Federal Register Search

Search the US Federal Register for rules, proposed rules, notices, executive orders, and other presidential documents published by every federal agency. This Apify actor queries the free, public Federal Register API maintained by the US Government Publishing Office (GPO) and returns structured, machine-readable data on regulatory actions dating back to 1994. No API key required -- just configure your search filters and get clean JSON output with full metadata including CFR references, regulation ID numbers (RINs), significance flags, and direct links to official HTML and PDF documents.

---

Why use Federal Register Search?

The Federal Register publishes thousands of documents every month across hundreds of federal agencies. Manually browsing federalregister.gov works for reading a single rule, but it breaks down when you need to monitor regulatory activity at scale, build compliance dashboards, or systematically track rulemaking across multiple agencies and time periods. The raw API requires building query parameter strings, managing page-based pagination, and parsing nested agency and CFR reference structures before the data is useful.

This actor handles all of that. It translates your search criteria into properly formatted API queries, paginates through results automatically, and transforms the raw Federal Register data into flat, analysis-ready JSON records. Each record includes the primary agency name, human-readable CFR references, extracted regulation ID numbers, an Executive Order 12866 significance flag, and direct links to both HTML and PDF versions. Schedule it to run daily, trigger it from code, or export results to CSV, Google Sheets, or a data warehouse -- no Federal Register API pagination logic or data transformation required.

---

Key features

• Full-text keyword search -- Search across all Federal Register documents by keyword or phrase, matching titles, abstracts, and full document text.
• Agency filtering -- Narrow results to a specific federal agency using URL-style slugs like environmental-protection-agency or securities-and-exchange-commission.
• Four document types -- Filter by final rules (RULE), proposed rules (PRORULE), notices (NOTICE), or presidential documents (PRESDOCU) including executive orders, proclamations, and memoranda.
• Date range filtering -- Restrict results to a specific publication date window using start and end dates in YYYY-MM-DD format.
• Executive Order 12866 significance filter -- Isolate economically significant rules that have an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more.
• Rich regulatory metadata -- Each result includes CFR references formatted as human-readable strings (e.g., "40 CFR Part 141"), extracted regulation ID numbers (RINs), Federal Register citations, and signing dates.
• Direct document links -- Every record includes both HTML and PDF URLs pointing to the official full-text document on federalregister.gov and govinfo.gov.
• Automatic pagination -- The actor manages page-based pagination internally, fetching up to 200 documents per run with built-in 250ms rate limiting between pages.
• No API key required -- The Federal Register API is completely free and public. No registration, authentication, or API key is needed.
• Export-ready output -- Flat JSON records ready for direct export to CSV, Google Sheets, Excel, or any downstream system.

---

How to use Federal Register Search

Using Apify Console

1. Navigate to Federal Register Search on the Apify Store and click "Try for free" to open the actor in Apify Console.
2. Enter a search keyword such as "artificial intelligence", "PFAS", or "cybersecurity" -- or leave it blank to browse all recent documents.
3. Optionally set filters: agency slug, document type, date range, or toggle the significant rules flag.
4. Set the Max Results to control how many documents to return (1--200, default 25).
5. Click Start to run the actor. When the run completes, view or download results from the Dataset tab in JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, or other formats.

Using the API

Call the actor programmatically using the Apify API, schedule it for recurring runs, or trigger it from your code using the Python or JavaScript client libraries. See the API and integration section below for code examples.

