The Freedom of Information Act gives the public the right to access records from the Postal Service and other federal agencies.
Except when it doesn’t.
In some cases, USPS and other agencies are exempt from disclosing information under the law, also known as FOIA.
For example, the organization can redact or withhold records to protect information of a commercial nature, such as competitive product metrics, negotiated terms in a business contract or records indicating carrier or delivery lines of travel. Other examples of commercial information and factors to consider in assessing whether information is commercial can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations.
Additionally, the Postal Service isn’t required to disclose privileged communications — such as information that would be protected during a court discovery process, or information that would violate attorney-client privilege — as well as information that might violate an employee’s right to privacy.
USPS employees and contractors should never publicly release information exempt from disclosure.
For more information or additional guidance, refer to the FOIA sections on Blue and usps.com or email the USPS Privacy and Records Management Office.
