District of Columbia FOIA: Deadlines, Bodycam Rules, and Mayoral Appeals

The District of Columbia's Freedom of Information Act gives any person a right to inspect and copy public records, with a 15-day response deadline and a separate 25-day deadline for body-worn camera recordings. After a denial you choose your route: a free administrative appeal to the Mayor, who must decide within 10 days, or immediate suit in Superior Court.

Information last verified on 2026-08-04. This article presents general legal information and has not been reviewed by a licensed District of Columbia attorney.

This page covers District of Columbia government records. Federal agencies located in Washington are governed by the federal Freedom of Information Act, not by D.C. FOIA; see how to file a FOIA request for that. To compare the District with the fifty states, see the public records laws by state hub.

D.C. FOIA is not the federal FOIA

Start here, because in no other jurisdiction is the confusion this costly.

The District of Columbia has its own Freedom of Information Act, D.C. Code sections 2-531 through 2-540, which covers District government bodies: the Metropolitan Police Department, D.C. Public Schools, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Office of the Attorney General, District agencies, and the Council.

The federal Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. section 552, covers federal agencies: the FBI, the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and the rest of the executive branch. Many of those agencies are physically located in the District. That does not make them subject to D.C. FOIA.

Sending a D.C. FOIA request to a federal agency, or a federal FOIA request to a District agency, produces a rejection and a lost month. Decide first which government holds the record, then use that jurisdiction's statute.

Who can request D.C. public records

Anyone. Section 2-532(a) provides:

"Any person has a right to inspect, and at his or her discretion, to copy any public record..."

There is no residency requirement, no requirement to be a District resident or taxpayer, and no requirement to state a purpose. The right extends to inspection and, at the requester's discretion, to copying, which means the choice between the two is yours rather than the agency's.

Deadlines, including the body-camera track

The District's timing rules are among the clearest in the country, and the body-worn camera provision is a genuine differentiator.

Three features deserve emphasis.

The 15-day clock excludes weekends and holidays. That is closer to three calendar weeks than to two, so count carefully before concluding that an agency is late. The extension periods in section 2-532(d)(1) are counted the same way, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public holidays.

Missing the deadline is a denial, and it exhausts your administrative remedies automatically. Section 2-532(e) provides that if a public body fails to comply within the applicable time limits the request is deemed denied, and the person making the request is deemed to have exhausted administrative remedies unless that person chooses to petition the Mayor. In other words, agency silence does not trap you in an administrative queue. You may go to Superior Court directly.

Body-worn camera footage gets more time, not an exemption. Section 2-532(c)(2)(A) sets a 25-day deadline specifically for body-worn camera recordings, and section 2-532(d)(1) allows up to 15 additional days in unusual circumstances. The design choice matters. Many jurisdictions handle bodycam requests by pushing them into a law enforcement exemption, where the answer is often no. The District instead acknowledges that redacting video takes longer and gives the agency a longer clock to do it. That is a structurally more favorable posture for a requester, though real limits apply.

Two of those limits are specific and easy to trip over.

Route the request to the police. Section 2-532(c)(2)(B) provides that a request for a body-worn camera recording may only be submitted to the Metropolitan Police Department. Sending it to another District agency that happens to hold a copy is not a valid filing.

Two categories of recording are exempt outright. Section 2-534(a)(2A) exempts body-worn camera recordings that were recorded inside a personal residence, and recordings related to an incident involving domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault. That is a content-based exemption, not a delay, so no amount of waiting produces those files under FOIA.

If you are requesting bodycam footage, name the incident date, time, location, and, if you have them, the report number and the officers involved. Ask about the retention schedule in the same letter. The longest statutory deadline is worth nothing if the recording is overwritten before you ask.

For the general question of emergency call recordings, see our explainer on whether 911 calls are public records.

Fees and the public-interest waiver

What the District may charge depends on who you are. Section 2-532(b-1) sets three tiers, and only direct costs may be recovered in any of them.

The practical consequence is that most individual requesters, including ordinary residents and non-profit researchers, cannot be billed for review time at all. If an invoice contains a review or redaction line and you are not a commercial requester, say so in writing and cite section 2-532(b-1).

There is also a limit on when money is due. Section 2-532(b-3) provides that a public body may not require advance payment of a fee unless the requester has previously failed to pay a fee in a timely fashion or the public body has determined that the fee will exceed $250.

The waiver matters on top of all of that. Section 2-532(b) provides:

"Documents may be furnished without charge or at a reduced charge where a public body determines that waiver or reduction of the fee is in the public interest because furnishing the information can be considered as primarily benefiting the general public."

This is a genuine public-interest waiver of the kind most states do not have, and it is worded closely enough to the federal standard that a well-drafted federal-style waiver request works here. To make it, explain in the request itself what the records will show, who will see the result, and how the information will reach the general public rather than serving your private or commercial interest. Ask for the waiver before the search starts, not after the invoice arrives.

