What does it mean when an agency sends me a 'still interested' letter on my FOIA request?

A “still interested” letter is a notice an agency sends when your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request has been pending for a long time and the agency wants you to confirm that you still want the records before it spends more resources processing them. These letters most often go out on older, complex, or large requests that have been sitting in a backlog.

Why agencies send them

The federal FOIA generally gives agencies 20 business days to respond, but complex requests routinely take far longer. When a request has aged in a queue, an agency may reach out to verify the requester is still active and reachable. If you have moved, changed email addresses, or no longer need the records, the agency does not want to keep working a request no one is watching.

What you should do

The single most important step is to respond by the stated deadline.

• Read the letter carefully and note the response date and the method required (email, mail, or phone).
• Reply clearly that you remain interested and still want the records.
• Keep a dated copy of your response for your records.
• If the deadline is unreasonably short or you need time, ask the agency in writing for an extension.

If you do not respond, the agency will typically treat your silence as a withdrawal and close the request. You would then have to start over with a brand-new request, often losing your place in line.

Limits and your rights

Agencies cannot use these letters to indefinitely stall a request, and they must give you a reasonable amount of time to reply. If you believe a “still interested” letter is being used improperly, or you have a dispute about how your request is being handled, the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) at the National Archives offers free mediation services for FOIA requesters.

Keep in mind that this describes the federal FOIA process. State public-records laws vary widely, and not every state uses or permits “still interested” notices, so check the rules for the specific jurisdiction you filed in.

For more background on requester rights and timelines, see our FOIA and public records topic.