Manyaqx said:
$25? should it not be free?
Why do I have to pay to file a request?
There is no fee to file a FOIA request. FOIA established four fee categories that agencies use to determine if fees will be charged:
(1) commercial requesters may be charged fees for searching for records, reviewing the records, and photocopying them;
(2) news media, educational or noncommercial scientific institutions are charged for photocopying, after the first 100 pages;
(3) (4) all other requesters (requesters who do not fall into any of the other three categories) are charged for photocopying after 100 pages and for time spent searching for records in excess of two hours.
In the event that fees are incurred beyond what you are entitled to for free, please indicate a specific amount that you are willing to pay. If you do not indicate another amount in FOIAonline, please be advised that some agency regulations provide that making a FOIA request represents an agreement to pay fees up to $25 (See Agency specific regulations from the links on the main page).