating that "the information requested was highly technical"); Eagle, 2003 WL
21402534, at *5 (granting fee waiver and emphasizing that agency ignored educational
institution requester's intent to review, evaluate, synthesize, and present "the otherwise raw
information into a more usable form"); S.A. Ludsin, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8617, at *16
(denying fee waiver and finding requester's intention to make raw appraisal data available
on computer network, without analysis, to be insufficient to meet public interest
requirement); see also FOIA Update, Vol. VIII, No. 1, at 7 ("New Fee Waiver Policy
Guidance"). But see FedCURE, 602 F. Supp. 2d at 205 (granting fee waiver and explaining
that any dissemination of "highly technical" information where none is currently available,
"regardless of [requester's] plan for interpreting the information," will enhance public's
understanding of it).
142
5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(ii)(III).
143
See McClain,13 F.3d at 221 (dictum) (concluding that status as newspaper or nonprofit
institution does not lead to automatic waiver of fee); Hall, 2005 WL 850379, at *7 n.13
(noting that qualification as news media entity "would not automatically" entitle requester
to public interest fee waiver).
144
See FOIA Update, Vol. VIII, No. 1, at 8 & n.5 ("New Fee Waiver Policy Guidance"); see
also Oglesby, No. 02-0603, slip op. at 5 (D.D.C. Sept. 3, 2002) (reiterating that member of
news media presumptively meets dissemination factor).
145
See Forest Guardians, 416 F.3d at 1178 (reiterating that public interest groups "must still
satisfy the statutory standard to obtain a fee waiver"); Sierra Club Legal Def. Fund, No. 93-
35383, slip op. at 4 (9th Cir. Aug. 29, 1994) (explaining that status as public interest law
firm does not entitle requester to fee waiver); McClain, 13 F.3d at 221 (stating that status as
newspaper or nonprofit institution does not lead to "automatic" waiver of fee); McClellan,
835 F.2d at 1284 (stating that legislative history makes plain that "public interest" groups
must satisfy statutory test); Friends of Oceano Dunes, 2011 WL 6748575, at *2 (reiterating
that non-profit status is not automatic entitlement to fee waiver); VoteHemp, 237 F. Supp.
2d at 59 (explaining that nonprofit status "does not relieve [the requester] of its obligation
to satisfy the statutory requirements for a fee waiver"); Nat'l Wildlife Fed'n, No. 95-017-BU,
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
35
Some courts have found that requesters who make no showing of how the
information would be disseminated, other than through passively making it available to
anyone who might seek access to it, do not meet the burden of demonstrating with
particularity that the information will be communicated to the public.
146
Fourth, the disclosure must contribute "significantly" to public understanding of
government operations or activities.
147
To warrant a waiver or reduction of fees, the
public's understanding of the subject matter in question, as compared to the level of
public understanding existing prior to the disclosure, must be likely to be enhanced by
slip op. at 3-4 (D. Mont. July 15, 1996) (finding that public interest groups must satisfy
statutory test and that requester does not qualify for fee waiver by "basically" relying on its
status "as one of the nation's largest" conservation organizations).
146
See, e.g., Van Fripp v. Parks, No. 97-0159, slip op. at 12 (D.D.C. Mar. 16, 2000)
(emphasizing that placement in library amounts to, "at best, a passive method of
distribution" that does not establish entitlement to fee waiver); Klamath Water Users
Protective Ass'n, No. 96-3077, slip op. at 47 (D. Or. June 19, 1997) (finding placement in
library insufficient in itself to establish entitlement to fee waiver); see also FOIA Update,
Vol. VIII, No. 1, at 8 ("New Fee Waiver Policy Guidance") (advising agencies that such
requests should be analyzed to identify particular person or persons who actually will use
requested information in scholarly or other analytic work and then disseminate it to general
public).
