# FOIA request tracking software that starts the clock where the statute does

> FOIA request tracking is the case management work behind the Freedom of Information Act at 5 U.S.C. 552: logging each request on receipt, starting the statutory clock, tasking records searches, applying exemptions, calculating fees and issuing a response. Agencies have 20 business days to make a determination, with a 10 working day extension in unusual circumstances, and there are 9 statutory exemptions. Neurobird tracks all of it and assembles the annual report figures.

- URL: https://neurobird.com/foiarequest/
- Product: Neurobird FOIA Request Tracking Document Automation Platform
- Niche: FOIA request tracking
- Buyer: public records and FOIA offices
- Status: in development, open for early access
- Updated: 2026-08-21

## What Neurobird FOIA Request Tracking does

- Log requests on receipt so the 20 business day clock starts where the statute says it does
- Task searches to program offices and track which are late without chasing by email
- Record exemptions and dispositions per request as you apply them, not at reporting time
- Produce annual report figures from the case record rather than from a hand count

## How it works

1. **Log on receipt** Every request gets a tracking number and a due date the moment it arrives, so the 20 business day clock is never reconstructed from an email timestamp.
2. **Task the search** Program offices get their piece with a date attached, and lateness is visible by office rather than discovered when the deadline passes.
3. **Record as you decide** Exemptions, dispositions, page counts and fee category are captured per request, so annual report figures come out of the case record.

## From the source material

> Federal agencies are required to disclose any information requested under the FOIA unless it falls under one of nine exemptions which protect interests such as personal privacy, national security, and law enforcement.

Source: FOIA.gov, https://www.foia.gov/about.html

## Industry context

- **552** The Freedom of Information Act is codified at 5 U.S.C. 552 and sets the request, determination, appeal and reporting obligations every federal agency carries. (source: US Department of Justice, Office of Information Policy, https://www.justice.gov/oip/freedom-information-act-5-usc-552)
- **20 days** Agencies have 20 business days to determine whether to comply with a request, extendable by 10 working days in unusual circumstances. (source: US Department of Justice, Office of Information Policy, https://www.justice.gov/oip)
- **9** There are 9 statutory exemptions and 3 special law enforcement exclusions, and the exemption applied to each withholding has to be reported annually. (source: FOIA.gov, https://www.foia.gov/about.html)
- **1,200,000** Federal agencies together receive on the order of 1.2 million FOIA requests a year, reported through the government wide annual report data. (source: FOIA.gov annual report data, https://www.foia.gov/data.html)
- **2007** The Office of Government Information Services was created by the OPEN Government Act of 2007 and acts as the federal FOIA ombudsman at the National Archives. (source: National Archives, OGIS, https://www.archives.gov/ogis)

## Pricing

- Small office: $140 per office, per month
- Agency component: $340 per office, per month
- Department wide: $620 per office, per month

## Questions

### What is FOIA request tracking?

FOIA request tracking is the case management work behind the Freedom of Information Act at 5 U.S.C. 552: logging each request on receipt, starting the statutory clock, tasking records searches, applying exemptions, calculating fees and issuing a response. Agencies must also report annually on volumes, dispositions, exemptions and processing times.

### How long does an agency have to respond?

The statute gives 20 business days to determine whether to comply with a request, with a 10 working day extension available in unusual circumstances. That is a determination deadline, not a delivery deadline, which is why backlog and processing time are tracked separately.

### How many exemptions does FOIA have?

There are 9 statutory exemptions covering things like classified national security information, internal personnel rules, information protected by other statutes, trade secrets, deliberative process, personal privacy, law enforcement records, bank supervision and geological data. There are also 3 special law enforcement exclusions.

### What is OGIS?

The Office of Government Information Services sits at the National Archives and acts as the federal FOIA ombudsman, offering mediation between requesters and agencies and reviewing agency compliance. It was created by the OPEN Government Act of 2007.

### Does this work for state public records laws?

The clocks and exemptions differ by state, but the shape of the work is the same: log on receipt, task a search, review, redact, respond and report. The tracking layer is configurable rather than hard wired to the federal statute.

## Sources

- [FOIA, 5 U.S.C. 552](https://www.justice.gov/oip/freedom-information-act-5-usc-552)
- [DOJ Office of Information Policy](https://www.justice.gov/oip)
- [FOIA.gov annual report data](https://www.foia.gov/data.html)
- [National Archives, OGIS](https://www.archives.gov/ogis)

## Contact

- office@neurobird.com
- https://neurobird.com/