WV Secretary of State Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request

The West Virginia Secretary of State’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request Database is the repository of FOIA requests received by our office pertaining to the information maintained by our agency.

The Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) is intended to provide the public with access to certain governmental documents and records, subject to various exemptions provided by the Act. FOIA does not require the Secretary of State’s office to create documents in response to a request, or to answer questions directed to this office or any other government office(s). FOIA merely requires the Secretary of State’s office to make available to the public the requested record(s).

The Secretary of State’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Database is required by W.Va. State Code §29B-1-3(f) and W.Va. State Code §29B-1-3a(a).

FOIA Database Access Requirements

W. Va. Code § 29B-1-3a requires all public bodies to enter information about completed FOIA requests into the Secretary of State's online database after completing a FOIA request. To set up an account as a Public Body agent, please Create a New Account HERE. NOTE: Searching the FOIA Requests database is open to the public.

All public bodies are required to enter specific information into the database for each FOIA request they receive.

NOTE: Searching the FOIA Requests database is open to the public.

Requesting Information from the West Virginia Secretary of State

Submit a FOIA Request
for Secretary of State Records

Submit a new FOIA Request

Log into the Secretary of State's
Online FOIA Database

Agency Login to FOIA Database

Search the Secretary of State
FOIA Database Records

Public FOIA Database Search

Secretary of State FOIA
FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Submit FOIA to Different State Agency or Public Body

Important Note: FOIA requests must be submitted directly to the public body/agency that is responsible for those records.

The Secretary of State is not the FOIA agent for all public bodies. To submit a FOIA request for public records that were not created or stored by the Secretary of State's Office, please contact that public body directly. To submit a FOIA request for records created or maintained by the Secretary of State's Office, please use the Submit a New FOIA Request button above.

Fees

The fee structure herein designated shall serve as the current policy with respect to all requests by any division within the West Virginia Secretary of State's Office. Payment will be required prior to receiving the request information. The Secretary, at his or her discretion, may elect to waive any and all fees.


Copying and Duplication Fee	$0.10 per page
Postage and/or Shipping Fee	actual exact cost
* WV Code 29B-1-3(e-f) states that "The public body may establish fees reasonably calculated to reimburse it for its actual cost in making reproductions of records. A public body may not charge a search or retrieval fee or otherwise seek reimbursement based on a man-hour basis as part of costs associated with making reproduction of records."
"The Secretary of State shall maintain an electronic data base of notices of requests as required by section three-a of this article. The database shall be made available to the public via the Internet and shall list each freedom of information request received and the outcome of the request. The Secretary of State shall provide on the website a form for use by a public body to report the results of the freedom of information request, providing the nature of the request and the public body's response thereto, whether the request was granted, and if not, the exemption asserted under section four of this article to deny the request."

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