Filing an FOI or ATIP Request
When filing a freedom of information (“FOI”) or access to information and privacy (“ATIP”) request for either personal or general information, it is best practice to provide enough detail in your request so that the office responding to your request can locate the information you are seeking with a reasonable amount of effort. We encourage all requesters to be clear and specific, and to keep your request focused on the records or information that you need.
The wording of a request is important to the likelihood a public or private body will successfully fulfill your request. The more specific a request is, the more likely you will receive a response. However, in some cases it may be necessary to submit a broad request.
Example of a broad request: “All records associated with senior Parks and Recreation staff for the past calendar year.”
Example of a specific request: “All email records associated with the Director, Parks and Recreation, for the period of January 15th to 20th, for the past calendar year.”
Additional considerations when filing a request
On top of specificity, the following considerations may improve your request:
You are not required to state why you want the information, but if your request is unclear or complex you may receive a phone call or email asking for clarification. Providing additional information is not required, but might help narrow your request to only include the records that provide the most value to you. Furthermore, if you want some more easily retrievable records to be released before other records are made available, you can ask for a staged release.
These pages were last updated and reviewed in August of 2022.
The information on these pages only contains general information and guidance; none of the information constitutes legal advice. If you have a specific issue that you believe is a legal problem, the best practice is to consult a lawyer.
The information is non-partisan, dynamic and ever changing. It is the result of FIPA’s research and public education programs.
If you note something that needs to be added, corrected, or removed, please contact us by email: fipa AT fipa.bc.ca.