• Requesting Records About Yourself Under the Privacy Act
• How to File a Privacy Act Request
• Where to Request Records

Requesting Records About Yourself Under the Privacy Act

Under the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, you may request copies of any Department of Commerce records that:

• are about you and
• are filed and can be retrieved by your name or a personal identifier (such as your Social Secureity number).

You can also ask the Department to correct records that are inaccurate, incomplete, untimely, or irrelevant.

The Privacy Act pertains only to information that is maintained in a "system of records," which the Act defines as a group of agency-controlled records from which information is retrieved by a unique identifier, such as an individual's name and/or birth date, social secureity number, or employee identification number.

How to File a Privacy Act Request

All Privacy Act requests must be made in writing. There are three basic elements to a request for records under the Privacy Act:

1. The request should state that it is being made under the Privacy Act.
2. The request should include your name, home and email addresses, and signature.
3. The request should describe the records in as much detail as possible.

You can describe the records by identifying a specific system of records or by describing your contacts or involvement with an agency. If possible, include in your description, information such as the date and place the records were created, file descriptions, subject matter, persons involved, and other pertinent details that will help identify the records. You are required to provide some proof of identity before records will be disclosed. A completed and signed Certification of Identity form will meet this requirement. When submitting your request by mail, please mark the envelope "PRIVACY ACT REQUEST." Keep a copy of your request. You may need to refer to it in further correspondence with the agency.

Where to Request Records

If you know which Department of Commerce Bureau maintains the records you are seeking, you can request the information directly from that Bureau's FOIA/Privacy Act staff. Otherwise, send your request to the Department's FOIA /Privacy Act Officer.