How do you set up a FOIA log to track requests, deadlines, and dispositions?

A FOIA log is a structured register that lets you account for every request from the moment it arrives through its final disposition. A good log is the backbone of compliance: it proves you met statutory timelines, supports consistent processing, and produces the data you need for annual reporting and audits.

Capture the right fields

Design your log around the lifecycle of a request. At minimum, track:

• Unique tracking number assigned on receipt.
• Requester information and the date received.
• Description of records sought, plus the office(s) tasked with searching.
• Date the clock starts and the calculated response deadline.
• Fee category and fee determination, if applicable.
• Status (received, in search, in review, on hold, closed).
• Disposition (granted in full, partial release, denied, no records, withdrawn, referred).
• Exemptions applied and the date of the final response.

Consistent, controlled values for status and disposition are what make a log usable later for trend analysis and reporting.

Track deadlines deliberately

FOIA imposes statutory response timelines, and certain circumstances can extend or toll them. Rather than memorizing specific day counts, build the log to calculate the due date from the start date and flag requests approaching their deadline. Record any tolling events (for example, awaiting clarification or a fee commitment) and any extension you invoke, so the timeline is fully reconstructable. Confirm the exact periods and triggers against current FOIA guidance, since details vary.

Record dispositions cleanly

Close every request with a clear disposition and the date it was issued. Note the volume of records released or withheld and the exemptions cited. This closure data feeds annual FOIA reporting and helps you spot patterns, such as recurring request types worth proactively posting.

Treat the log as a record

The FOIA log is itself a federal record and should be retained, secured, and dispositioned under your records schedule. Build it on a platform that preserves an audit trail of edits, restricts access to authorized staff, and supports reliable export. Sound recordkeeping practices apply to the tracking system just as they do to the records it describes.

For related guidance, see the FOIA and public records topic hub.