eFoia Audit of Washington, D.C.

Web FOIA Compliance: Frequently requested FOIA records

Government agencies in Washington, D.C., broadly ignore a 2001 law, which requires them to post 10 categories of public records on their websites, according to a public records audit conducted by the D.C. Open Government Coalition in conjunction with the Investigative Reporting Workshop at American University.

Click on an agency's name to see more about what information is available on its website.

Frequently requested FOIA records
Agency What's on the Website Link
Board of Elections and Ethics Nothing found
Child & Family Services Agency The section, listed under Information, includes policies, administrative orders, regulations manuals and legal advisory memos. click here
DC Public Library Nothing found.
Commission on the Arts & Humanities There is no section so designated but many of the documents listed on the Information page could fall in this category. click here
Commission on Judicial Disabilities and Tenure Not applicable
DC Water and Sewer Authority There is a Frequently Requested FOIA Materials subsection under Governance. click here
Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs There is a page listing information that is frequently requested under FOIA. click here
Department of Health The Addiction Administration lists its Frequently Requested FOIA Materials. The five other sub units do not. click here
Department of Corrections Nothing found.
Department of Employment Services Nothing found.
Department of Housing & Community Development There is a section for Frequently Requested FOIA Materials. click here
Department of Human Resources Nothing found.
District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles Nothing found.
Department of Parks & Recreation There is a section listing Frequently Requested FOIA Materials. click here
Department of Mental Health Nothing found.
Department of Real Estate Services Nothing found.
Department of Small and Local Business Development Nothing found.
District Department of the Environment Nothing found.
Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services Nothing found.
Department on Disability Services Nothing found.
Fire & Emergency Medical Services Department Nothing found.
District Department of Transportation Nothing found.
Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency There is a link under Information on the home page but it was unresponsive.
Metropolitan Police Department Nothing found.
Office of Administrative Hearings Nothing found.
Office of Cable Television The FOIA Request section has a link to OCT Documents Page where there is a list of Frequently Requested Documents. click here
Office of Contracting & Procurement Nothing found.
Office of Employee Appeals Nothing found.
Office of Human Rights Nothing found.
Office of Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining Nothing found.
Office of Planning Nothing found.
Office of Police Complaints Nothing found.
Office of Risk Management Nothing found.
Office of the Attorney General Nothing found.
Office of the Chief Financial Officer Nothing found.
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner There is a section linking to Frequently Requested FOIA Materials. click here
Office of the Chief Technology Officer Nothing found.
Office of the City Administrator Nothing found.
Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning & Economic Development Nothing found.
Office of the District of Columbia Auditor Nothing found.
Office of the Inspector General All reports of the IG's Office are posted. There is no indication whether any other documents have been frequently requested under FOIA. click here
Office of the State Superintendent of Education Nothing found.
Office of Zoning Nothing found.
Office on Aging Nothing found.
Public Service Commission The FOIA section lists frequently requested forms and documents. click here
Sentencing and Criminal Code Revision Commission Nothing found.
Washington Convention Center Authority Nothing found.
Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration Nothing found.
Department of Public Works Nothing found.
D.C. Public Schools Nothing found.
Department of Human Services There is a section for FOIA Materials Previously Released. click here
Department of Insurance, Securities & Banking There is a section for Frequently Requested FOIA Materials under Services and Information. click here


Primary research for this audit was conducted by Howard University journalism students LeeSandra Alexandre and Melissa Noel while interning at the Workshop. The project was edited by Pete Weitzel, who is a board member at the DCOGC and a former managing editor of the Miami Herald. FOIA contact information is from DCOGC.