These instructions are for FOIL requests directed to the NYC Comptroller’s Office only. For FOIL requests for other NYC agencies, entities, or elected officials, please contact them directly.
How do I make a FOIL request?
You may submit FOIL requests online here: Submit FOIL Request Online
FOIL requests must be in writing. Please be as specific as possible when making your request so that we can identify the records that are responsive to your request.
If you cannot complete the online submission form, you may send your FOIL request by e-mail to foil@comptroller.nyc.gov or by mail to:
Records Access Officer
New York City Comptroller’s Office
One Centre Street, Room 602
Municipal Building
New York, NY 10007
Please include your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address so that we may respond to your request.
What happens after the Comptroller’s office receives a FOIL request?
If your request is made using the online form, you will receive an automated response receipt. Please note that this automated response receipt is not an official acknowledgment of your FOIL request under New York State Public Officers Law §89(3)(a). You will receive an official acknowledgment within five business days of your request with an estimate of how long it will take to provide the requested records. If your request is made by mail, you will receive an official acknowledgment within five days of our receipt of your request.
What are the costs/fees associated with making a FOIL request?
We will provide copies of the requested records to you in electronic form by e-mail for no charge. If you would like hard copies of the records, there is a charge of 25¢ per page, which must be paid before we release the requested records. A check for the applicable fee should be made payable to “NYC Comptroller” and mailed to:
New York City Comptroller’s Office
Attn: FOIL
One Centre Street, Suite 602
Municipal Building
New York, NY 10007
What can I do if my request is denied in whole or in part?
State Law exempts certain records from disclosure. The Records Access Officer may deny your request, in whole or in part, if it falls under these exemptions. If you disagree with the Records Access Officer’s denial of your request, you may appeal by sending a letter to:
FOIL Appeals Officer
New York City Comptroller’s Office
Office of the General Counsel
One Centre Street, Suite 602
Municipal Building
New York, NY 10007
Additional data from New York City agencies, including the Comptroller’s Office, can be found on the New York City Open Data portal.
Inter-Agency Document Review Protocol: Ensuring Compliance, Confidentiality and Transparency
Upon receiving the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request, our office promptly identifies responsive agency records that may contain information that is exempt from disclosure.
If a FOIL request seeks records originally provided to the Comptroller’s Office by another New York City or State agency, the Comptroller’s Office may need to consult with that agency. To ensure compliance with FOIL and to uphold transparency, we will request that the providing agency review the records within five (5) business days and provide proposed redactions, if any, along with a detailed explanation for the proposed redactions, including citations to applicable law(s) that support the proposed redactions. The Comptroller’s Office retains the right to reject any proposed redactions if it does not agree that the redactions are proper under FOIL.