Denial of request
If the agency locates records in response to your request, it can withhold them (or any portion of
them) only if they are exempt from disclosure under the FOIA or are prohibited from release by some
other law. For records that contain portions of information that is withheld, the agency should clearly
mark those portions with the applicable FOIA exemption(s). If an agency denies your request, in whole
or in part, it ordinarily must provide an estimate of the amount of material withheld, state the reason(s)
for the denial, and inform you of your right to appeal to a higher decision-making level within the
agency.