Freedom of Information Act - The NRL Office of Counsel is responsible for processing FOIA requests. FOIA allows members of the public to obtain a wide range of records from federal agencies. In most cases, NRL records are subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act, with releasable records subject to the restrictions set forth in those laws.
NRL does not house records concerning military service. Military service records are available from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), National Personnel Records Center. For NRL employee verification information, please click here.
Submitting a FOIA Request
Review the sections below to learn how to submit a FOIA request for records maintained by NRL.
NRL Contracts - Please note that NRL contracts begin with N00173. If the contract you seek does not begin with NRL's contract code, then you will need to send your request to another Navy command or agency (see table below for more information).
NRL Grants - NRL uses Grants.gov to accept all grant proposals. A grant is a way the government funds ideas and projects to provide public services and stimulate the economy. Grants support critical recovery initiatives, innovative research and many other programs listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA).
NRL Technical Reports - At the completion of most NRL contracts and grants, a final report is required. These reports range from a brief summary and a list of publications to a complete, exhaustive compilation of the project results. The Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) may have copies of unclassified, publicly available NRL technical reports..
Please choose ONLY ONE of the following options when submitting your FOIA request:
Fax: (202) 404-8317
Mail: U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
Freedom of Information Office, Code 1008.1
4555 Overlook Ave SW
Washington D.C. 20375
Frequently Asked Questions