---

Input parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
keyword	string	No	--	Search keyword or phrase (e.g., "artificial intelligence", "climate change", "PFAS")
agency	string	No	--	Agency slug in lowercase with hyphens (e.g., environmental-protection-agency, securities-and-exchange-commission)
documentType	string	No	--	Document type filter: RULE (Final Rule), PRORULE (Proposed Rule), NOTICE, or PRESDOCU (Presidential Document)
dateFrom	string	No	--	Start date for publication date filter (YYYY-MM-DD format)
dateTo	string	No	--	End date for publication date filter (YYYY-MM-DD format)
significantOnly	boolean	No	false	When enabled, returns only rules deemed economically significant under Executive Order 12866
maxResults	integer	No	25	Maximum number of documents to return (1--200)

Example input

{
    "keyword": "artificial intelligence",
    "agency": "department-of-health-and-human-services",
    "documentType": "RULE",
    "dateFrom": "2024-01-01",
    "dateTo": "2025-12-31",
    "significantOnly": true,
    "maxResults": 50
}

Tips for input

• Agency slugs are lowercase, hyphenated names matching the URL path on federalregister.gov. Visit an agency page on federalregister.gov and copy the slug from the URL. Common examples: environmental-protection-agency, securities-and-exchange-commission, federal-communications-commission, food-and-drug-administration.
• Combine filters for precision. Use keyword + agency + document type + date range together to get highly targeted results. For example, search for "PFAS" from environmental-protection-agency as RULE documents in 2024.
• Monitor proposed rules. Filter by PRORULE to catch regulations during public comment periods before they become final rules -- critical for timely regulatory engagement.
• Track executive orders. Set document type to PRESDOCU to retrieve presidential documents including executive orders, proclamations, and memoranda.
• No filters returns recent documents. If you run the actor with no search filters at all, it returns the most recently published Federal Register documents sorted newest first.
• Schedule recurring runs. Use Apify Schedules to run the actor daily or weekly and pipe results into email alerts, Slack, Google Sheets, or a database for ongoing regulatory monitoring.

---

Output

Each document in the output dataset is a flat JSON object with 17 fields containing full regulatory metadata, agency information, and direct links to the official document.

Output example

{
    "documentNumber": "2024-28350",
    "title": "Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Systems in Healthcare",
    "documentType": "RULE",
    "agency": "Department of Health and Human Services",
    "agencyNames": [
        "Department of Health and Human Services",
        "Food and Drug Administration"
    ],
    "publicationDate": "2024-11-15",
    "effectiveDate": "2025-01-15",
    "abstract": "This final rule establishes requirements for the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning systems in clinical decision support and medical device software...",
    "cfr_references": [
        "21 CFR Part 820",
        "21 CFR Part 880"
    ],
    "regulationIdNumber": "0910-AI45",
    "significantRule": true,
    "htmlUrl": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/11/15/2024-28350/regulation-of-artificial-intelligence-systems-in-healthcare",
    "pdfUrl": "https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-11-15/pdf/2024-28350.pdf",
    "federalRegisterUrl": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/11/15/2024-28350/regulation-of-artificial-intelligence-systems-in-healthcare",
    "citation": "89 FR 91234",
    "signingDate": "2024-11-10",
    "executiveOrderNumber": null
}

Output fields

Field	Type	Description
documentNumber	string	Unique Federal Register document number (e.g., "2024-28350")
title	string	Official title of the Federal Register document
documentType	string	Document type code: RULE, PRORULE, NOTICE, or PRESDOCU
agency	string	Primary agency name (first agency listed on the document)
agencyNames	string[]	All agency names associated with the document (for multi-agency rules)
publicationDate	string	Publication date in YYYY-MM-DD format
effectiveDate	string/null	Effective date of the rule (null for notices and proposed rules)
abstract	string/null	Document abstract or summary (null if not provided by the agency)
cfr_references	string[]	Code of Federal Regulations references as formatted strings (e.g., "40 CFR Part 141")
regulationIdNumber	string/null	Regulation Identifier Number(s) from the Unified Agenda (RINs), comma-separated if multiple
significantRule	boolean	Whether the rule is deemed economically significant under Executive Order 12866
htmlUrl	string	Direct URL to the full document on federalregister.gov
pdfUrl	string	Direct URL to the PDF version on govinfo.gov
federalRegisterUrl	string	Federal Register page URL (same as htmlUrl)
citation	string	Federal Register citation (e.g., "89 FR 91234")
signingDate	string/null	Date the document was signed (primarily for presidential documents)
executiveOrderNumber	string/null	Executive order number (only for executive orders, null otherwise)

