Request Office of Victim Services Records Through The New York State Freedom of Information Law

The Freedom of Information Law (“FOIL”), Article 6 (Sections 84-90) of the NYS Public Officers Law, provides the public right to access records maintained by government agencies with certain exceptions. 

“Record” means any information kept, held, filed, produced or reproduced by, with, or for this agency, in any physical form whatsoever including, but not limited to, reports, statements, examinations, memoranda, opinions, folders, files, books, manuals, pamphlets, forms, papers, designs, drawings, maps, photos, letters, microfilms, computer tapes or disks, rules, regulations or codes.

Learn more about records access and Open FOIL NY.

The New York State Office of Victim Services (OVS) wants victims, claimants and potential claimants to know that the records compiled for their claims are exempt from disclosure under FOIL. If you would like a portion of, or YOUR entire record related to a claim from OVS, please mail a written request, including your original signature to the address below.

Use the Open FOIL NY online form

Mail a written request to:
Records Access Officer
Office of General Counsel
NYS Office of Victim Services
Alfred E. Smith Building
80 South Swan Street
Albany, New York 12210

E-mail a written request to: [email protected]

Fax a written request to: (518) 457-8658

Submit a request for records in person:

You can submit a written request for records in person, by appointment, on business days between 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, at the OVS Albany office, Alfred E. Smith Building, 80 South Swan Street, Albany, New York.  You may schedule an appointment to bring in the written request for records by calling (518) 457-8066. When delivering the request, upon entering the main entrance of the building, advise Security Staff that you would like to request records from the Office of Victim Services. Security Staff will contact the Records Access Office, and a staff member will provide assistance.  Please be advised records require review prior to disclosure. As a result, documents and records will not be immediately available.

Within five business days of the receipt of a written request for a record reasonably described, we will send you a letter either: making such record available; denying such request in writing; or furnishing a written acknowledgment of the receipt of such request.  If you have not received a letter within five business days, please contact us at (518) 457-8066 or [email protected].

An acknowledgment letter will provide you with an estimate of when the records you request will be available, which shall be reasonable under the circumstances of the request. This date is determined by the number of documents you request, their format, their availability, the time it takes to redact any information that cannot be disclosed pursuant to FOIL, the time it takes to assemble the documents, and other factors. 

If the records you request require a fee to be paid, you will be notified prior to the records being released to you. Unless a different fee is otherwise prescribed by statute, Public Officers Law §87(1) authorizes an agency to charge a fee of 25¢ per copy for copies of records up 9”x 14”, or the actual cost of reproducing a record. In determining the actual cost of producing a record, an agency may include only:

• an amount equal to the hourly salary attributed to the lowest paid agency employee who has the necessary skill required to prepare the requested record(s), if at least two hours of agency employee time is needed to prepare a copy of the record(s) requested;
• the actual cost of the storage devices or media provided to the person making the request in complying with such request; and
• the actual cost to the agency of engaging an outside professional service to prepare a copy of a record, but only when an agency's information technology equipment is inadequate to prepare a copy, if such service is used to prepare the copy.

Once the requested records are prepared, you may receive the records via email, fax, paper, CD/DVD, or USB. Pursuant to OVS regulations, the OVS shall accept requests for the inspection and copying of records during regular business hours (Monday-Friday, 9am to 5pm, excluding holidays). Records shall be made available for public inspection and copying at the following OVS offices:

Albany Office:
Alfred E. Smith Building
80 South Swan Street, 2nd FL
Albany, New York 12210

Please be advised records require review prior to disclosure. As a result, documents and records will not be immediately available.

Under provisions of the Public Officers Law you may appeal a FOIL determination.  If you desire to submit such an appeal, you must do so within 30 days of the written response to your FOIL request. Please include a copy of the original request for records and a copy of the FOIL response letter you received along with your appeal letter to: 

FOIL Appeal Officer
Office of General Counsel
NYS Office of Victim Services
Alfred E. Smith Building
80 South Swan Street
Albany, New York 12210

You will be informed in writing of the decision within ten business days of our receipt of such an appeal. Please indicate the FOIL Request Number when corresponding on this subject.

The following is a current list of records, by subject matter, that are maintained by this agency.  Some of the listed records may be exempt from disclosure pursuant to the Freedom of Information Law.

Subject Matter List

For Office of Victim Services FOIL regulations, please visit OVS’s Legal Information page, select the Rules and Regulations tab, then see section 525.23 Freedom of Information Law or FOIL.

For more information about FOIL, please visit the New York State Committee on Open Government’s website.

When submitting a FOIL request:

• Be as specific as possible in describing the requested records. Include relevant dates, names, descriptions, etc. See suggested language for a FOIL request from the Committee on Open Government.
• Specify whether you would like to inspect the records or have copies of the records sent to you.
• If records are available, specify how you want them sent, i.e., via US mail, e-mail or fax. We may choose to send the records by U.S. mail, if you have requested a large volume of records, for security or other important reasons. We will notify you of any charge for reproducing such records before they are sent to you.
• Include your e-mail, mailing address and fax number, as well as a telephone number where you can be reached during business hours, if it is necessary to clarify your request.
• Please note that the agency is not required to create a new record in response to FOIL requests.