147
See 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(iii); see also Stewart, 554 F.3d at 1244 (denying fee waiver
where plaintiffs failed to demonstrate how search for documents not yet known to exist
would "reveal additional or different information" than that already provided, stating that
court could not determine "how such information would 'contribute significantly to public
understanding'"); Brown, 226 F. App'x at 869 (finding that requester failed to explain how
disclosure would be "likely to contribute significantly to public understanding");
Venkataram v. OIP, No. 09-6520, 2011 WL 4120438, at *3 (D.N.J. Sept. 18, 2012) (finding
disclosure of records regarding co-conspirator "would benefit plaintiff and not contribute
significantly to public understanding"); Perkins, 754 F. Supp. 2d at 8 (explaining that where
requester has failed to establish contribution to understanding of government operations
under factor two, he cannot therefore "establish that disclosure will significantly increase
such understanding" under factor four); Natural Res. Def. Council v. EPA, 581 F. Supp. 2d
491, 501 (S.D.N.Y. 2008) (stating that public's understanding of agency's decision-making
"will be significantly enhanced by learning about the nature and scope of [agency]
communications with commercial interests"; no allegation of agency impropriety by
requester necessary); Bansal, 2007 WL 551515, at *5 (noting that records needed to perfect
appeal of requester's criminal conviction insufficient basis on which to conclude that
disclosure would contribute significantly to public understanding of government
operations); FOIA Update, Vol. VIII, No. 1, at 8 ("New Fee Waiver Policy Guidance"); cf.
Cmty. Legal Servs., 405 F. Supp. 2d at 558-59 (while observing that neither statute nor
agency's regulation provided guidance on "what constitutes a 'significant' contribution,"
other courts have considered "current availability" and "newness of information sought"
under this factor).
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
36
the disclosure to a significant extent.
148
Such a determination must be an objective one;
agencies are not permitted to make separate value judgments as to whether any
information that would in fact contribute significantly to public understanding of
government operations or activities is "important" enough to be made public.
149
Once an agency determines that the "public interest" requirement for a fee waiver
has been met -- through its consideration of fee waiver factors one through four -- the
statutory standard's second requirement calls for the agency to determine whether
148
See Sierra Club Legal Def. Fund, No. 93-35383, slip op. at 4 (9th Cir. Aug. 29, 1994)
(concluding that requester failed to explain how disclosure to it "would add anything to
'public understanding' in light of vast amount of material already disseminated and
publicized"); Carney, 19 F.3d at 815 (observing that when requested records are readily
available from other sources, further disclosure will not significantly contribute to public
understanding); Coven, 2009 WL 3174423, at *14 (recognizing that given availability of job
vacancy information on agency's own website, release of job vacancy records to plaintiff will
not significantly contribute to public understanding); FedCURE, 602 F. Supp. 2d at 205
(explaining that any dissemination of "highly technical" information where none is currently
available, will significantly enhance public's understanding of it); McDade v. EOUSA, No.
03-1946, slip op. at 9 (D.D.C. Sept. 29, 2004) (paraphrasing with approval agency's
regulation that provides that "public's understanding of the subject after disclosure must be
enhanced significantly when compared to level of public understanding prior to
disclosure"), summary affirmance granted to agency, No. 04-5378, 2005 U.S. App. LEXIS
15259, at *1 (D.C. Cir. July 25, 2005); W. Watersheds, 318 F. Supp. 2d at 1039 n.2 (finding
that significance factor was met where requester's statements that information sought either
was not readily available or had never been provided to public were not contradicted in
administrative record by agency); Judicial Watch, 185 F. Supp. 2d at 62 (finding that
plaintiff failed to describe with specificity how disclosure of "these particular documents will
'enhance' public understanding 'to a significant extent'"); FOIA Update, Vol. VIII, No. 1, at 8
("New Fee Waiver Policy Guidance"); cf. Forest Guardians, 416 F.3d at 1181-82
(acknowledging that significance of contribution to be made by "release of the records" at
issue "is concededly a close question," and finding that requester "should get the benefit of
the doubt" and therefore is entitled to fee waiver); Cmty. Legal Servs., 405 F. Supp. 2d at
559 (finding that extent to which requested information already is available, its newness,
and whether request is pretext for discovery all were proper considerations in applying
"significance factor" where agency's regulation did not address statutory provision);
Pederson, 847 F. Supp. at 855 (finding that despite requesters' failure to specifically assert
such significance, widespread media attention referenced in appeal letter sufficient to
demonstrate information's significant contribution to public understanding).
