Under FOIA, you have a right to a response within twenty business days excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays. The period begins on the day the request is actually received by the FOIA office which maintains the records requested. Census makes every effort to meet this time frame, however, under certain circumstances, this period may be extended up to 30 business days.

Agencies are allowed an additional ten business days when:

• They need to collect responsive records from field offices;
•  The request involves a "voluminous" amount of records which must be located, compiled, and reviewed; or
• If an agency must consult with another agency which has a substantial interest in the responsive document. When an extension is needed, the requester may be notified and offered the opportunity to modify or limit their request.