What is FOIA?
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a law that gives you the right to access information from the federal government. It is often described as the law that keeps citizens in the know about their government. The purpose of this page is to assist you in requesting various types and categories of public information relating to NCIS programs, per the FOIA (5 U.S.C. § 552).
NCIS maintains investigative records regarding general crimes and casualties for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, as well as NCIS Annual Crime Reports and Administrative Manuals.
Frequently requested records are posted in our Electronic Reading Room. Please check our Reading Room before submitting a FOIA request.
Military, federal, and local law enforcement agencies requesting records for official use should contact the NCIS Records Management Branch: https://www.ncis.navy.mil/Resources/Investigative-Records-Request/
NCIS is not the release authority for the types of records listed below. To receive a copy of these records you must submit a separate request to each command.
- Courts martial records (submit to the Office of the Judge Advocate General Code 40)
- Marine Corps Criminal Investigation Division files, closed less than 2 years (submit to the applicable military installation)
- Non-criminal base police reports (submit to the applicable military installation)
- Command and/or JAGMAN investigations (submit to the applicable military command)
- Military medical records resulting from a crime (submit a request for medical records to the specific military hospital)
- Family Advocacy Program (FAP) records (contact the applicable FAP Office)
- Navy personnel records (submit a request to Navy Personnel Command)
How to Submit a FOIA or Privacy request:
Submitting a request to NCIS is a 2-part required process.
NCIS uses the online portal Secure Release (https://www.securerelease.us/) to receive all FOIA and PA requests. You must also verify your identity by completing NCIS Form 5000/14. This form does not apply to 3rd party requests for information. Please follow the instructions provided below.
Part 1 (Secure Release): If you would like to submit a FOIA/PA, please do so online via the new portal (https://www.securerelease.us/). This is the fastest and most reliable way to send us your request, and it ensures that all requests are properly and accurately tracked from the date/time of submission.
To help our office respond to your request as quickly as possible, please submit it to the correct agency by following the instructions below:
Click on the Secure Release website and select Create Request. Note, you will need to create an account and set up a user name and password. Once an account is created, follow the prompts using the information below:
Agency/Component: United States Navy/Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Request Type: FOIA Request (do not select PA request) 1st party requests for investigative files maintained by NCIS are contained in a system of records exempt from release under the provisions of the Privacy Act. In order to afford the maximum amount of information, files will be processed under the provisions of the FOIA 5 U.S.C. § 552.
Request Description: Describe the specific record(s) you are seeking with enough detail so that a knowledgeable agency official may locate the record(s) with a reasonable amount of effort. Such detail should include descriptive information, timeframe to be searched, full names, and any other pertinent information that may assist in identifying the subject of the request.
Upload additional documentation: If you are requesting records about yourself, you must upload NCIS Form 5000/14. Please note, without this completed form, we will not be able to process your request. See part 2 for instructions.
Fees: State your willingness to pay all fees or those up to a specified amount or provide a justification to support a fee waiver.
Request for Expedited Processing: You may request expedited processing. However, please be advised that a request for expedited processing must demonstrate an exceptional need or urgency for the information in order to be granted (i.e., when there is an imminent threat to the life or physical safety of an individual, an imminent loss of substantial due process rights or humanitarian need, or an urgent need by an individual primarily engaged in disseminating information in order to inform the public concerning actual or alleged Federal Government activity).
Part 2 (Declaration of Identity): NCIS archives law enforcement records by name, social security number (SSN) and date of birth. You must first verify your identity and declare under penalty of perjury by completing NCIS Form 5000/14 and uploading this document into Secure Release. Alternatively, you may also email the completed form to ncis_foia@ncis.navy.mil along with your FOIA request number assigned by Secure Release. Please note, without this completed form, we will not be able to process your request. If you choose not to provide your SSN on the form, we may contact you via telephone or email in order to complete our search for records.
If you require assistance in submitting your FOIA request, please contact our office at (571) 305-9092, via email at NCIS_FOIA@ncis.navy.mil. Or by mail:
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Attn: FOIA
27130 Telegraph Rd
Quantico, VA 22134
If you are not satisfied with the response from this center, you may contact the DON FOIA Public Liaison at 202-685-0412 or DONFOIA_PA@navy.mil.
For additional information on FOIA and the Privacy Act, refer to the Department of the Navy's website: https://www.secnav.navy.mil/foia