FOI Request Log Template (Clock, Exemptions, Reviews)

FOI log: clock rules (UK FOIA, US FOIA, EU 1049/2001), requests with computed due dates, exemptions and reasoning, reviews, performance

Public SectorStandardUK FOIA 2000 s.10; US FOIA 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(6); Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 Art. 7-8foi request logUpdated Oct 29, 2026

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How to use: Use it in a public body that receives freedom of information or access to documents requests. Write the clock rules and holiday calendar first, then log each request on the day it arrives. The main pitfall is miscounting working days, for example missing a bank holiday that applies in another part of the country.

Preview

Freedom of Information Request Log: [Public body name]

A log for tracking requests for information made to a public body under a freedom of information (FOI) or access to documents law: each request, its statutory clock, clarifications and pauses, exemptions considered, the response, internal reviews and appeals. The structure is neutral, with dated rules from three regimes as examples: the UK Freedom of Information Act 2000 section 10 (with ICO guidance updated 7 January 2026), the US Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(6), and EU Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 Articles 7 and 8. Replace every [bracketed] value and every row marked Example. This is a documentation format, not legal advice: check the current law and your regulator's guidance, and ask your legal adviser on exemptions.

Log control

Field	Value
Log ID	[FOI-LOG-2026]
Public body	[Name]
Regime	[UK FOIA 2000 / US FOIA / EU Regulation 1049/2001 / National law]
Owner	[@foi-officer]
Approvers/reviewers	[@information-governance-lead], [@legal]
Case file location	[System]
Retention of log entries	[Period and reason]
Last updated	YYYY-MM-DD

1. Clock rules for this body

Rule	UK FOIA 2000	US FOIA 5 U.S.C. 552	EU Regulation 1049/2001
Initial response	Promptly and no later than the 20th working day following receipt (s.10(1))	Determination within 20 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal public holidays, after receipt ((a)(6)(A)(i))	Within 15 working days from registration (Art. 7(1))
Working day	ICO: excludes weekends, Christmas Day, Good Friday and any bank holiday in any part of the UK	Federal legal public holidays excluded	Institution's working days
Pauses	Clarification needed to identify the information restarts the clock from receipt of the clarification (s.1(3)); fees notice pauses it until payment (s.10(2))	One request for information from the requester, or clarification of fees, tolls the period ((a)(6)(A)(ii))	Not stated in Art. 7; check the institution's rules
Extension	Reasonable extra time to consider the public interest for qualified exemptions (s.10(3)); ICO and the s.45 Code of Practice: usually no more than 20 further working days	Unusual circumstances: written notice, generally no more than 10 working days ((a)(6)(B)(i))	Exceptional cases: 15 further working days with advance notice and reasons (Art. 7(3))
Review stage	Internal review: Code of Practice (2018) target 20 working days, usually no more than 20 more; requests accepted within 40 working days of the response	Appeal decided within 20 days; requester has at least 90 days to appeal	Confirmatory application within 15 working days of the reply; decided within 15 working days, extendable by 15 (Art. 7(2), Art. 8)
Next step	Complaint to the Information Commissioner (s.50)	Court review; FOIA Public Liaison and OGIS mediation	Court proceedings or complaint to the European Ombudsman

2. Request log

Ref	Received	Channel	Requester type	Summary of request	Clarification sought / received	Clock pauses	Due date	Status
FOI-2026-0412 (Example, UK)	2026-11-02	Email	Journalist	Contracts for road gritting 2024 to 2026	None	None	2026-12-01	Responded 2026-11-24
FOI-2026-0413 (Example, US)	2026-11-02	Portal	Individual	Inspection reports for a named facility	None	None	2026-12-02 (2026-12-16 with unusual circumstances notice)	Extension sent 2026-11-20
FOI-2026-0414 (Example, EU)	2026-11-02 (registered)	Email	NGO	Minutes of an expert group	None	None	2026-11-23	Responded 2026-11-19
[Ref]	YYYY-MM-DD	[Channel]	[Type]	[Summary]	[Dates]	[Dates]	YYYY-MM-DD	[Open / Responded / Late / Withdrawn]

How the example dates were computed:

UK: day 1 is 2026-11-03, the first working day after receipt. Counting 20 working days and excluding St Andrew's Day (30 November 2026, a bank holiday in Scotland, so excluded under the ICO rule for any part of the UK) gives 2026-12-01. Ignoring it would wrongly give 2026-11-30. A public interest extension of 20 further working days, excluding 25 and 28 December 2026, would run to 2026-12-31.
US: 20 days excluding weekends and the federal holidays of 11 November (Veterans Day) and 26 November 2026 (Thanksgiving) gives 2026-12-02; 10 further working days gives 2026-12-16.
EU: 15 working days from registration, counting weekdays only, gives 2026-11-23. Add the institution's own holidays where they fall in the period.

3. Exemptions and outcome

Ref	Outcome	Exemptions or exceptions applied	Harm or public interest reasoning	Decided by	Information released
FOI-2026-0412 (Example, UK)	Partly released	s.43(2) commercial interests for unit rates; s.40(2) personal information for staff names below senior level	Unit rates in a live retender would prejudice the authority's position; public interest in disclosure of totals met by releasing contract values	[@name]	Contract values, terms, redacted schedule
FOI-2026-0413 (Example, US)	Pending	(b)(4) under review for supplier data; (b)(6) for personal details	[Reasoning]	[@name]	[Pending]
[Ref]	[Released / Partly released / Refused / Not held / Cost limit / Vexatious]	[Provision]	[Reasoning]	[@name]	[Summary]

Reference lists: UK FOIA Part II exemptions and section 12 (cost limit: £600 for central government and £450 for other bodies at £25 per hour, as described in the 2018 Code of Practice) and section 14 (vexatious or repeated requests); US FOIA exemptions (b)(1) to (b)(9); EU Regulation 1049/2001 Article 4 exceptions.

4. Reviews, appeals and complaints

Ref	Review requested	Review due	Outcome	Regulator or court case	Lessons
[Ref]	YYYY-MM-DD	YYYY-MM-DD	[Upheld / Overturned / Partly overturned]	[Reference]	[Lesson]

5. Performance summary

Period	Requests received	Responded on time	Late	Extensions used	Reviews	Overturned at review
[Quarter]	[n]	[n (%)]	[n]	[n]	[n]	[n]

References

Reference	Date checked	Link
Freedom of Information Act 2000, section 10	2026-10-30	https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/10
ICO guidance: time limits for compliance (section 10)	Updated 2026-01-07	https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/foi/freedom-of-information-and-environmental-information-regulations/time-limits-for-compliance-under-the-freedom-of-information-act-section-10/
Freedom of Information Code of Practice (section 45)	July 2018	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/freedom-of-information-code-of-practice
5 U.S.C. 552	2026-10-30	https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title5-section552
Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 on public access to documents	OJ L 145, 31.5.2001	https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2001/1049/oj

Standard and licence note

Based on the UK Freedom of Information Act 2000, the ICO guidance on section 10 and the section 45 Code of Practice (2018), the US Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, all public law and official guidance, paraphrased in original wording. Environmental information may fall under separate rules (for example the UK Environmental Information Regulations 2004). Check the current texts and take legal advice before applying an exemption. This is not legal advice.

Template licence: MIT.

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