Overview
The Freedom of Information Law (“FOIL”), Article 6 (Sections 84-90) of the NYS Public Officers Law, provides the public right to access records maintained by government agencies with certain exceptions. Under FOIL, an agency must make records available for public inspection and copying, except to the extent that records or portions thereof fall within one or more grounds for denial.
Please note that each government agency handles their own FOIL requests.
Please visit https://opengovernment.ny.gov/freedom-information-law for more information.
How to Request Records from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office Under FOIL
1.
Online:
The best way to submit your FOIL request is to use our online portal. *This form is for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office only*
2.
By Mail:
To make a FOIL request by mail, please send it to the below address:
Suffolk County District Attorney's OfficeWilliam J. Lindsay County Complex 725 Veterans Memorial Highway, Bldg. 77Hauppauge, NY 11788Attn: FOIL Unit
3.
In Person:
Submit a FOIL request for records in person, or make a request to inspect and copy records, at the security desk in our Office's Hauppauge location (see address above).
Records Maintained by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office
Subject Matter List 2023
Process After Your FOIL request is Received
Within five (5) business days of the request, we will either:
(a)
provide such record(s)
(b)
deny such request in writing
(c)
send a written acknowledgment of the receipt of such request and the approximate date such request will be granted or denied
If you have not received written acknowledgment within five (5) business days, please contact us.
If there is a fee for the records, you will be notified prior to the records being provided to you. Unless a different fee is otherwise prescribed by statute, Public Officers Law §87(1) authorizes an agency to charge a fee of $0.25 per copy for copies of records up to 9 x 14 inches, or the actual cost of reproducing a record. If you request records to be provided electronically, and our Office maintains the records electronically, there may be no basis for charging a fee. See, FOIL §87(1)(b) and (c).If you request a voluminous amount of records, the agency can charge the actual cost of reproducing the records. When it takes an agency more than 2 hours to prepare, extract or generate electronic data, the agency may charge for the employee’s time. See FOIL §87(1)(b) and (c).
Right to Appeal
You have the right to appeal a FOIL determination under the provisions of the Public Officers Law. You have thirty (30) days to file a written appeal to the Suffolk County Attorney, H. Lee Dennison Building, 6th Floor, P.O. Box 6100, Hauppauge, NY 11788, Attn: FOIL Appeals Officer.
Questions?
For all other inquiries, you may contact our records access officers via e-mailing FOIL.DA@suffolkcountyny.gov, or calling (631) 853-5856.
Suffolk County District Attorney's Office
William J. Lindsay County Complex - Bldg. 77
Veterans Memorial Highway
Hauppauge, NY 11788
Contact Us
(631) 852-3185
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