Other cost controls worth using: narrow the date range and name specific custodians so search time stays low; ask for electronic delivery; and ask for a fee estimate with a commitment that the agency will contact you before exceeding it.

How to file a D.C. FOIA request

The District runs a central public FOIA portal that covers District government bodies, which is unusual and makes filing easier here than in most states.

1. Confirm the record belongs to the District government, not a federal agency.
2. File through the District's public FOIA portal at myfoia.dc.gov where possible. Requests submitted online are easier to track and generate a request number you can reference later. Requests may also be submitted by mail, fax, or email to the agency's FOIA officer.
3. Describe the records as clearly and precisely as possible. The District's own guidance asks requesters to be specific about names, dates, places, events, subjects, and other details that help the public body identify the records.
4. For body-worn camera footage, file with the Metropolitan Police Department, which section 2-532(c)(2)(B) makes the only permissible recipient of a bodycam request. Give the date, time, location, incident or report number, and the officers involved if known, and reference section 2-532(c)(2)(A) so the request is routed onto the correct track.
5. Request the public-interest fee waiver under section 2-532(b) in the original request if it applies to you.
6. Keep the confirmation. The appeal process below requires you to attach the original request and the denial.

Our public records request generator will draft a D.C. FOIA letter with the right citations and an optional waiver paragraph. It runs in your browser and saves nothing you enter.

Appealing a D.C. FOIA denial

The District's appeal structure is one of the most requester-friendly in the country because the administrative step is free and fast, and because taking it is your choice rather than a precondition to court.

That is the point most summaries of D.C. FOIA get wrong. Section 2-537(a) says a person denied the right to inspect a public record "may petition the Mayor." It does not say must. Section 2-532(e) confirms the design from the other direction: when an agency blows the deadline, the requester is deemed to have exhausted administrative remedies "unless such person chooses to petition the Mayor." The District's own regulation states the same rule plainly, providing at 1 DCMR 412.1 that a requester may appeal the denial to the Mayor or may seek immediate judicial review. Treat the Mayor and the Superior Court as two available routes.

Route one: appeal to the Mayor. Section 2-537(a) provides for administrative review by the Mayor, and the Mayor must issue a written determination within 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public holidays. In practice the Mayor's Office of Legal Counsel adjudicates FOIA appeals on the Mayor's behalf.

An appeal may be submitted through the same public FOIA portal used for requests, or by mail or email. It must include a copy of the original request, a copy of the public body's written denial letter if one was issued, and a written statement of the arguments, circumstances, or reasons supporting release. Written appeals may be directed to the Mayor's Office of Legal Counsel, FOIA Appeal, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 407, Washington, DC 20004.

Three practical points:

• It costs nothing and it is fast. A 10-business-day decision deadline is faster than any court process, which is why the optional route is usually worth taking first.
• A missed deadline is itself appealable. If the Mayor denies the appeal or fails to decide within the deadline, the requester may proceed to court.
• Write the appeal as an argument, not a complaint. The statement of reasons is where you address the specific exemption the agency invoked and explain why it does not apply or why redaction would suffice.

Route two: Superior Court. A requester may sue for injunctive and declaratory relief in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia after an administrative appeal fails, after the agency's own deadline passes under section 2-532(e), or instead of a Mayoral appeal altogether. Section 2-537(b) provides for de novo judicial review, authorizes the court to examine the contents of the records in camera to determine whether they were properly withheld, and places the burden of proof where it belongs: "The burden is on the public agency to sustain its action." Section 2-537(c) allows a prevailing requester to recover reasonable attorney fees and other litigation costs.

The practical trade-off is straightforward. The Mayoral appeal is free and resolves in about two weeks, so it is the sensible first move in most cases. Going straight to court makes sense when the agency's position is clearly a legal one it will not abandon, when a deadline in your own matter is running, or when the agency has simply stopped responding.

The two carve-outs. Section 2-537(a-1) routes appeals involving Council records directly to court, and section 2-537(a-2) does the same for records of the Attorney General. That makes sense structurally, since the Mayor should not be adjudicating the disclosure obligations of a separate branch or of the District's own counsel. If your request went to the Council or to the Office of the Attorney General, do not file a Mayoral appeal. Consult a District attorney about proceeding in Superior Court.

Vital records are a separate system

District birth and death certificates are not FOIA requests. They come from the D.C. Health Vital Records Division under eligibility rules that limit certified copies to specified relatives and representatives.

If a death certificate is what you need, start with our guide to District of Columbia death records rather than filing under section 2-532.