149
See FOIA Update, Vol. VIII, No. 1, at 8 ("New Fee Waiver Policy Guidance"); see also 132
Cong. Rec. S14,298 (daily ed. Sept. 30, 1986) (statement of Sen. Leahy) (emphasizing that
agencies should administer fee waiver provision in "an objective manner and should not rely
on their own, subjective view as to the value of the information"); cf. Cmty. Legal Servs., 405
F. Supp. 2d at 560 (finding that agency's inference that requester's use of "information in
advising clients suggests a litigious motive" was speculative given that requester's services
include counseling as well as litigation and there was no evidence of any pending lawsuits
against agency).
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
37
"disclosure of the information . . . is not primarily in the commercial interest of the
requester."
150
In order to decide whether this requirement has been satisfied, agencies
should consider the final two fee waiver factors -- factors five and six -- in sequence:
To apply the fifth factor an agency must next determine as a threshold matter
whether the request involves any "commercial interest of the requester" which would be
furthered by the disclosure.
151
A commercial interest is one that furthers a commercial,
trade, or profit interest as those terms are commonly understood.
152
Information sought
in furtherance of a tort claim for compensation or retribution for the requester is not
considered to involve a "commercial interest."
153
Furthermore, not only profit-making
corporations but also individuals or other organizations may have a commercial interest
to be furthered by disclosure, depending upon the circumstances involved, in particular
"the use to which [the requester] will put the information obtained."
154
Agencies may
properly consider the requester's identity and the circumstances surrounding the
150
5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(iii).
151
Id.; see FOIA Update, Vol. VIII, No. 1, at 9 ("New Fee Waiver Policy Guidance")
(discussing analysis that is required to determine whether requester has commercial
interest); see also VoteHemp, 237 F. Supp. 2d at 64 (citing to agency's regulation and noting
that "agencies are instructed to consider 'the existence and magnitude' of a commercial
interest").
152
See OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,017-18 (defining "commercial interest"); cf.
Am. Airlines, Inc. v. Nat'l Mediation Bd., 588 F.2d 863, 870 (2d Cir. 1978) (defining term
"commercial" in Exemption 4 as meaning anything "pertaining or relating to or dealing with
commerce").
153
See McClellan, 835 F.2d at 1285; Martinez v. SSA, No. 07-cv-01156, 2008 WL 486027, at
*4 (D. Colo. Feb. 18, 2008) (restating that "claims for damages do not constitute
commercial interest . . . when grounded in tort"); cf. Detroit Free Press, Inc. v. DOJ, 73 F.3d
93, 98 (6th Cir. 1996) (stating, in context of attorney fees, that "'news interests should not
be considered commercial interests'" when examining commercial benefit to requester
(quoting Fenster v. Brown, 617 F.2d 740, 742 n.4 (D.C. Cir. 1979))).
154
OMB Fee Guidelines, 52 Fed. Reg. at 10,013; see FOIA Update, Vol. VIII, No. 1, at 9-10
("New Fee Waiver Policy Guidance"); see also Kemmerly v. U.S. Dep't of Interior, No. 07-
9794, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 75622, at *13 (E.D. La. July 26, 2010) (acknowledging plaintiff
was correct when he "recognized that he would be ineligible for a fee waiver" because
requested data would be used for commercial purpose); Research Air, Inc. v. Kempthorne,
589 F. Supp. 2d 1, 2, 10 (D.D.C. 2008) (finding that records pertaining to aircraft incident
involving requester, who was president and sole owner of corporate plaintiff, would benefit
his commercial interests); VoteHemp, 237 F. Supp. 2d at 65 (concluding that nonprofit
organization, as advocate for free market in controlled substance, had commercial interest
in requested records); cf. Critical Mass Energy Project v. NRC, 830 F.2d 278, 281 (D.C. Cir.
