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Public Records / FOI Request Form

Accept freedom of information requests with scope, format and dates.

Questions
17
Pages
3
Layouts
classic
Conditional rules
3
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About this template

Information requests carry statutory deadlines, so the intake form has to establish scope precisely on day one. This template asks the requester for their name, contact details and whether they are acting as an individual, journalist, researcher, business or on behalf of someone else. The request itself is described in free text with prompts to be specific about the information sought rather than the questions being asked, and to name the department if known. Crucially, the form captures the date range covered, the format the requester wants — copies, inspection, electronic data or a summary — and whether they are requesting their own personal data, which routes the case as a subject access request instead of a general information request. A fees section explains that some requests attract charges and asks for a cost limit above which the requester wants to be contacted first. Submissions arrive with the statutory clock start date recorded, and each request gets a reference number the requester can quote in correspondence.

What this form asks

Every question is editable — rename it, make it optional, or delete it entirely.

Page 1 — About you

  • Full namerequired
  • Email addressrequired
  • Contact number
  • Correspondence address
  • You are requesting asrequired
  • Are you making this request on behalf of someone else?required
  • Who are you acting for, and do you have their authority?

Page 2 — What you need

  • Describe the information you are requestingrequired
  • Department or service area (if known)
  • Information from (date)
  • Information to (date)
  • Are you requesting your own personal data?required
  • Proof of identity

Page 3 — Format and fees

  • Preferred formatrequired
  • Preferred dates for inspection
  • Cost limit before you want to be contacted (£)
  • Agreementrequired

17 questions in total.

Conditional logic included

  • When “Are you requesting your own personal data?” is Yes, show “Proof of identity”.
  • When “Are you making this request on behalf of someone else?” is Yes, require “Who are you acting for, and do you have their authority?”.
  • When “Preferred format” is Inspection in person, show “Preferred dates for inspection”.

Works in this layout

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Frequently asked questions

Does this start the statutory clock?
The submission timestamp records when the request was received, giving your team a defensible start date for the response deadline.
How are subject access requests handled?
A conditional question identifies personal-data requests and reveals an identity upload so they can be routed separately.
Can we add our own exemption wording?
Yes — the agreement text is fully editable so it can match your published information access policy.
Can requesters track progress?
Send the reference number in the confirmation email and update the requester from the submission record.

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