# Regulations.gov Dockets, Rules & Public Comments (`opendocketdata/regulations-gov-dockets-comments`) Actor

Search federal rules, proposed rules and notices on Regulations.gov, find comment deadlines that are still open, and export public comments for any docket. Official API, flat rows, watch mode for new items only.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/opendocketdata/regulations-gov-dockets-comments.md
- **Developed by:** [Open Docket Data](https://apify.com/opendocketdata) (community)
- **Features:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.50 / 1,000 records

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

## Regulations.gov Dockets, Rules & Public Comments

Search the official Regulations.gov API for federal **rules, proposed rules and notices**, find **comment deadlines that are still open**, and export the **public comments** on any docket. Every row is flat and ready for a spreadsheet, database or AI pipeline.

Built by **Open Docket Data**, a trade name of Lincoln & Main Commerce LLC. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Regulations.gov, GSA or any federal agency.

### What you can do

- **Track new rules by topic or agency.** For example, every EPA proposed rule that mentions "PFAS" this year.
- **Never miss a comment deadline.** Turn on *Only documents still open for comment* and sort by deadline.
- **Export public comments.** Pull every comment on a docket, optionally with the full comment text, the submitter's organization and location, and the attachment count.
- **List dockets.** Find rulemaking dockets by agency or keyword.

### Who uses it

- **Compliance and regulatory teams** watching for new rules that affect their industry.
- **Trade associations and advocacy groups** tracking open comment periods so members can respond on time.
- **Law firms and consultants** pulling every public comment on a docket for analysis.
- **Journalists and researchers** following how agencies write rules and who weighs in.
- **AI agents and data pipelines** that need clean, structured federal rulemaking data.

### What it costs

You pay only for results: **$1.50 per 1,000 records**. A run that returns 50 open proposed rules costs about $0.08. Pulling 1,000 comments on a docket costs $1.50. Apify's free plan includes monthly platform credit, so you can try it without paying anything up front.

### Use it from an AI agent

This Actor works as a tool for AI assistants through the [Apify MCP server](https://mcp.apify.com). Add `opendocketdata/regulations-gov-dockets-comments` as a tool in the Apify MCP server, and your agent can ask things like "Which EPA proposed rules close for comment this month?" or "Export the comments on docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0317." Every row comes back flat, with plain field names, so agents can read it directly.

### Input

| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| What to collect | Documents, Comments or Dockets |
| Search term | Free-text search, for example `overtime` |
| Agencies | Agency acronyms, for example `EPA`, `FDA`, `DOL` |
| Document types | Proposed Rule, Rule, Notice, Supporting & Related Material, Other |
| Only documents still open for comment | Comment period ends today or later |
| Comment deadline on or before | Find deadlines coming up soon |
| Docket ID / Document ID | Needed for comments mode |
| Include full comment text | One extra request per comment |
| Posted from / to | Date range |
| Maximum results | Up to 5,000 per run (the API's limit for one search) |
| Your api.data.gov key | Free from api.data.gov/signup. Without one, the shared DEMO_KEY allows only a few requests an hour. |

#### Example: open EPA proposed rules

```json
{
  "mode": "documents",
  "agencyIds": ["EPA"],
  "documentTypes": ["Proposed Rule"],
  "openForCommentOnly": true,
  "sort": "commentEndDate",
  "maxItems": 50
}
```

#### Example: comments on a docket, with text

```json
{
  "mode": "comments",
  "docketId": "EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0317",
  "includeCommentText": true,
  "maxItems": 200
}
```

### Output

Documents mode returns one row per document:

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| documentId | Regulations.gov document ID |
| title | Document title |
| documentType | Proposed Rule, Rule, Notice, and so on |
| agencyId / docketId | Agency and docket |
| postedDate | Date posted |
| commentStartDate / commentEndDate | Comment period |
| openForComment | Whether comments are being accepted |
| frDocNum | Federal Register document number |
| url / docketUrl / commentUrl | Links to Regulations.gov |

Comments mode returns `commentId`, `title`, `postedDate`, `docketId`, `url` and, with full text on, `comment`, `organization`, `submitterCity`, `submitterState`, `submitterCountry`, `receiveDate` and `attachmentCount`.