1987) (recognizing that entity's "non-profit status is not determinative" of commercial
status) (Exemption 4 case).
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
38
request and draw reasonable inferences regarding the existence of a commercial
interest.
155
When a commercial interest is found to exist and that interest would be furthered
by the requested disclosure, an agency must assess the magnitude of such interest in
order subsequently to compare it to the "public interest" in disclosure.
156
In assessing
the magnitude of the commercial interest, the agency should reasonably consider the
extent to which the FOIA disclosure will serve the requester's identified commercial
interest.
157
Lastly the agency must balance the requester's commercial interest against the
identified public interest in disclosure and determine which interest is "primary."
158
A
fee waiver or reduction must be granted when the public interest in disclosure is greater
in magnitude than the requester's commercial interest.
159
155
See FOIA Update, Vol. VIII, No. 1, at 9 ("New Fee Waiver Policy Guidance"); see also
Martinez, 2008 WL 486027, at *3-4 (analyzing class action representatives' commercial
interest in records regarding amount paid by federal government to state government as
reimbursement to class members, to include legal fees awarded to members, and concluding
that it did not constitute "an interest in commerce, trade or profit"); VoteHemp, 237 F.
Supp. 2d at 65 (reiterating defendants' argument that plaintiff's website had "direct links to
the websites of companies that sell hemp products" and solicit donations to "the 'industry's
legal effort,'" and concluding that "plaintiff has a commercial interest in the information it is
seeking"); cf. Tax Analysts v. DOJ, 965 F.2d 1092, 1096 (D.C. Cir. 1992) (clarifying that in
context of attorney fees, status of requester as news organization does not "render[]
irrelevant the news organization's other interests in the information").
156
See FOIA Update, Vol. VIII, No. 1, at 9 ("New Fee Waiver Policy Guidance").
157
See id.; see also VoteHemp,, 237 F. Supp. 2d at 65 ("A review of plaintiff's website pages
demonstrates that indeed it has a commercial interest in the information it is seeking to
obtain.").
158
See 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(iii) (providing that disclosure cannot be "primarily in the
commercial interest of the requester"); see Research Air, Inc., 589 F. Supp. 2d at 3, 10
(finding that requester's use of documents to challenge suspension of pilot's card was
"primarily to benefit [requester's] commercial interests"); VoteHemp, 237 F. Supp. 2d at 65-
66 (noting that agency "should consider the 'primary interest in disclosure,'" and concluding
that while "'[t]he private, commercial benefit to [requester] is clear[, t]he public benefit,
however, is not'" (quoting S.A. Ludsin & Co. v. SBA, No. 96-2146, 1997 WL 337469, at *7
(S.D.N.Y. June 19, 1997))); FOIA Update, Vol. VIII, No. 1, at 9 ("New Fee Waiver Policy
Guidance").
159
See Consumers' Checkbook, 502 F. Supp. 2d at 89 (finding that while requester charges
fees, this "does not outweigh the advancement of the public interest here," taking into
consideration that requester "does not accept any advertising," its nonprofit status, its full
funding through sales of certain of its products, and through consumer donations); FOIA
Update, Vol. VIII, No. 1, at 9 ("New Fee Waiver Policy Guidance") (noting that determining
whether requester's identified commercial interest is primary "requires the balancing of the
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
39
Agencies may generally presume that when a news media requester has satisfied
the "public interest" standard, that will be the primary interest served.
160
When agencies analyze fee waiver requests by considering these six factors,
courts have found that they have carried out their statutory obligation to determine
whether a waiver is in the public interest.
161
Additionally, when only some of the
requested records satisfy the statutory test, waiver has been upheld for just those
records,
162
but some courts have found that a full waiver is appropriate.
