(a) How made and addressed. An individual, or his or her legal guardian, may make a request for access to an SBA record about himself or herself by appearing in person or by writing directly to the SBA office that maintains the record or to the FOI/PA Office by mail to 409 3rd St., SW., Washington, DC 20416 or fax to 202-205-7059. A request received by the FOI/PA Office will be forwarded to the appropriate SBA Office where the records are located.

(b) Description of records sought. A request for access to records must describe the records sought in sufficient detail to enable SBA personnel to locate the system of records containing them with a reasonable amount of effort. A request should also state the date of the record or time period in which the record was compiled, and the name or identifying number of each system of records in which the requester believes the record is kept. The SBA publishes notices in the Federal Register that describe its systems of records. A description of the SBA's systems of records also may be found at http://www.sba.gov/foia/systemrecords.doc.

(c) Verification of identity. Any individual who submits a request for access to records must verify his or her identity. No specific form is required; however, the requester must state his or her full name, current address, and date and place of birth. The request must be signed and the requester's signature must either be notarized or submitted under 28 U.S.C. 1746. This law permits statements to be made under penalty of perjury as a substitute for notarization, the language states:

(1) If executed outside the United States: “I declare (or certify, verify, or state) under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on (date). Signature”; or

(2) If executed within the Untied States, its territories, possessions or commonwealths: “I declare (or certify, verify, or state) under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on (date). Signature”.

(d) Verification of guardianship. When making a request as a legal agent or the parent or guardian of a minor or as the guardian of someone determined by a court to be incompetent, for access to records about that individual, the requester must establish:

(1) The identity of the individual who is the subject of the record, by stating the name, current address, date and place of birth, and, at the requester's option, the social security number of the individual;

(2) The requester's own identity, as required in paragraph (c) of this section;

(3) That the requester is the legal agent or parent or guardian of that individual, which may be proven by providing a copy of the individual's birth certificate showing his parentage or by providing a court order establishing guardianship; and

(4) That the requester is acting on behalf of that individual in making the request.


Tried the LawStack mobile app?

Join thousands and try LawStack mobile for FREE today.

  • Carry the law offline, wherever you go.
  • Download CFR, USC, rules, and state law to your mobile device.