(a) In general. Search, review, and duplication fees will be charged in accordance with the provisions in paragraphs (b) through (j) of this section relating to schedule, limitations, and category of requester. Applicable fees will be due even if our search locates no responsive records or some or all of the responsive records must be denied under one or more of the exemptions of the Freedom of Information Act.

(b) Fee waiver requests. Records will be furnished without charge or at a reduced rate whenever the Agency determines:

(1) That, as a matter of administrative discretion, the interest of the United States Government would be served; or

(2) That it is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to the public understanding of the operations or activities of the United States Government and is not primarily in the commercial interest of the requester.

(c) Fee waiver appeals. Denials of requests for fee waivers or reductions may be appealed to the Chair of the Agency Release Panel via the Coordinator. A requester is encouraged to provide any explanation or argument as to how his or her request satisfies the statutory requirement set forth in § 1900.01.

(d) Time for fee waiver requests and appeals. Fee waiver requests and appeals must be directed to the Coordinator in accordance with §§ 1900.03 and 1900.11. It is suggested that such requests and appeals be made and resolved prior to the initiation of processing and the incurring of costs. However, fee waiver requests will be accepted at any time prior to the release of documents or the completion of a case, and fee waiver appeals within forty-five (45) business days of our initial decision subject to the following condition: If processing has been initiated, then the requester must agree to be responsible for costs in the event of an adverse administrative or judicial decision. When making fee waiver requests or appeals, no particular format is required other than a statement of the basis for the request or appeal.

(e) Agreement to pay fees. In order to protect requesters from large and/or unanticipated charges, the Agency will request a specific commitment from the requester to pay applicable fees when the Agency estimates that fees will exceed $25.00. The Agency will toll for forty-five (45) business days requests requiring such agreement and will thereafter deem the request closed in the absence of a response from the requester. This action, of course, would not prevent a requester from refiling the FOIA request with a fee commitment at a subsequent date.

(f) Deposits. The Agency may require an advance deposit of up to 100 percent of the estimated fees when fees may exceed $250.00 and the requester has no history of payment, or when, for fees of any amount, there is evidence that the requester previously failed to pay fees in a timely fashion. The Agency will toll for forty-five (45) business days those requests where deposits have been requested and will thereafter deem the request closed in the absence of a response from the requester.

(g) Schedule of fees—(1) In general. The schedule of fees for services performed in responding to requests for records is established as follows:

(2) Application of schedule. Personnel search time includes time expended in either manual paper records searches, indices searches, review of computer search results for relevance, personal computer system searches, and various duplication services. In any event where the actual cost to the Agency of a particular item is less than listed in the schedule in table 1 to paragraph (g)(1) of this section (e.g., a large production run of a document resulted in a cost less than $5.00 per hundred pages), then the actual lesser cost will be charged. Items published and available at the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) may also be available from CIA pursuant to this part at the NTIS price as authorized by statute.

(3) Other services. For all other types of output, production, or duplication (e.g., photographs, maps, or published reports), actual cost or amounts authorized by statute will be charged. Determinations of actual cost shall include the commercial cost of the media, the personnel time expended in making the item to be released, and an allocated cost of the equipment used in making the item, or, if the production is effected by a commercial service, then that charge shall be deemed the actual cost for purposes of this part.

(h) Charging fees. In responding to FOIA requests, CIA shall assess fees as follows unless a waiver or reduction of fees has been granted under paragraph (b) of this section:

(1) Commercial use requesters. Charges which recover the full direct costs related to search, review, and duplication of responsive records (if any);

(2) Educational or non-commercial scientific institutions, or representatives of the news media. Charges for duplication of responsive records (if any) beyond the first 100 pages; and

(3) All other requesters. Charges which recover the full direct costs related to search and duplication of responsive records (if any) beyond the first two hours of search time and first 100 pages.

(i) Limitations on collection of fees—(1) In general. No fees will be charged if the cost of collecting the fee is equal to or greater than the fee itself. That cost includes the administrative costs to the Agency of billing, receiving, recording, and processing the fee for deposit to the Treasury Department and, as of April 17, 2023, is deemed to be $25.00.

(2) Requests for personal information. No fees will be charged for U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents seeking records about themselves under the Privacy Act; such requests are processed in accordance with both the FOIA and the Privacy Act in order to ensure the maximum disclosure without charge.

(3) Untimely response. If CIA fails to comply with the FOIA's time limits for responding to a request, CIA will not charge search fees or, in the case of requesters in the educational or non-commercial scientific institutions or representatives of the news media category, duplication fees, except as set forth in paragraph (i)(4) of this section.

(4) Special circumstances. (i) If CIA determines that unusual circumstances as defined by the FOIA apply and the Agency has provided timely written notice to the requester, a failure to comply with the time limit shall be excused an additional ten (10) business days.

(ii) If CIA determines that unusual circumstances, as defined by the FOIA, apply and more than 5,000 pages are necessary to respond to the request, the Agency may charge search fees or, in the case of requesters in the educational or non-commercial scientific institutions or representatives of the news media category, duplication fees if the Agency has provided timely written notice of unusual circumstances to the requester in accordance with the FOIA and has discussed with the requester via written mail, email, or telephone (or made not less than three good-faith attempts to do so) how the requester could effectively limit the scope of the request in accordance with the requirements of the FOIA, 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(6)(B)(ii). If this exception is satisfied, CIA may charge all applicable fees incurred in the processing of the request.

(iii) If a court determines that exceptional circumstances exist, as defined in the FOIA, 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(6)(C), a failure to comply with the time limit shall be excused for the length of time provided by the court order.

(j) Associated requests. A requester or associated requesters may not file a series of multiple requests, which are merely discrete subdivisions of the information actually sought for the purpose of avoiding or reducing applicable fees. In such instances, the Agency may aggregate the requests and charge the applicable fees.