163
requester's commercial interest against the public interest in disclosure that has been
identified").
160
See FOIA Update, Vol. VIII, No. 1, at 10 ("New Fee Waiver Policy Guidance"); see also
Nat'l Sec. Archive, 880 F.2d at 1388 (requests from news media entities, in furtherance of
their newsgathering function, are not for "commercial use"); cf. Tax Analysts, 965 F.2d at
1096 ("That the entity 'was not motivated simply by altruistic instincts' obviously does not
mean that [it] is not a news organization . . . . If newspapers and television news shows had
to show the absence of commercial interests before they could win attorney's fees in FOIA
cases, very few, if any, would ever prevail." (internal citation omitted)).
161
See, e.g., Smith v. BOP, 517 F. Supp. 2d 451, 454-55 (D.D.C. 2007) (holding that agency
correctly decided requester failed to satisfy factors found in agency regulation when
requester did not specify public interest involved, identify government activity relevant to
request, explain how disclosure would contribute to public understanding of it, or state his
intent and ability to disseminate requested information); see also FOIA Update, Vol. VIII,
No. 1, at 10 ("New Fee Waiver Policy Guidance"); cf. Friends of the Coast Fork, 110 F.3d at
55 (emphasizing that where agency's regulations provide for multifactor test, it is
inappropriate to rely on single factor); Or. Natural Desert Ass'n v. U.S. Dep't of the Interior,
24 F. Supp. 2d 1088, 1095 (D. Or. 1998) (finding that fee waiver denial must fail when
agency did not fully follow its multifactor regulation).
162
See Samuel Gruber Educ. Project v. DOJ, 24 F. Supp. 2d 1, 2 (D.D.C. 1998) (upholding, in
case involving in excess of 80,000 pages of responsive records, seventy-percent fee waiver
granted by agency); cf. Campbell, 164 F.3d at 35-37 (finding, where agency awarded partial
fee waiver, that it had not carried its burden in denying waiver for public domain,
repetitious, and administrative information in files, remanding for agency to "recalculate its
fee waiver ratio" but specifically "declin[ing] to hold" that FBI cannot charge any copying
fee").
163
See Schoenman, 604 F. Supp. 2d at 191 (D.D.C. 2009) (finding that "'the presence of
administrative material within files that also contain substantive documents does not justify
charging fees for . . . the non-substantive clutter'" (quoting Campbell, 164 F.3d at 36));
Schrecker, 970 F. Supp. at 50-51 (granting full fee waiver where agency provided no "strong
evidence" that portion of requested information already was in public domain).
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
40
The statutory standard speaks to whether "disclosure" of the requested
information is in the public interest.
164
The question of whether an agency should be
required to establish the precise contours of its anticipated withholdings at the fee
waiver determination stage was raised during the late 1980s in Project on Military
Procurement v. Department of the Navy.
165
There the district court suggested that an
agency submit an index pursuant to the requirements of Vaughn v. Rosen
166
to defend
the denial of a fee waiver based on anticipated application of FOIA exemptions.
167
Since Project on Military Procurement, several district court opinions have
concluded that fee waiver requests should not take into consideration the fact that
records may ultimately be found to be exempt from disclosure.
168
Additionally, the
164
5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(iii).
165
710 F. Supp. 362, 366-68 (D.D.C. 1989).
166
484 F.2d 820, 826-28 (D.C. Cir. 1973).
167
See 710 F. Supp. at 367 n.11 (noting that government "may be correct" that fee waiver
determination depends in part on applicability of FOIA exemptions to responsive records,
and stating that it "suggested that defendant [either] submit a Vaughn Index or . . . produce
the documents it seeks to withhold for in camera inspection" so that court could "determine
both the nondisclosure and fee waiver issues").
168
See Carney, 19 F.3d at 815 (finding that agency's denial of fee waiver was not proper
when made simply on basis that requested records "may [be] exempt from disclosure . . . ,
[because a] fee waiver request should be evaluated based on the face of the request and the
reasons given by the requester" (citing Project on Military Procurement, 710 F. Supp. at
367)); Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Wash. v. DOJ, 602 F. Supp. 2d 121, 125 (D.D.C.
