← All agencies
Department of Transportation
Most recent quarterly backlog
13,909
End of FY2026 Q2 (Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2026)
Latest annual report
9,841
End of FY2024 (Sept 30, 2024)
17-year change
+448%
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: 1,795
FY10: 1,702
FY12: 1,479
FY14: 2,536
FY16: 4,927
FY18: 4,426
FY20: 5,567
FY22: 6,669
FY24: 9,841
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
13,909
Received per quarter
5,133
Processed per quarter
3,610
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 | 2014-05-27 | 2,595 | 7.1 |
| #2 | 2014-07-22 | 2,556 | 7.0 |
| #3 | 2014-12-04 | 2,463 | 6.7 |
| #4 | 2014-12-16 | 2,455 | 6.7 |
| #5 | 2015-01-30 | 2,425 | 6.6 |
| #6 | 2015-02-18 | 2,413 | 6.6 |
| #7 | 2015-03-12 | 2,397 | 6.6 |
| #8 | 2015-04-09 | 2,377 | 6.5 |
| #9 | 2015-04-22 | 2,368 | 6.5 |
| #10 | 2015-04-22 | 2,368 | 6.5 |
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
65
Equivalent FTE
82.2
Total FTE
147.2
Annual report history
| FY | Received | Processed | Pending end |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 | 18,345 | 16,080 | 9,841 |
| FY2023 | 17,136 | 16,458 | 7,335 |
| FY2022 | 19,090 | 18,958 | 6,669 |
| FY2021 | 15,740 | 14,754 | 6,558 |
| FY2020 | 14,632 | 15,433 | 5,567 |
| FY2019 | 16,571 | 14,621 | 6,313 |
| FY2018 | 15,049 | 16,082 | 4,426 |
| FY2017 | 15,164 | 14,539 | 5,502 |
| FY2016 | 13,800 | 11,929 | 4,927 |
| FY2015 | 13,374 | 12,681 | 3,182 |
| FY2014 | 12,012 | 11,213 | 2,536 |
| FY2013 | 10,552 | 10,235 | 1,766 |
| FY2012 | 10,946 | 10,988 | 1,479 |
| FY2011 | 12,064 | 12,092 | 1,612 |
| FY2010 | 10,363 | 10,121 | 1,702 |
| FY2009 | 9,018 | 9,282 | 1,487 |
| FY2008 | 9,958 | 10,402 | 1,795 |
Download raw data
Every dataset behind this page is available as CSV. Filter by agency name in your spreadsheet of choice.