---

Use cases

• Regulatory compliance monitoring -- Track new final rules and proposed rules from agencies that regulate your industry. Get structured alerts when EPA, OSHA, FDA, SEC, or any other agency publishes regulations that affect your business operations.
• Policy research and trend analysis -- Search the entire Federal Register archive from 1994 to present by keyword, agency, and date range to study regulatory trends, rulemaking volume, and agency activity patterns over time.
• Legal research -- Find specific rules, notices, and presidential documents with structured citation data, CFR references, and direct PDF links for case preparation, compliance opinions, and regulatory filings.
• Lobbying and government affairs -- Monitor proposed rules during public comment periods so your organization can submit timely feedback before regulations are finalized. Filter by PRORULE to catch new rulemaking early.
• Journalism and investigative reporting -- Track executive orders, significant rules, and agency actions for news coverage. Use the significance filter to focus on rules with $100 million+ annual economic impact.
• Academic research -- Build structured datasets of regulatory actions for political science, economics, public administration, and public policy studies across three decades of federal rulemaking history.
• Compliance dashboards -- Feed structured Federal Register data into internal tools, spreadsheets, or databases that track regulatory obligations with CFR references, effective dates, and RIN identifiers.
• Executive order tracking -- Filter by PRESDOCU document type to build a continuously updated dataset of presidential documents including executive orders, proclamations, and memoranda.
• Multi-agency rulemaking analysis -- Use the agencyNames array to identify and analyze joint rulemakings where multiple agencies collaborate on a single regulation.
• Significant rule surveillance -- Enable the Executive Order 12866 filter to focus exclusively on major regulations with the largest economic impact, cutting through the noise of routine notices and minor amendments.

---

API and integration

You can trigger this actor programmatically using the Apify API, any of the official Apify client libraries (Python, JavaScript), or via direct HTTP calls. The actor ID is 8bZkbWKlXQrDq0ZgK.

Python

from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN")

run = client.actor("ryanclinton/federal-register-search").call(run_input={
    "keyword": "cybersecurity",
    "agency": "cybersecurity-and-infrastructure-security-agency",
    "documentType": "RULE",
    "dateFrom": "2024-01-01",
    "maxResults": 50,
})

for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item["documentNumber"], item["title"], item["agency"])

JavaScript

import { ApifyClient } from "apify-client";

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: "YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN" });

const run = await client.actor("ryanclinton/federal-register-search").call({
    keyword: "cybersecurity",
    agency: "cybersecurity-and-infrastructure-security-agency",
    documentType: "RULE",
    dateFrom: "2024-01-01",
    maxResults: 50,
});

const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.log(item.documentNumber, item.title, item.agency);
});

cURL

curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/8bZkbWKlXQrDq0ZgK/runs" \
    -X POST \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN" \
    -d '{
        "keyword": "cybersecurity",
        "agency": "cybersecurity-and-infrastructure-security-agency",
        "documentType": "RULE",
        "dateFrom": "2024-01-01",
        "maxResults": 50
    }'

Integrations

• Google Sheets -- Export dataset results directly to a spreadsheet for collaborative regulatory analysis and team sharing.
• Webhooks -- Send results to your own endpoints automatically when a run completes for real-time compliance pipeline integration.
• Zapier / Make -- Connect actor output to hundreds of other apps via the Apify integration for no-code regulatory monitoring workflows.
• Slack / Email -- Set up Apify notifications to alert your team when new significant rules or executive orders matching your criteria are published.
• Data warehouses -- Push results to BigQuery, Snowflake, or PostgreSQL using Apify dataset export features for longitudinal regulatory analysis.
• Apify Schedules -- Run the actor on a daily, weekly, or custom cron schedule to maintain a continuously updated regulatory monitoring dataset.