2009) ("Fee-waiver requests are [not] evaluated . . . on the possibility of eventual exemption
from disclosure.") (citations omitted); Ctr. for Medicare Advocacy, 577 F. Supp. 2d at 241
(fee waiver decision should not be based on "'possibility that the records may ultimately be
determined to be exempt from disclosure'" (quoting Judicial Watch, Inc. v. DOT, No. 02-
566, 2005 WL 1606915, at *4 (D.D.C. July 5, 2005))) (remaining citations and quotations
omitted); Ctr. for Biological Diversity, 546 F. Supp. 2d at 729 (rejecting agency's rationale
for fee waiver denial based on its argument that "its unique role as a deliberative agency that
advises the President about proposed regulations makes this the rare case" when responsive
documents were "patently exempt" from disclosure); S. Utah, 402 F. Supp. 2d at 90
(deciding that agency cannot base fee waiver decision on anticipated redactions to
responsive records); Judicial Watch, 2005 WL 1606915, at *4 (stating that fee waiver
decision should not be made on basis of agency's "determination that most of the
information was exempt from disclosure"); Judicial Watch, Inc. v. DOE, 310 F. Supp. 2d
271, 295 (D.D.C. 2004) (same); Wilson v. CIA, No. 89-3356, slip op. at 3-4 (D.D.C. Mar. 25,
1991) (stating that agency may not deny fee waiver request based upon "likelihood" that
information will be withheld); cf. Schoenman, 604 F. Supp. 2d at 190-91 (finding that
agency improperly concluded that "certain records are not qualified for a fee waiver because
they contain exempt material," rejecting defendants' distinction between asserted
exemptions for records already processed as in instant case and "anticipated" exemptions,
stating that "this distinction is not one that courts have necessarily relied on").
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
41
majority of these opinions specify that a fee waiver request should be evaluated "on the
face of the request."
169
The FOIA does not explicitly reference any time period within which an agency
must resolve a fee waiver issue,
170
although agencies are required to include in their
Annual FOIA Reports each year the number of fee waiver requests that were granted
and denied and the average and median number of days for adjudicating fee waiver
determinations.
171
The statutory twenty-working day time period to respond to a request
has been applied to resolution of fee waiver (and fee) issues by several courts, including
the D.C. Circuit.
172
The FOIA also does not explicitly provide for administrative appeals of denials of
requests for fee waivers. Nevertheless, many agencies, either by regulation or by
practice, have considered appeals of such actions.
173
The Courts of Appeals for the D.C.
169
See, e.g., Carney, 19 F.3d at 815 (finding that "fee waiver request should be evaluated
based on the face of the request and the reasons given by the requester" (citing Project on
Military Procurement, 710 F. Supp. at 367)); Coven, 2009 WL 3174423, at *12 (same);
Schoenman, 604 F. Supp. 2d at 190 (asserting that request "'should be evaluated based on
the face of the request and the reasons given by [requester] in support of the waiver'")
(quoting Judicial Watch, 2005 WL 1606915, at *5); Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in
Wash., 602 F. Supp. 2d at 125 (emphasizing that "[f]ee-waiver requests are evaluated based
on the face of the request") (citations omitted); Ctr. for Medicare Advocacy, 577 F. Supp. 2d
at 241 (same) (quoting Judicial Watch, 2005 WL 1606915, at *4)); Ctr. for Biological
Diversity, 546 F. Supp. 2d at 730 (finding that fee waiver "'should be evaluated based on the
face of the request and the reasons given by the requester'" (quoting Carney, 19 F.3d at
815)).
170
See 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A).
171
See 5 U.S.C. § 552(e)(1)(M); see also FOIA Post, "2008 Guidelines for Agency
Preparation of Annual FOIA Reports" (posted 5/22/08).
