# Federal Register API Search: Rules & Comment Deadlines (`clearpathdata/federal-register-search`) Actor

Search Federal Register rules, proposed rules, notices and presidential documents by keyword, agency, type and date. Find open comment periods. Official API. $2.50 per 1,000 documents.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/clearpathdata/federal-register-search.md
- **Developed by:** [Six Figure Salute](https://apify.com/clearpathdata) (community)
- **Categories:** News, Business
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$2.50 / 1,000 documents

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Federal Register API Search: Rules & Comment Deadlines

Search Federal Register rules, proposed rules, notices and presidential documents by keyword, agency, type and date. Find open comment periods. Official API. $2.50 per 1,000 documents.

### What does it do?

**Federal Register Search** queries the official FederalRegister.gov API for rules, proposed rules, notices and presidential documents by keyword, agency, document type and date, with filters for **open comment periods** and significant rules.

- ✅ Official public data source: no login, no cookies, no proxies
- ✅ Fast: plain API calls, typical runs finish in seconds
- ✅ Clean, flat JSON / CSV / Excel output, ready for Sheets, BI tools or AI agents
- ✅ Pay only for results: no monthly rental

### Use cases

- **Regulatory & compliance teams:** monitor new rules in your industry.
- **Trade associations & lobbyists:** catch comment deadlines.
- **Newsletters & AI:** daily regulatory digests.

### How to use it

1. Click **Try for free**. The input is prefilled with a working example.
2. Edit the input (see examples below) and click **Start**.
3. Download results as JSON, CSV, Excel or HTML, or pull them via API.

### Input examples

**Drone rules & proposed rules**

```json
{
  "searchTerm": "drone",
  "documentTypes": [
    "RULE",
    "PRORULE"
  ],
  "maxItems": 20
}
```

### Output

Sample rows:

| title | type | publication_date | agencies | comments_close_on | html_url |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Safety Zone; Lake Michigan, Chicago, IL | Rule | 2026-10-15 | \["Homeland Security Department", "Coast Guard"] |  | https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/15/2026-21… |
| Measures To Restrict Stockpiling of Polysilicon and Polysili… | Rule | 2026-09-24 | \["Commerce Department", "Industry and Security Bureau"] |  | https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/24/2026-19… |
| Annual Fireworks Displays and Other Events in the USCG Heart… | Rule | 2026-09-16 | \["Homeland Security Department", "Coast Guard"] |  | https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/16/2026-18… |

Sample JSON record (long fields shortened):

```json
{
  "title": "Safety Zone; Lake Michigan, Chicago, IL",
  "type": "Rule",
  "abstract": "The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for navigable waters within an area of Lake Michigan in Chicago, IL. The safety z...",
  "document_number": "2026-21053",
  "publication_date": "2026-10-15",
  "agencies": [
    "Homeland Security Department",
    "Coast Guard"
  ],
  "html_url": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/15/2026-21053/safety-zone-lake-michigan-chicago-il",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-10-15/pdf/2026-21053.pdf",
  "citation": "91 FR 65460",
  "effective_on": "2026-10-15",
  "comments_close_on": null,
  "docket_ids": [
    "Docket Number USCG-2026-1291"
  ],
  "regulation_id_numbers": [
    "1625-AA00"
  ],
  "action": "Temporary final rule.",
  "significant": false,
  "topics": [
    "Harbors",
    "Marine safety",
    "Navigation (water)",
    "..."
  ],
  "start_page": 65460,
  "source": "FederalRegister.gov API v1"
}
```

### Pricing

Pay per event: **$0.0025 per document** ($2.50 per 1,000). No start fee, no monthly rental. Rows for not-found inputs and errors are free.

| Results | Cost |
|---|---|
| 100 documents | $0.25 |
| 1,000 documents | $2.50 |
| 10,000 documents | $25.00 |

Apify's free plan includes monthly platform credit, so you can try it at no cost.

### Integrations

- **Google Sheets:** use Apify's Google Sheets integration, or import the dataset CSV link with `=IMPORTDATA()`.
- **Zapier & Make:** trigger runs and receive the dataset via the official Apify apps.
- **Webhooks & schedules:** run daily or hourly and post results anywhere.
- **AI agents (MCP):** available to Claude, ChatGPT and other agents through the Apify MCP server.
- **API & SDKs:** call from Python, JavaScript or any HTTP client:

```bash
curl -X POST 'https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/clearpathdata~federal-register-search/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"searchTerm": "drone", "documentTypes": ["RULE", "PRORULE"], "maxItems": 20}'
```

### FAQ

**Can I schedule it?**

Yes. Schedule a daily run sorted by newest.

**Data source?**

FederalRegister.gov public API.

**Something not working?**

Open an issue on the Actor's Issues tab, and it will be fixed quickly.

### More details

Search Federal Register rules, proposed rules, notices and presidential documents by keyword, agency, type and date. Find open comment periods. Official API.

Search the **Federal Register**, the U.S. government's daily journal of rules, proposed rules, notices and presidential documents, through its official API. Filter by keyword, agency, document type, date, significance, or **open comment periods**.

**Uses:** regulatory monitoring for compliance and legal teams, comment-deadline tracking, government affairs, policy research, alerts (schedule it daily).

##### Output fields

title, type, action, abstract, document number, publication date, agencies, effective date, comment close date, docket IDs, RINs, citation, significance, topics, HTML and PDF links.

##### Source and terms

Data comes from the public FederalRegister.gov API v1 (no key needed). This is not the official legal edition; for legal purposes, rely on govinfo.gov. Not affiliated with OFR/GPO.

##### Pricing

Pay per event: **document**. Charged per Federal Register document returned. You pay only for results. Not-found/error rows are free. Apify platform usage is included.

##### Example input

```json
{
  "searchTerm": "drone",
  "documentTypes": [
    "RULE",
    "PRORULE"
  ],
  "maxItems": 5
}
```

Built by clearpathdata, a maker of official-government-data Actors. Questions and feature requests are welcome in the Issues tab.

# Actor input Schema

## `searchTerm` (type: `string`):

Full-text query, e.g. drone, PFAS, "artificial intelligence".

## `agencies` (type: `array`):

e.g. environmental-protection-agency, federal-aviation-administration.

## `documentTypes` (type: `array`):

RULE, PRORULE, NOTICE, PRESDOCU.

## `dateFrom` (type: `string`):

Earliest publication date.

## `dateTo` (type: `string`):

Latest publication date.

## `commentsOpenOnly` (type: `boolean`):

Only documents whose comment deadline is today or later.

## `significantOnly` (type: `boolean`):

Only documents flagged significant.

## `sort` (type: `string`):

Order.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Max documents (API returns at most 10,000 per query).

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "searchTerm": "drone",
  "documentTypes": [
    "RULE",
    "PRORULE"
  ],
  "commentsOpenOnly": false,
  "significantOnly": false,
  "sort": "newest",
  "maxItems": 20
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "searchTerm": "drone",
    "documentTypes": [
        "RULE",
        "PRORULE"
    ],
    "maxItems": 20
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("clearpathdata/federal-register-search").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "searchTerm": "drone",
    "documentTypes": [
        "RULE",
        "PRORULE",
    ],
    "maxItems": 20,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("clearpathdata/federal-register-search").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "searchTerm": "drone",
  "documentTypes": [
    "RULE",
    "PRORULE"
  ],
  "maxItems": 20
}' |
apify call clearpathdata/federal-register-search --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,clearpathdata/federal-register-search"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/LbdfhVWsjyUBK7dDo/builds/70kf9vAqOd37wsTUf/openapi.json