Application For Public Access to Records

Freedom of Information Law (FOIL)

The Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) gives the public the right to access certain government records.

The New York State Legislature described the purpose of FOIL as follows:

"A free society is maintained when government is responsive and responsible to the public, and when the public is aware of governmental actions. The more open a government is with its citizenry, the greater the understanding and participation of the public in government."
New York State Public Officers Law §84

"The People's right to know the process of government decision making and the documents and statistics leading to determinations is basic to our society."
Resolution Nos. 152 (1975), 30 (1981), and 112 (2007), Genesee County Legislature

How to Submit a FOIL Request

Submit a Request by Mail

To submit a FOIL request by mail, complete the Genesee County FOIL Request Form (PDF)(PDF, 90KB) and mail it to the appropriate department.

For Sheriff's Office records, use the Genesee County Sheriff's Office FOIL Request Form (PDF)(PDF, 2MB).

Information to Include in Your Request

• Provide as much detail as possible about the records you are requesting, including relevant dates, names and descriptions.
• Avoid overly broad requests.
• Describe the requested records clearly enough for the department to identify them.

If any portion of your request is denied, you will be notified in writing of the reason for the denial and provided the name, address and email address of the person or body to whom an appeal should be directed.

Submit a Request Online

Genesee County also accepts FOIL requests online using the form below.