Administrative data refers to data collected and maintained by federal, state, and local governments, as well as some commercial entities.  This information is called “administrative data” because data collected and maintained by agencies or firms are used to administer (or run) programs and provide services to the public. An Excel spreadsheet downloadable from this website lists the Source Type (Federal, State, or Third Party); Source Name (agency, program, or company name), Dataset Name, and Years Available. 

All external project researcher access to restricted–use data occurs at one of the secure Federal Statistical Research Data Centers or, where authorized, through the secure Remote Access Program. Access to some of the datasets may also require approval from other Federal or State government agencies or commercial entities, which may lengthen project proposal review timeframes.

You can apply for access to restricted-use microdata at FSRDCs via the Standard Application Process (SAP) Portal at www.ResearchDataGov.org. The SAP Portal is a web-based data catalog and common application that serves as a “front door” to apply for confidential data from any of the 16 principal federal statistical agencies and units for evidence building purposes. To learn more about the SAP, please visit the Standard Application Process Overview webpage. Information about applying for access to restricted-use Census Bureau microdata in the FSRDCs using the SAP portal is available on the Census Bureau’s Standard Application Process website.  

Note: the SAP Portal has the definitive list of restricted-use Census Bureau datasets available to potential FSRDC researchers. Datasets are added and removed from the SAP portal as their availability status changes.

Assistance from an FSRDC administrator will greatly reduce the need for future revisions to your application. If you are unsure which FSRDC to contact or have a general question, please reach out to the Census Bureau at ced.fsrdc.info@census.gov.

An Excel spreadsheet containing information about administrative datasets available to external researchers using Census Bureau data in the Federal Statistical Research Data Centers, including the Source Type (Federal, State, or Third Party), Source Name (agency, program, or company name), Dataset Name, and Years Available. This list was last updated September 19, 2023. For the most current list of administrative data and status of any dataset, visit the ResearchDataGov portal.