FOIA Friend

Jurisdiction-first help for public records requests.

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New York (NY)

Law: New York Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) (N.Y. Pub. Off. Law §§ 84–90)

Notes: Put ‘FOIL Request’ in the subject line. Agencies must respond in 5 business days. Appeals go to agency head.

Generate a Request for New York

Jurisdiction Facts

Sourced from the jurisdiction registry. Not legal advice.

Best Practice

Put ‘FOIL Request’ in the subject line. Agencies must respond in 5 business days. Appeals go to agency head.

Statutory Response Deadline

5 business days to acknowledge under N.Y. Pub. Off. Law § 89(3); agency must then provide records or a date certain.

Observed Average Response

137 days (MuckRock observed average, not a statutory deadline).

Fee Waivers / Intake

Fee waivers available at agency discretion. Prepayment required for requests over $250.

Appeals

Appeal within 30 days of denial to the agency head or records access officer. If denied again, may file Article 78 proceeding.

Direct links to the governing statute, official requester guidance, and central portal for this jurisdiction.

Common Agencies

City of Buffalo City Clerk

Portal: Submit online

Mail: City of Buffalo City Clerk FOIL Unit 65 Niagara Square Buffalo NY 14202

Fees & notes

Buffalo City Clerk uses a GovQA portal for FOIL requests. They are known for being responsive but may experience delays due to high volume.

Source Reviewed 2026-04-27

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Erie County Sheriff's Office

Portal: Submit online

Mail: Erie County Sheriff's Office FOIL Unit 10 Delaware Avenue Buffalo NY 14202

Fees & notes

Erie County Sheriff's Office uses a GovQA portal for FOIL requests. They are known for being responsive but may experience delays due to high volume.

Source Reviewed 2026-04-27

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Office of the Governor - New York

Portal: Submit online

Email: [email protected]

Mail: Records Access Officer, Executive Chamber, State Capitol, Albany, NY 12224

Fees & notes

The New York State Executive Chamber does not have a dedicated online portal for FOIL requests. Requests are accepted via email or mail. The office has a reputation for significant backlogs and for asserting broad exemptions to deny access to records.

Source Reviewed 2026-04-27

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Southampton Village Police Department

Mail: Southampton Village Police Department ATTN Freedom of Information Officer 151 Windmill Lane Southampton NY 11968

Fees & notes

No specific MuckRock audit data available. The department explicitly requires FOIL requests to be submitted via mail, which can be slower.

Reviewed 2026-04-27

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