Authority for collecting the requested information is contained in 5 U.S.C. Section 552a, as amended, 32 C.F.R. Ch. 1, Parts 310 and 322, DoD Regulation 5400.11-R, and NSA/CSS Policy Instruction 12-0001. DoD's Blanket Routine Uses (found at Appendix C, 32 CFR Part 310) and the specific uses found in GNSA 28 apply to this information. Authority for requesting your Social Security Number (SSN) is Executive Order 9397, as amended. The requested information will be used to process your Privacy Act request. Disclosure of the requested information, including SSN, is voluntary. However, failure to furnish the requested information may delay or prevent the processing of your request. Failure to provide SSN will affect the ability to conduct a thorough search for records responsive to your request.
A proper Privacy Act Request is one in which the individual seeks records regarding one’s self that are contained in a file retrievable by the individual's name or personal identifier. All Privacy Act Requests, to include amendment requests, must be submitted in writing, contain as much detail as possible to identify the information requested or to be amended, and contain the requester's signature (a digital signature is required for all on-line submissions).
FOR CIVILIANS: If you are requesting your Standard Form 50 (Notification of Personnel Action) which is the required form for notifying employees when a change has occurred in their condition of employment, such as reassignment, change in benefits, promotion, award, etc., please use the following alias: NSA_SF50request@nsa.gov.
If you are requesting your Security Questionnaire Standard Form 86, the initial form used to apply for employment with the National Security Agency, please use the following alias: A5243_Sec_Info_Mgnt@nsa.gov.
For all other Privacy Act requests, please follow the procedures below.
Submitting a Privacy Act Request:
There are three convenient ways to submit a Privacy Act request to the National Security Agency (NSA). Regardless of your choice of submission, your signature is required. Acceptable forms of a signature can be a physical signature on Form O1869 (see instructions below), a digital signature via e-mail, or a scanned copy of the signature.
Each request must also include an unsworn declaration or a notarized statement of identity. In accordance with Title 28, United States Code (U.S.C.) Section 1746, “Unsworn declarations under penalty of perjury,” the language for an unsworn declaration shall be in the following form:
If executed outside the United States: “I declare (or certify, verify, or state) under the penalty of perjury, under the laws of the United States of America, that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on (date). (Signature).”
If executed within the United States, its territories, possessions, or commonwealths: “I declare (or certify, verify, or state) under the penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on (date). (Signature).”
- Complete the NSA Privacy Act Request Form O1869 found here and attach the form in an email to privacy_act_request@nsa.gov. Please be advised that your name typed in script or cursive font will not be accepted as a valid signature. You can also submit the signed NSA Privacy Act Request Form via United States Postal Service or fax as noted below.
- In writing via the United States Postal Service or other commercial delivery to:
National Security Agency
Attn: FOIA/PA Office
9800 Savage Road, Suite 6932
Ft. George G. Meade, MD 20755-6932
- Facsimile Number: 443-479-3612. Privacy Act requests submitted by facsimile are limited to 20 pages and should be marked to the attention of the FOIA/PA Office.
- By e-mail complete with a digital signature. Not all email services have the digital signature capability, so check before sending. Requests without a digital signature will not be processed. Please include the following items in the body of your e-mail.
Full name:
Address:
Street:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Country:
Home Phone:
Work Phone:
SSN:
Description of the records you seek:
Average Processing Time
It is difficult to provide an "average" processing time, as requests vary in scope and complexity. Actual processing time will depend upon how extensive a search is required; the complexity, volume, and sensitivity of the records located; the need for consultation among various offices within NSA/CSS, as well as the need to consult with other agencies having an interest in the material; and the number of cases preceding a request in the processing queue. Requests are processed on a "first-in, first-out" basis.
Expedited Treatment
As described by NSA/CSS Policy Instruction 12-0001, expedited processing will be granted if a compelling need for expediting the information is provided. A compelling need will mean a determination that the failure to obtain the records on an expedited basis could reasonably be expected to pose an imminent threat to the life or physical safety of the individual or an imminent loss of substantial due process rights. Requests for expedited processing must include a justification and a statement that certifies that the information provided is true and correct to the best of the individual’s knowledge.
Appeal Process
A requester has the right to file an administrative appeal if an adverse determination is made. Examples of adverse determinations are a denial of records or information within records, the inability of an agency to locate records, the determination that a request does not fall under the purview of this Agency, a denial of a waiver of fees, and a denial of expedited processing.
The FOIA/PA Office can be reached via phone at (301) 688-6527.