### Limits worth knowing

- Regulations.gov returns at most 20 pages of 250 results (5,000) for one search. For more, split the run by date range.
- Your api.data.gov key has its own hourly limit. The Actor waits and retries automatically when the limit is reached.
- Some agencies post comments days or weeks after they're received, so very recent comments may not appear yet.

### Data source and use

Data comes from the public [Regulations.gov API](https://open.gsa.gov/api/regulationsgov/). Comments are public submissions; follow applicable law and the source's terms when you reuse them, especially personal details submitters chose to include.

### FAQ

**Do I need an API key?** It works without one, but the shared DEMO_KEY allows only a few requests an hour. A free key from [api.data.gov](https://api.data.gov/signup/) takes a minute and removes that limit for normal use.

**Can I run it on a schedule?** Yes. Use Apify's Schedules to run it daily or weekly, for example to catch new proposed rules from one agency, and send results to email, Google Drive, Slack or a webhook through Apify integrations.

**How current is the data?** Each run queries Regulations.gov live, so you get what the site shows at that moment.

### Support

Questions or a field you need? Open an issue on this Actor's Issues tab. We usually answer within one business day.

# Actor input Schema

## `mode` (type: `string`):

Documents: rules, proposed rules, notices and other documents. Comments: public comments on one docket or document. Dockets: the dockets themselves.

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

Words to search for, for example "PFAS" or "overtime".

## `agencyIds` (type: `array`):

Agency acronyms as Regulations.gov uses them, for example EPA, FDA, DOL, FAA. Leave empty for all agencies.

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

Leave empty for all types.

## `openForCommentOnly` (type: `boolean`):

Keeps documents whose comment period ends today or later.

## `commentDeadlineBefore` (type: `string`):

Use with the option above to find deadlines coming up soon.

## `docketId` (type: `string`):

Required for comments mode unless you give a document ID. Example: EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0317.

## `documentId` (type: `string`):

Collect comments on one document only. Example: EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0317-0001.

## `includeCommentText` (type: `boolean`):

Makes one extra request per comment, so runs are slower.

## `docketType` (type: `string`):

Leave empty for both.

## `postedFrom` (type: `string`):

Only items posted on or after this date.

## `postedTo` (type: `string`):

Only items posted on or before this date.

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

Order of the results.

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

The API returns at most 5,000 results per search. Narrow the dates to collect more.

## `onlyNew` (type: `boolean`):

Remembers what earlier runs returned and saves only new items. Pair with an Apify schedule for daily alerts.

## `watchName` (type: `string`):

Give each saved search its own name so their memories stay separate.

## `apiKey` (type: `string`):

Get a free key in a minute at https://api.data.gov/signup/. Without one, the run uses the shared DEMO_KEY, which allows only a few requests an hour.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "mode": "documents",
  "searchTerm": "artificial intelligence",
  "openForCommentOnly": false,
  "includeCommentText": false,
  "sort": "-postedDate",
  "maxItems": 100,
  "onlyNew": false,
  "watchName": "default"
}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

Dockets, documents and public comments in a flat table.

# 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": "artificial intelligence"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("opendocketdata/regulations-gov-dockets-comments").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": "artificial intelligence" }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("opendocketdata/regulations-gov-dockets-comments").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": "artificial intelligence"
}' |
apify call opendocketdata/regulations-gov-dockets-comments --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,opendocketdata/regulations-gov-dockets-comments"
        }
    }
}
```

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/JOFjKha4VlSjP6sRX/builds/5QaI0w8cwJ5ydUT6S/openapi.json