Remedy for denial of request
If the agency denies your appeal, or does not respond within the statutory time period, you may
file a lawsuit. You can file a FOIA lawsuit in the U.S. District Court where you live, where you have
your principal place of business, where the documents are kept, or in the District of Columbia. In court,
the agency will have to prove that any withheld information is covered by one of the exemptions or
exclusions listed in the FOIA or is prohibited from release by some other law. If you win a substantial
portion of your case, the court may require the government to pay your court costs and reasonable
attorney fees.