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Department of Justice
Most recent quarterly backlog
37,052
End of FY2026 Q2 (Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2026)
Latest annual report
26,919
End of FY2024 (Sept 30, 2024)
17-year change
+327%
FY2008 → FY2024 (Oct 1, 2007 – Sept 30, 2024)
Annual backlog, FY2008–FY2024
Pending requests at end of each fiscal year (Oct 1, 2007 – Sept 30, 2024). Federal fiscal year runs Oct 1 – Sept 30, named for the year it ends.
FY08: 6,302
FY10: 7,538
FY12: 8,000
FY14: 12,910
FY16: 15,462
FY18: 25,217
FY20: 36,018
FY22: 70,360
FY24: 26,919
Dashed verticals mark presidential inaugurations.
Recent quarterly activity
Last 22 quarters of received, processed, and backlog. Most recent: FY2026 Q2 (Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2026).
Backlog
37,052
Received per quarter
31,342
Processed per quarter
32,767
10 oldest pending requests, end of FY2024 (Sept 30, 2024)
Days pending counts forward from the day the request was received. The longer this list runs, the more litigation-ripe the agency’s backlog.
| Rank | Date received | Days pending | Years pending |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 2014-02-27 | 2,650 | 7.3 |
| #2 | 2014-04-09 | 2,621 | 7.2 |
| #3 | 2014-04-18 | 2,614 | 7.2 |
| #4 | 2014-04-29 | 2,607 | 7.1 |
| #5 | 2014-04-29 | 2,600 | 7.1 |
| #6 | 2014-06-03 | 2,583 | 7.1 |
| #7 | 2014-06-11 | 2,577 | 7.1 |
| #8 | 2014-07-14 | 2,555 | 7.0 |
| #9 | 2014-07-30 | 2,543 | 7.0 |
| #10 | 2014-07-31 | 2,542 | 7.0 |
Exemption invocations, FY2024 (Oct 1, 2023 – Sept 30, 2024)
How often each FOIA exemption (b1–b9) was invoked when redacting or denying records. Exemption 5 (deliberative process, attorney-client) is highlighted — it’s the most-fought exemption in FOIA litigation.
FOIA staffing, FY2024 (Oct 1, 2023 – Sept 30, 2024)
Full-time employees
446
Equivalent FTE
93.7
Total FTE
539.7
Annual report history
| FY | Received | Processed | Pending end |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 | 132,527 | 157,180 | 26,919 |
| FY2023 | 110,934 | 144,065 | 50,238 |
| FY2022 | 93,370 | 82,868 | 70,360 |
| FY2021 | 97,490 | 75,511 | 58,936 |
| FY2020 | 86,729 | 84,442 | 36,018 |
| FY2019 | 95,119 | 88,668 | 32,773 |
| FY2018 | 96,875 | 91,383 | 25,217 |
| FY2017 | 82,088 | 79,390 | 18,930 |
| FY2016 | 73,103 | 71,854 | 15,462 |
| FY2015 | 67,783 | 67,825 | 13,560 |
| FY2014 | 64,488 | 63,026 | 12,910 |
| FY2013 | 70,081 | 68,241 | 10,298 |
| FY2012 | 69,456 | 68,531 | 8,000 |
| FY2011 | 63,103 | 63,992 | 6,897 |
| FY2010 | 63,682 | 63,368 | 7,538 |
| FY2009 | 61,391 | 60,217 | 7,412 |
| FY2008 | 59,615 | 61,272 | 6,302 |
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