---

How it works

Federal Register Search -- Processing Pipeline

Input Config               API Layer                    Output
+------------------+    +-------------------------+    +----------------+
|                  |    |                         |    |                |
| keyword          |--->| Federal Register API    |--->| Apify Dataset  |
| agency           |    | federalregister.gov     |    | (JSON/CSV/XML) |
| documentType     |    | /api/v1/documents.json  |    |                |
| dateFrom/dateTo  |    +-------------------------+    +----------------+
| significantOnly  |         |            |
| maxResults       |         v            v
+------------------+    +----------+  +----------+
                        | Page 1   |  | Page N   |
                        | (20 docs)|  | (20 docs)|
                        +----------+  +----------+
                             |            |
                             v            v
                        +-------------------------+
                        | transformDocument()     |
                        | - Extract primary agency|
                        | - Format CFR references |
                        | - Extract RIN numbers   |
                        | - Map significance flag |
                        +-------------------------+
                                  |
                                  v
                        +-------------------------+
                        | Actor.pushData()        |
                        | Flat JSON records with  |
                        | 17 fields per document  |
                        +-------------------------+

1. The actor reads your input configuration and validates parameters. If no search filters are provided, it defaults to returning the most recently published documents.
2. A search URL is constructed with your filters mapped to the Federal Register API query parameters: conditions[term] for keywords, conditions[agencies][] for agency, conditions[type][] for document type, conditions[publication_date][gte/lte] for date range, and conditions[significant] for the EO 12866 flag.
3. The actor requests 18 specific fields from the API to minimize response size and maximize relevance.
4. Results are sorted newest first (order=newest) and paginated at 20 documents per page.
5. Each raw document is transformed: nested agency objects are flattened to a primary agency name and full agency name array, CFR references are formatted as readable strings (e.g., "21 CFR Part 820"), and regulation ID number info objects are extracted to RIN strings.
6. The actor paginates through results with a 250ms delay between pages until the requested maxResults limit is reached or no more pages are available.
7. All transformed documents are pushed to the Apify dataset as flat JSON records ready for export.

---

Performance and cost

Scenario	Documents	Pages	Est. Time	Est. Cost (Apify credits)
Quick search (default)	25	2	~5 seconds	< $0.005
Medium batch	50	3	~8 seconds	< $0.005
Large batch	100	5	~15 seconds	~$0.01
Full batch	200	10	~30 seconds	~$0.02
No results (empty search)	0	1	~3 seconds	< $0.001

The actor runs with 256 MB of memory and completes most searches in under 30 seconds. The Federal Register API is completely free with no API key or registration required. Rate limiting is built in at 250ms between page requests to be a respectful consumer of the public API. With Apify's free tier, you can run dozens of Federal Register searches per month at no cost.

---

Limitations

• 200-document cap per run. The actor limits output to 200 documents per run. For larger datasets, run multiple times with non-overlapping date ranges or different filter combinations.
• No full-text output. The actor returns metadata, abstracts, and direct links (HTML and PDF) to the full document. It does not scrape or return the complete document text.
• 20 results per API page. The Federal Register API returns a maximum of 20 documents per page, so fetching 200 documents requires 10 sequential page requests.
• Agency slug format required. Agency names must be provided as URL-style slugs (e.g., environmental-protection-agency), not full names. Incorrect slugs will return no results without an error.
• Abstract availability varies. Not all Federal Register documents include an abstract. The abstract field may be null for older documents or certain document types.
• Single agency filter. The actor supports filtering by one agency per run. To search across multiple specific agencies, run the actor separately for each.
• Date filtering uses publication date only. The dateFrom and dateTo parameters filter by the date the document was published in the Federal Register, not the signing date or effective date.

---

Responsible use

This actor accesses official US government data through the Federal Register API, which is a free, public resource maintained by the Government Publishing Office (GPO) and the National Archives. All data returned is a matter of public record.

