FOIA Library will make frequently requested records and records of public interest easily available, free of charge.  

Richmond, VA — Today, Mayor Danny Avula announced the official launch of the City’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Library. A step toward increasedgovernment transparency, the FOIA Library provides residents, members of the media, and interested individuals easy, free access to City records. 

Browse the library here: go.rva.gov/foialibrary  

"I'm proud and excited to officially launch the City's FOIA Library,” said Mayor Danny Avula . “This is just one step, one practical tool, that we've implemented to make City government more transparent and easier to access. It's part of our commitment to building trust by making public information easier for Richmonders to find and use." 

Each month, the City of Richmond receives hundreds of FOIA requests. While some of the responses to those requests may contain private or sensitive information, many are of interest to the public and give a greater understanding of the City’s operations, polices, or decision-making. 

Per ORD. 2025-240 , passed by City Council in December of 2025, records will be added to the FOIA Library if they: 

• are requested by two or more requesters;  
• contribute to public understanding of the City’s operations, policies, or decision-making activities;  
• expose wrongdoing or misconduct of a public official, government employee or member of the public;  
• are relevant to the evaluation, performance, or accountability of City programs or functions;  
• are otherwise of sufficient public interest to warrant proactive disclosure in order to promote transparency, public understanding, or accountability in City operations. 

As of today, responsive records from all City departments that meet the above rubric, except those from the Richmond Police Department, will be included in the FOIA Library. RPD will begin including records in the FOIA Library on September 1. RPD receives around half of the City’s FOIA requests and requires additional time to build out their process in the City’s new FOIA platform . 

Residents and members of the media can submit new FOIA requests here: rva.gov/foia . FOIA requests for records owned by the Richmond Police Department should continue to be directed to [email protected] .