A note on scope

This page describes the District of Columbia Freedom of Information Act as of August 2026. It is general legal information, not legal advice, and it does not catalogue every exemption in D.C. Code section 2-534 or the separate rules governing vital records and court records. Portal addresses and agency procedures change. For a specific denial, consult an attorney licensed in the District of Columbia.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is D.C. FOIA the same as federal FOIA?

No. The District of Columbia has its own Freedom of Information Act at D.C. Code sections 2-531 through 2-540, covering District government bodies such as the Metropolitan Police Department, D.C. Public Schools, and District agencies. The federal Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. section 552, covers federal agencies such as the FBI and the State Department. Many federal agencies sit inside the District, but that does not make them subject to D.C. FOIA. Decide which government holds the record before you file.

How long does a District agency have to respond?

Fifteen days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public holidays, under D.C. Code section 2-532(c)(1). In unusual circumstances the agency may extend that by up to 10 additional days under section 2-532(d). Body-worn camera recordings run on a separate 25-day track under section 2-532(c)(2)(A), extendable by up to 15 additional days. If the agency misses the deadline, section 2-532(e) deems the request denied and deems your administrative remedies exhausted.

Can I get police body camera video in the District of Columbia?

Often, but with two specific limits. Section 2-532(c)(2)(A) gives 25 days to respond to a bodycam request, extendable by up to 15 additional days under section 2-532(d)(1), so the District treats the footage as slower to produce rather than categorically exempt. First limit: under section 2-532(c)(2)(B) a bodycam request may only be submitted to the Metropolitan Police Department, so filing with another agency is not a valid request. Second limit: section 2-534(a)(2A) exempts recordings made inside a personal residence and recordings related to an incident involving domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault. Other exemptions can also apply to the content of a specific recording, so include the incident date, time, location, report number, and officers involved, and ask about the retention schedule so the footage is not overwritten before you request it.

Do I have to live in Washington to file a D.C. FOIA request?

No. Section 2-532(a) provides that any person has a right to inspect and, at their discretion, to copy any public record. There is no residency requirement, no taxpayer requirement, and no requirement to state a purpose.

How do I appeal a D.C. FOIA denial?

You have two routes and you may choose either. Section 2-537(a) says a person denied access 'may petition the Mayor,' and 1 DCMR 412.1 states that a requester may appeal the denial to the Mayor or may seek immediate judicial review, so the administrative appeal is optional rather than a precondition to suit. If you take it, the Mayor must issue a written determination within 10 days, excluding weekends and legal public holidays, and the Mayor's Office of Legal Counsel adjudicates those appeals. The appeal may be filed through the District's public FOIA portal at myfoia.dc.gov or by mail or email, and must include the original request, the written denial if there was one, and a written statement of the reasons supporting release. The alternative is to sue in Superior Court for injunctive and declaratory relief, which you may also do after the appeal fails or goes undecided.

What happens if a District agency just never responds?

Section 2-532(e) turns silence into a denial. If a public body fails to comply within the statutory time limits, the request is deemed denied and the person making the request is deemed to have exhausted their administrative remedies, unless that person chooses to petition the Mayor. You do not have to wait for a formal denial letter or complete an administrative appeal before going to Superior Court, and section 2-537(b) puts the burden on the public agency to sustain its action once you get there.

Are there requests where the Mayoral appeal is not available at all?

Yes, two. Section 2-537(a-1) sends appeals involving Council records directly to court, and section 2-537(a-2) does the same for records of the Attorney General. Those carve-outs exist because the Mayor should not adjudicate the disclosure obligations of a separate branch or of the District's own counsel. If your request went to the Council or the Office of the Attorney General, consult a District attorney about proceeding in Superior Court rather than filing a Mayoral appeal.

What can the District charge me, and can the fee be waived?

It depends on which of the three tiers in section 2-532(b-1) you fall into, and only direct costs may be charged in any of them. A commercial requester pays search, duplication, and review costs. An educational institution, a non-commercial scientific institution, or a representative of the news media pays duplication only. Everyone else pays search and duplication with no charge for review. Section 2-532(b-3) also bars a public body from demanding advance payment unless you have previously failed to pay a fee on time or the fee will exceed $250. Section 2-532(b) provides a real public-interest waiver: documents may be furnished without charge or at a reduced charge where the public body determines the waiver is in the public interest because furnishing the information can be considered as primarily benefiting the general public. Ask for the waiver in your original request and explain how the information will reach the general public.

Can I recover my costs if I have to sue?

Section 2-537(c) allows a prevailing requester to recover reasonable attorney fees and other litigation costs. Section 2-537(b) also provides that judicial review in Superior Court is de novo, authorizes the court to examine the records in camera to determine whether they were properly withheld, and states that 'the burden is on the public agency to sustain its action.' The court looks at the records itself rather than deferring to the agency's characterization, and the agency, not you, has to justify the withholding.