172
See Judicial Watch, 326 F.3d at 1311 ("A requester is considered to have constructively
exhausted administrative remedies and may seek judicial review immediately if . . . the
agency fails to answer the [fee waiver] request within twenty days.") (citations omitted);
Lawyers Comm. for Civil Rights v. U.S. Dep't of Treasury, No. C 07-2590, 2009 WL
2905963, at *1 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 8, 2009) (holding that agency "was required to act upon
LCCR's fee waiver request within [twenty] days"); Judicial Watch, 310 F. Supp. 2d at 293
(commenting that where agency fails to respond to fee waiver request within twenty
working days, requester has constructively exhausted administrative remedies and may seek
judicial review); Pub. Citizen, Inc. v. Dep't of Educ., 292 F. Supp. 2d 1, 4 (D.D.C. 2003)
(stating that "if the agency fails to respond to a waiver request within [twenty] days, the
requester is deemed to have constructively exhausted" administrative remedies).
173
See, e.g., DOJ FOIA Regulations, 28 C.F.R. § 16.6(c) (including in its listing of adverse
determinations "a denial of a request for a fee waiver"); Dep't of State FOIA Regulations,
22 C.F.R. § 171.51 (2012) (appeals of denials of fee waivers and reductions); DOT FOIA
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
42
and Fifth Circuits have held that exhaustion of administrative remedies in connection
with fee waiver claims includes filing an administrative appeal.
174
(For a discussion of
constructive exhaustion of administrative remedies, see Litigation Considerations,
Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies, below.)
As part of the Freedom of Information Reform Act of 1986,
175
a specific judicial
review provision for fee waivers was added to the FOIA,
176
which provides for the review
of agency fee waiver denials according to a de novo standard, yet explicitly provides that
the scope of judicial review remains limited to the administrative record established
before the agency.
177
Thus, courts have not permitted either party to supplement the
Regulations, 49 C.F.R. § 7.21 (2011) (procedures for appealing decisions not to disclose
records or waive fees).
174
See Pruitt v. EOUSA, No. 01-5453, 2002 WL 1364365, at *1 (D.C. Cir. Apr. 19, 2002)
(reiterating that judicial review is not appropriate until requester either appeals fee waiver
denial or pays assessed fee); Voinche v. U.S. Dep't of the Air Force, 983 F.2d 667, 669 (5th
Cir. 1993) (emphasizing that requester seeking fee waiver under FOIA must exhaust
administrative remedies before seeking judicial review); Oglesby, 920 F.2d at 66 & n.11, 71
("Exhaustion does not occur until . . . fees are paid or an appeal is taken from the refusal to
waive fees."); Judicial Watch v. DOJ, No. 99-1883, slip op. at 10-12 (D.D.C. Sept. 11, 2003)
(concluding that although plaintiff "may have" exhausted its administrative remedies as to
other issues, it had failed to administratively exhaust as to agency's denial of fee waiver, so
its claims related to fee waiver were not properly before court; see also AFGE, 907 F.2d 203,
209 (D.C. Cir. 1990) (declining consideration of fee waiver request when not pursued during
agency administrative proceeding); In Def. of Animals, 543 F. Supp. 2d at 97 (noting that
nonpayment of fees did not preclude judicial review where plaintiff had timely appealed its
fee waiver denial).
175
Pub. L. No. 99-570, 100 Stat. 3207.
176
See 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(4)(A)(vii).
