Information contained in FBI files is available to the general public under the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (FOIPA). Requests for information pursuant to FOIPA should be directed to any FBI field office which could maintain the records you seek. Additional information regarding the FOIPA is available at http://foia.fbi.gov.

For security and authentication reasons, all FOIPA requests sent to FBI Birmingham must be made in writing, addressed to the attention of Freedom of Information Request.

Requesting Information about Yourself

If you are requesting information about yourself, you must provide your full name, place and date of birth, and current mailing address.

It is recommended you also provide any aliases, nicknames, prior addresses, employment, or other information you believe would assist in conducting an accurate search of our records. If you have an FBI file number, please provide this is well.

To ensure that information is released only to persons with a right of access to the information, your request should be notarized or, in lieu of a notarized signature, you may submit a declaration pursuant to Title 28 United States Code, Section 1746. If you are requesting information through your attorney or another person, they should submit your signed, notarized authorization for the FBI to forward any responsive information to them.

Requesting Information about Another Individual

If you are requesting information about another individual, your request must be accompanied by proof of death (e.g. a copy of a death certificate or a newspaper obituary) or a signed, notarized privacy waiver from the individual who is subject of your request.

You should provide as much information as possible about the individual who is the subject of your request, including their full name, place and date of birth, aliases, nicknames, addresses, employment, or any other information you believe would assist in conducting an accurate search of our records.