# Federal Register API: Search rules and notices > Find Federal Register rules, proposed rules, notices, and presidential documents by topic, agency, publication dates, and comment status. Significant means designated significant by the source; documents without that designation show no. Unofficial. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Federal Register. - Page: https://fous.com/methods/federalregister.gov/search-rules - Method: `federalregister.gov/search_rules`, version 1 - Website: federalregister.gov - Returns: title, agencies, document type, publication/effective/comment dates, open for comment, summary, significant, comment link, PDF and page links, document number, RIN - Effect: read (it gets data and changes nothing) - Sign-in: none needed - Cost: 1 credit per completed run (1¢ with pay as you go); failed runs are free - Verified: Nov 2, 2026 ## Inputs | Field | Type | Required | In the run below | Description | |---|---|---|---|---| | `sort` | string | no | `"relevance"` | Order documents by newest publication date or relevance, for example "newest". One of "newest", "relevance". Default "newest". | | `topic` | string | yes | `"PFAS drinking water"` | Words to search in Federal Register documents, for example "overtime pay". | | `agency` | string | no | `"EPA"` | Publishing agency name or abbreviation, for example "Department of Labor" or "EPA". | | `max_results` | integer | no | `5` | Maximum documents to return, for example 20; defaults to 20 (up to 100). Default 20. | | `document_type` | string | no | `"proposed_rule"` | Kind of document, for example "proposed_rule"; defaults to any. One of "any", "final_rule", "proposed_rule", "notice", "presidential_document". Default "any". | | `published_after` | string | no | `"2025-09-29"` | Earliest publication date (inclusive, YYYY-MM-DD), for example "2025-09-29"; defaults to 12 months ago. | | `published_before` | string | no | `"2026-09-29"` | Latest publication date (inclusive, YYYY-MM-DD), for example "2026-09-29"; defaults to today. | | `open_for_comment_only` | boolean | no | | Return only documents whose comment period is still open, for example true; defaults to false. Default false. | ## Output From a run on Oct 31, 2026, shortened. Its input: ```json { "sort": "relevance", "topic": "PFAS drinking water", "agency": "EPA", "max_results": 5, "document_type": "proposed_rule", "published_after": "2025-09-29", "published_before": "2026-09-29" } ``` Its output: ```json { "documents": [ { "rin": "2040-AG49", "title": "Extending the Compliance Deadline for the PFOA and PFOS Maximum Contaminant Levels", "summary": "In this proposed rulemaking, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposes a federal exemption, pursuant to Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) 1416(f) and 1450(a)(1), that will extend the dates of compliance with the Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfl…", "agencies": [ "Environmental Protection Agency" ], "pdf_link": "https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-05-20/pdf/2026-10086.pdf", "document_type": "Proposed Rule", "effective_date": null, "document_number": "2026-10086", "comment_deadline": "2026-07-20", "publication_date": "2026-05-20", "significant_rule": true, "open_for_comment_now": false, "federal_register_link": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/20/2026-10086/extending-the-compliance-deadline-for-the-pfoa-and-pfos-maximum-contaminant-levels", "regulations_gov_comment_link": null }, { "rin": "2040-AG53", "title": "Rescission of Regulatory Determinations and Removal of Related Provisions for Four PFAS Substances (PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA (GenX), and the Mixture of These Three PFAS Plus PFBS)", "summary": "The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to rescind its regulatory determinations to regulate four per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)--perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid and its ammonium salt (HFPO-DA, comm…", "agencies": [ "Environmental Protection Agency" ], "pdf_link": "https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-05-20/pdf/2026-10085.pdf", "document_type": "Proposed Rule", "effective_date": null, "document_number": "2026-10085", "comment_deadline": "2026-07-20", "publication_date": "2026-05-20", "significant_rule": true, "open_for_comment_now": false, "federal_register_link": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/20/2026-10085/rescission-of-regulatory-determinations-and-removal-of-related-provisions-for-four-pfas-substances", "regulations_gov_comment_link": null }, { "rin": null, "title": "Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List 6-Draft", "summary": "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is publishing a draft list of contaminants that are currently not subject to any proposed or promulgated national primary drinking water regulations for public review and comment. These contaminants are known or anticipated to occur in public water syst…", "agencies": [ "Environmental Protection Agency" ], "pdf_link": "https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-04-06/pdf/2026-06662.pdf", "document_type": "Proposed Rule", "effective_date": null, "document_number": "2026-06662", "comment_deadline": "2026-06-05", "publication_date": "2026-04-06", "significant_rule": false, "open_for_comment_now": false, "federal_register_link": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/04/06/2026-06662/drinking-water-contaminant-candidate-list-6-draft", "regulations_gov_comment_link": null } ] } ``` ## Run it From code, with a Fous API key in `FOUS_API_KEY`; the answer's `data` holds the output: ```bash curl https://api.fous.com/v1/runs \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $FOUS_API_KEY" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{"method":"federalregister.gov/search_rules","input":{"sort":"relevance","topic":"PFAS drinking water","agency":"EPA","max_results":5,"document_type":"proposed_rule","published_after":"2025-09-29","published_before":"2026-09-29"}}' ``` From an AI agent connected to the Fous MCP server: its `run` with the same method and input. To connect one, give it `set up https://fous.com/SKILL.md`. ## Ask your agent - Find proposed rules from the EPA on PFAS drinking water limits