• Respect the free Federal Register API by using reasonable request volumes. The actor handles this by default through built-in rate limiting of 250ms between page requests.
• Do not use the data to misrepresent regulatory actions, fabricate agency positions, or create misleading narratives about government rulemaking.
• If you redistribute the data, attribute it to the Federal Register and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) as the original source.
• Respect the intent of the open data program by using the data for legitimate research, journalism, compliance, civic engagement, or business purposes.
• Be aware that regulatory documents may have legal implications. Consult qualified legal counsel before making compliance decisions based solely on Federal Register data retrieved through this actor.

---

FAQ

What is the Federal Register? The Federal Register is the official daily publication of the US federal government. Published every business day by the Government Publishing Office (GPO), it contains rules, proposed rules, and notices of federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents. It is the authoritative source for federal regulatory actions.

Do I need an API key or account? No. The Federal Register API is completely free and open to the public. No registration, authentication, or API key is required. The actor works immediately with no setup beyond configuring your search filters.

How far back does the data go? The Federal Register API contains documents going back to 1994. You can search the full three-decade archive using date range filters.

What are the four document types? RULE is a final rule that has completed the rulemaking process and carries the force of law. PRORULE is a proposed rule open for public comment before finalization. NOTICE covers agency announcements, meetings, and other non-regulatory actions. PRESDOCU includes presidential documents such as executive orders, proclamations, and memoranda.

What are "significant" rules under Executive Order 12866? A rule is deemed "significant" under EO 12866 if it has an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more, creates a serious inconsistency with actions of other agencies, materially alters the budgetary impact of entitlements or grants, or raises novel legal or policy issues. These are the highest-impact regulations published in the Federal Register.

What are CFR references? CFR stands for Code of Federal Regulations. CFR references indicate which title and part of the federal regulatory code a rule amends or creates. For example, "40 CFR Part 141" refers to Title 40 (Environment), Part 141 (National Primary Drinking Water Regulations). The actor formats these references as human-readable strings.

What is a RIN (Regulation Identifier Number)? A RIN is a unique identifier assigned to each regulatory action in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. RINs allow you to track a regulation through its entire lifecycle from proposed rule to final rule. The actor extracts these from the regulation ID number info field.

Can I get the full text of a document? The actor returns metadata, abstracts, and direct links to the complete document. Use the htmlUrl field to view the full text on federalregister.gov or the pdfUrl field to download the official PDF from govinfo.gov.

How often is the Federal Register updated? The Federal Register is published every business day (Monday through Friday, except federal holidays). New documents typically appear in the API by early morning Eastern time on publication day.

What happens if I run the actor with no filters? It returns the most recently published Federal Register documents sorted newest first, up to your maxResults limit. This is useful for a general "what's new" overview of federal regulatory activity.

Can I search for executive orders specifically? Yes. Set documentType to PRESDOCU to retrieve presidential documents. Executive orders will have their number in the executiveOrderNumber field. You can combine this with a keyword search for more specific results.

How do I find the correct agency slug? Visit the agency's page on federalregister.gov and look at the URL. The slug is the lowercase, hyphenated portion of the path. For example, the EPA page at federalregister.gov/agencies/environmental-protection-agency uses the slug environmental-protection-agency.

---

Related actors

Actor	Description	Link
Congress Bill Search	Search US congressional bills and legislation from Congress.gov	View on Apify
Congressional Stock Trade Tracker	Track stock trades disclosed by members of Congress	View on Apify
SAM.gov Contract Monitor	Search federal government contracts and procurement opportunities	View on Apify
Grants.gov Federal Grant Search	Search and monitor federal grant opportunities from Grants.gov	View on Apify
SEC EDGAR Filing Analyzer	Analyze SEC filings including 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K reports	View on Apify
CFPB Consumer Complaints	Search consumer complaints filed with the CFPB	View on Apify
OFAC Sanctions Search	Search the US Treasury OFAC sanctions and SDN list	View on Apify