177
See id.; see also Reynolds, 391 F. App'x at 46 (reiterating that standard of review is de
novo and is limited to the administrative record); Stewart, 554 F.3d at 1241 (same); Judicial
Watch, 326 F.3d at 1311 (same); Carney, 19 F.3d at 814 (same); Friends of Oceano Dunes,
2011 WL 6748575, at *1 (same); Bensman v. Nat'l Park Serv., 806 F. Supp. 2d 31, 37 (D.D.C.
2011) (same); Perkins, 754 F. Supp. 2d at 5 (same); Wall, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 120826, at
*7 (same); Clemente, 741 F. Supp. 2d at 75 (same); Monaghan, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS
60310, at *3 (same); Saldana, 715 F. Supp. 2d at 20 (same); Coven, 2009 WL 3174423, at
*12 (same); Schoenman, 604 F. Supp. 2d at 188 (same); Manley, 2008 WL 4326448, at *2
(same); Brown, 445 F. Supp. 2d at 1353 (same); Cmty. Legal Servs., 405 F. Supp. 2d at 555
(same); W. Watersheds, 318 F. Supp. 2d at 1039 (same); Inst. for Wildlife Prot., 290 F.
Supp. 2d at 1228 (same); McQueen, 264 F. Supp. 2d at 424 (same); cf. Physicians Comm.
for Responsible Med., 480 F. Supp. 2d at 121 n.2 (dismissing separate challenge to fee
waiver denial brought under APA's arbitrary and capricious standard, emphasizing that
FOIA provides adequate remedy); Eagle, 2003 WL 21402534, at *2, *4 (stating that Court
reviews fee waiver decisions de novo; acknowledging that agency ordinarily is not permitted
"to rely on justifications for its decision that were not articulated during the administrative
Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Fees and Fee Waivers
43
record or offer new argument or rationale for seeking a fee waiver or for denying such a
request.
178
proceedings" but finding that here agency was "simply clarifying and explaining" its earlier
position).
178
See, e.g., Reynolds, 391 F. App'x at 46 (upholding district court's refusal to consider
requester's "academic status or interest in publishing a scholarly article" because neither
was made known to agency during administrative proceedings); Friends of the Coast Fork,
110 F.3d at 55 (reiterating that agency's letter "must be reasonably calculated to put the
requester on notice" as to reasons for fee waiver denial); Larson, 843 F.2d at 1483
(information not part of administrative record may not be considered by district court when
reviewing agency fee waiver denial); Bensman, 806 F. Supp. 2d at 43 (D.D.C. 2011)
(declaring that court "may not entertain litigation positions newly adopted by Defendant
after Plaintiff filed suit"); Monaghan, 2010 U. S. Dist. LEXIS 60310, at *3 (denying
plaintiff's motion to supplement record with "materials that were not submitted with the
Plaintiff's FOIA request or request for a fee waiver"); Coven, 2009 WL 3174423, at *13
(emphasizing that plaintiff cannot augment claims at district court level with arguments not
articulated at administrative stage); Manley, 2008 WL 4326448, at *3 (concluding that
when agency administratively determined that plaintiff's request met factor one, it could not
raise "post hoc rationalization . . . to deny plaintiff's request on this first factor" during
litigation); Physicians Comm. for Responsible Med., 480 F. Supp. 2d at 121 n.1 (disallowing
plaintiff's submission of affidavit that was not part of administrative record); Citizens for
Responsibility & Ethics in Wash., 481 F. Supp. 2d at 107 n.1 (refusing to take into account
material submitted by both parties that were not before agency when administrative appeal
considered); Brown, 445 F. Supp. 2d at 1354 (observing that "administrative record should
consist of those documents which [agency] used to determine whether Plaintiff’s fees should
be waived"); Pub. Citizen, 292 F. Supp. 2d at 5 (criticizing agency for its failure to adjudicate
fee waiver by emphasizing that "this Court has no record upon which to evaluate plaintiff's
claims that it is entitled to a waiver"); see also Ctr. for Pub. Integrity v. HHS, No. 06-1818,
2007 WL 2248071, at *5 (D.D.C. Aug. 3, 2007) (noting that "mere inclusion" of web address
in request insufficient to include all information on website as part of administrative record)
(requester category context); FOIA Update, Vol. VIII, No. 1, at 10 ("New Fee Waiver Policy
Guidance"); FOIA Update, Vol. VI, No. 1, at 6 ("OIP Guidance: FOIA Counselor) (answering
question of whether agency can supplement its rationale for denying fee waiver after
requester files suit).
