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Make a FOIA Request

 

Welcome to the e-FOIA Public Access Link (PAL). This link to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC’s) online portal allows you to create, submit, and check the status of a FOIA request.

To submit a new FOIA Request:

  • Go to https://foiapal.cpsc.gov/palMain.aspx and register with e-FOIA PAL
  • To register, click “Sign In” on the left-hand menu
    • At the top of the page, by “New User” click “Click Here to Register”
  • Complete the form
  • Click the “Verify” button to verify your e-mail address
  • Click the “Submit” button

If you have previously registered:

  • Click “Sign In”
  • Enter your User Name and Password
  • Click the “Sign In” button
  • Click on the “Submit Request” menu

To check the status of a FOIA Request:

  • Go to https://foiapal.cpsc.gov/palMain.aspx 
  • Click on Request Status
  • Enter your Last Name and FOIA Tracking Number (check your Acknowledgement Letter or E-mail for this number)
  • Enter the CAPTCHA code into the Box - If the CAPTCHA code is unreadable, click on New to obtain a new code
  • Click on Verify
  • Click on Find

Note: 

To obtain detailed information about the status of a request, you must register with e-FOIA PAL and sign into the application and then click on Request Status. 

You can obtain more information on the FOIA Requester Service Center and the Public Liaisons web page.

Additional information:

The electronic Freedom of Information Act (e-FOIA) Amendments of 1996, the Open Government Act, President Obama’s Executive Order on Transparency, and the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016 require all federal agencies to use electronic information technology to foster public availability of all FOIA documents. CPSC has implemented PAL in response to these requirements and initiatives.

PAL will allow you to:

  • Submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request online;
  • Check the status of an existing FOIA request;
  • E-Mail the Government Information Specialist assigned to your request;   
  • Upload documentation such as a Request Description, Fee Waiver Request or a Request for Expedited Processing; and
  • Download the material deemed responsive to your request along with agency correspondence for your request.

You will be able to conduct the majority, if not all, of your Freedom of Information (FOI) business with CPSC's FOI staff via PAL.  You must register an account with PAL to use the portal.  We suggest that you use your e-mail address as the User ID.      

Certified Records

You can submit a FOIA request for certified records, check the status of the FOIA request and communicate with the Government Information Specialist assigned to the request via e-FOIA PAL.

Because certified records must bear a raised seal that is physically applied by the Agency Secretariat, certified records will continue to be sent to FOIA requesters via postal mail and not electronically.

Additional Ways to Submit FOIA Requests and to Communicate with FOIA Staff

If you elect not to utilize e-FOIA PAL, you may continue to submit your request by:

  • Postal mail
    • U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
      4330 East West Highway
      Bethesda, MD 20814
  • Fax - 301-504-0127
  • E-mail CPSCFOIARequests@cpsc.gov 

Please include your name, a telephone number, e-mail address, and a postal mailing address in your inquiry or FOIA request.  You may contact the FOIA Requester Service Center and the Public Liaisons staff member for assistance. 

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