Welcome to the United States Marshals Service (USMS) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Portal
This portal allows members of the public to access frequently requested records, submit a FOIA request, and check the status of an outstanding request(s). For further information about the USMS disclosure requirements, visit the USMS FOIA site.
About the FOIA
The FOIA (5 U.S.C. §552) established a statutory right of public access to Executive Branch information held by a federal agency. The FOIA provides that any person has a right, enforceable in court, to obtain access to federal agency records subject to the Act, except to the extent that any portions of such records are protected from public disclosure by one of nine exemptions. Additional information about these Nine Exemptions can be found at the Department of Justice’s Office of Information Policy site.
If the records you seek pertain to a deceased person, when submitting your request, please include proof of death, such as a published obituary, death certificate, written media reports, a Social Security Death Index page, or a date of birth that is 100 years or greater.
If you are seeking records regarding another living person, that information is usually not disclosed unless you have obtained the person’s written consent or unless public disclosure is authorized by law. Requests for information about another living person should be accompanied by evidence of the subject’s consent. Please use U.S. Department of Justice DOJ Form 361 Certification of Identity and complete the section identified as: “Authorization to Release Information to Another Person.” You may submit an attachment listing additional information that may aid in locating responsive records. Please place your name and contact information on the attachment.
Please note that law enforcement records pertaining to a living person are released without that person’s consent only when no personal privacy interest would be invaded by disclosing the information, such as when the information is already public or required to be made public, or in cases where the individual’s privacy interest is outweighed by a strong public interest in the disclosure of the records.
About the Privacy Act
The Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C §552a, permits a right of access whereby individuals can gain access to information about themselves that is maintained in a system of records under the control of a federal agency. If you are requesting records about yourself or records pertaining to a third party, please attach the required consent and proof of identity documents to your request before submitting. You may use a DOJ Form 361 Certification of Identity for this purpose.
View Frequently Requested Records in the FOIA Reading Room
Many United States Marshals Service records are already publicly available. Search or browse the FOIA Reading Room by clicking the link provided or by accessing the "FOIA Reading Room" link in the navigation menu. Additional documents are being continually added as they are processed.
Submit or Check the Status of a FOIA and/or Privacy Act Request Online
Register to create an online account or Sign In to your existing account to submit a FOIA or Privacy Act request. As you navigate the request submission steps, please follow all prompts, look for red system warnings, and make sure that all required fields are completed. The ability to check the status of a request, send a message to the assigned FOIA Specialist, or retrieve records delivered electronically becomes available once signed in.
If you are requesting records about yourself or a third party, please include an executed DOJ Form 361 as referenced above with your submission to avoid delay in processing your request. If you are requesting access to records pertaining to a deceased person, please provide a proof of death (obituary, death certificate, etc.).
Requesting Expedited Processing
A request for expedited processing can be made at the initial submission of the request or any time thereafter until the final response has been issued. Granting a request for expedited processing gives a FOIA request priority over other requests, by delaying the processing of earlier FOIA requests in favor of addressing the request subject to expedited processing. A request for records may be expedited upon the requester’s demonstration of a compelling need.
At the Department of Justice, there are four specific situations where a request will be expedited, which means that it is handled as soon as practicable.
First, a request will be expedited if the lack of expedited treatment could reasonably be expected to pose a threat to someone's life or physical safety.
Second, a request will be expedited if the information requested is urgently needed to inform the public concerning some actual or alleged federal government activity, and if it is made by a person primarily engaged in disseminating information to the public.
Third, if an individual will suffer the loss of substantial due process rights, his or her request will be expedited. A request will not normally be expedited merely because the requester is facing a court deadline in a judicial proceeding.
Finally, a request will be expedited if the subject of the request is of widespread and exceptional media interest and the information sought involves possible questions about the government's integrity which affect public confidence. Decisions to expedite under this fourth standard are made by DOJ's Director of Public Affairs.
Review The USMS Privacy Policy