36 CFR § 1250.51 - What fee policies apply to archival records?

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t36/s1250.51"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "36 CFR § 1250.51 - What fee policies apply to archival records?"
title_number: 36
title_name: "Parks, Forests, and Public Property"
section_number: "1250.51"
section_name: "What fee policies apply to archival records?"
chapter_name: "NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION"
subchapter_number: "C"
subchapter_name: "PUBLIC AVAILABILITY AND USE"
part_number: "1250"
part_name: "NARA RECORDS SUBJECT TO FOIA"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "44 U.S.C. 2104(a) and 2204 (3)(c)(1); 5 U.S.C. 552; Public Law 114-185; E.O. 13526; E.O. 12600; 52 FR 23781; 3 CFR, 1987 Comp., p. 235."
regulatory_source: "79 FR 56504, Sept. 22, 2014, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "1250"
---


# 1250.51 What fee policies apply to archival records?

(a) NARA is specifically authorized to charge fees for copying archival records under a separate fee statute, 44 U.S.C. 2116(c). As a result, archival records are exempt from the FOIA fee waiver provisions, per 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(4)(A)(vi), and we do not grant fee waivers for archival records requested under the FOIA. However, we make most of our archival records available for examination at the NARA facility where the records are located. Whenever this is possible, you may review the records in a NARA research room at that facility free of charge and may also use your own equipment to make copies.

(b) We do not charge search fees for FOIA requests for archival records, but we do limit the search to two hours.

(c) If you would like us to make copies of archival records, we typically require you to pay all applicable fees (in accordance with the fee schedule) before we provide the copies.

(d) You can find our Fee Schedule for archival records at: *www.archives.gov/research/order/fees.html.*