United States Copyright Office
Annual backlog, FY2008–FY2025
Pending requests at end of each fiscal year (Oct 1, 2007 – Sept 30, 2025). Federal fiscal year runs Oct 1 – Sept 30, named for the year it ends.
Dashed verticals mark presidential inaugurations.
Recent quarterly activity
Last 21 quarters of received, processed, and backlog. Most recent: FY2026 Q2 (Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2026).
10 oldest pending requests, end of FY2025 (Sept 30, 2025)
Agencies report days pending in working days, counted from the day the request was received; the years column converts to calendar years. The longer this list runs, the more litigation-ripe the agency’s backlog.
| Rank | Date received | Working days pending | Years pending |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 2021-12-22 | 938 | 3.8 |
| #2 | 2024-09-25 | 251 | 1.0 |
| #3 | 2025-01-07 | 183 | 0.7 |
| #4 | 2025-03-14 | 138 | 0.5 |
| #5 | 2025-03-25 | 132 | 0.5 |
| #6 | 2025-04-23 | 111 | 0.4 |
| #7 | 2025-05-12 | 98 | 0.4 |
| #8 | 2025-05-24 | 88 | 0.4 |
| #9 | 2025-07-23 | 49 | 0.2 |
| #10 | 2025-07-25 | 47 | 0.2 |
Exemption invocations, FY2025 (Oct 1, 2024 – Sept 30, 2025)
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, FY2025 (Oct 1, 2024 – Sept 30, 2025)
Annual report history
| FY | Received | Processed | Pending end |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | 103 | 86 | 31 |
| FY2024 | 79 | 72 | 14 |
| FY2023 | 47 | 40 | 14 |
| FY2022 | 54 | 57 | 4 |
| FY2021 | 49 | 47 | 7 |
| FY2020 | 50 | 55 | 5 |
| FY2019 | 46 | 42 | 10 |
| FY2018 | 41 | 44 | 6 |
| FY2017 | 43 | 35 | 9 |
| FY2016 | 23 | 27 | 1 |
| FY2015 | 36 | 34 | 5 |
| FY2014 | 43 | 43 | 3 |
| FY2013 | 35 | 36 | 3 |
| FY2012 | 37 | 38 | 3 |
| FY2011 | 44 | 40 | 5 |
| FY2010 | 36 | 44 | 1 |
| FY2009 | 31 | 32 | 9 |
| FY2008 | 54 | 46 | 10 |
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