that are still open for public comment, with the comment deadline and the link to submit comments. - What final rules has the Department of Labor published about overtime pay since January 2024? Give me effective dates and the RIN for each. - Search federalregister.gov for notices about offshore wind lease sales from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, published between 2023-06-01 and 2024-12-31, sorted by relevance. - List the 50 most recent presidential documents mentioning artificial intelligence, including document numbers and PDF links. - I need FAA proposed rules on drone operations beyond visual line of sight from the Federal Register. Tell me which are marked significant and whether comments are still being accepted. ## Input schema ```json { "type": "object", "required": [ "topic" ], "properties": { "sort": { "enum": [ "newest", "relevance" ], "type": "string", "default": "newest", "description": "Order documents by newest publication date or relevance, for example \"newest\"." }, "topic": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1, "description": "Words to search in Federal Register documents, for example \"overtime pay\"." }, "agency": { "type": "string", "description": "Publishing agency name or abbreviation, for example \"Department of Labor\" or \"EPA\"." }, "max_results": { "type": "integer", "default": 20, "maximum": 100, "minimum": 1, "description": "Maximum documents to return, for example 20; defaults to 20 (up to 100)." }, "document_type": { "enum": [ "any", "final_rule", "proposed_rule", "notice", "presidential_document" ], "type": "string", "default": "any", "description": "Kind of document, for example \"proposed_rule\"; defaults to any." }, "published_after": { "type": "string", "description": "Earliest publication date (inclusive, YYYY-MM-DD), for example \"2025-09-29\"; defaults to 12 months ago." }, "published_before": { "type": "string", "description": "Latest publication date (inclusive, YYYY-MM-DD), for example \"2026-09-29\"; defaults to today." }, "open_for_comment_only": { "type": "boolean", "default": false, "description": "Return only documents whose comment period is still open, for example true; defaults to false." } } } ``` ## Output schema ```json { "type": "object", "required": [ "documents" ], "properties": { "documents": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "object", "required": [ "title", "agencies", "document_type", "publication_date", "effective_date", "comment_deadline", "open_for_comment_now", "summary", "significant_rule", "regulations_gov_comment_link", "pdf_link", "federal_register_link", "document_number", "rin" ], "properties": { "rin": { "type": [ "string", "null" ], "description": "Regulation Identifier Number or numbers, if listed." }, "title": { "type": "string", "description": "Document title." }, "summary": { "type": [ "string", "null" ], "description": "Plain-text document abstract, if available." }, "agencies": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Publishing agencies by name." }, "pdf_link": { "type": [ "string", "null" ], "description": "Official document PDF, if available." }, "document_type": { "type": "string", "description": "Document type in words." }, "effective_date": { "type": [ "string", "null" ], "description": "Date the rule takes effect, if listed." }, "document_number": { "type": [ "string", "null" ], "description": "Federal Register document number." }, "comment_deadline": { "type": [ "string", "null" ], "description": "Last day for public comments, if listed." }, "publication_date": { "type": "string", "description": "Date published." }, "significant_rule": { "type": "boolean", "description": "Whether the document is marked significant." }, "open_for_comment_now": { "type": "boolean", "description": "Whether the listed comment deadline has not passed." }, "federal_register_link": { "type": "string", "description": "Document page on FederalRegister.gov." }, "regulations_gov_comment_link": { "type": [ "string", "null" ], "description": "Direct Regulations.gov comment page, if available." } } }, "description": "Matching documents." } } } ``` ## See more - [Grants.gov API: Search grant opportunities](https://fous.com/methods/grants.gov/search-grants.md): Finds U.S. federal grant opportunities by topic, agency, applicant type and status, with funding and eligibility details. Open results exclude opportunities whose closing date has passed. - [eCFR API: Get regulation sections](https://fous.com/methods/ecfr.gov/get-regulation.md): Finds current eCFR regulation sections for a topic or an exact CFR citation. Returns each section's text, last amendment date and the date the title is current through. - [SAM.gov API: Search contract opportunities](https://fous.com/methods/sam.gov/search-contract-opportunities.md): Finds active federal contract notices on SAM.gov that match keywords, agency, place of performance, set-aside, notice type and posting period. - [USAJOBS API: Search federal jobs](https://fous.com/methods/usajobs.gov/search-jobs.md): Searches USAJOBS federal jobs by keywords, location, salary threshold and applicant group, in website relevance order. Salary ranges may start below the threshold; annual pay or remote status is null when the announcement does not state it. - [USAspending API: Search federal awards](https://fous.com/methods/usaspending.gov/search-federal-awards.md): Searches USAspending federal awards by keywords, awarding agency, state of performance and date across contracts, grants, loans and direct payments. Searches from October 1, 2007 onward. - [SEC EDGAR API: List company SEC filings](https://fous.com/methods/sec.gov/get-company-filings.md): Finds a public company by name or ticker in SEC EDGAR and lists its filings, newest first, optionally narrowed by filing type and filing date. - [NIH API: Search PubMed articles](https://fous.com/methods/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/search-articles.md): Finds PubMed medical and life-science articles by topic, with publication details and free full-text links when PubMed confirms them. - [NPR API: Search news](https://fous.com/methods/npr.org/search-news.md): Searches NPR-published articles by keyword, newest first or by best match, with optional publication dates, and returns each article's date, authors, section and summary.