# FBI API

> FBI returns wanted, missing-person, and seeking-information notices as a workflow and API.

FBI returns wanted, missing-person, and seeking-information notices through List most wanted. FBI’s List most wanted filters by name, page, category, maximum results, or field office; older category results may require scanning multiple pages.

- Page: https://fous.com/tools/fbi
- Handle: `@fbi`
- Category: [Government](https://fous.com/tools/category/government)
- Source website: https://fbi.gov
- Last verified: Sep 29, 2026

## Methods

### List most wanted

Operation `list_most_wanted`, version 1. 1 credit per completed call. Failed calls without a completed billing receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted.

List FBI wanted, missing-person and seeking-information notices, newest first. Filter by category, field office, or name; older category results may require scanning multiple listing pages.

**Input**

| Field | Type | Required | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `name` | string | no | `"Khalid"` | Words in a person or notice title, for example Khalid. |
| `page` | integer | no | `2` | Page of results, for example 2. |
| `category` | string | no | `"all"` | Notice category, for example ten_most_wanted. |
| `max_results` | integer | no | `3` | Maximum notices to return, for example 20. |
| `field_office` | string | no | `"Chicago"` | FBI field office city, for example Chicago. |

**Input schema**

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "name": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Words in a person or notice title, for example Khalid.",
      "examples": [
        "Khalid"
      ]
    },
    "page": {
      "type": "integer",
      "default": 1,
      "minimum": 1,
      "description": "Page of results, for example 2.",
      "x-fous-developer": true,
      "examples": [
        2
      ]
    },
    "category": {
      "enum": [
        "all",
        "ten_most_wanted",
        "terrorism",
        "kidnappings_and_missing_persons",
        "violent_crimes",
        "white_collar_crimes",
        "cyber_crimes",
        "counterintelligence",
        "seeking_information"
      ],
      "type": "string",
      "default": "all",
      "description": "Notice category, for example ten_most_wanted.",
      "examples": [
        "all",
        "ten_most_wanted",
        "seeking_information"
      ]
    },
    "max_results": {
      "type": "integer",
      "default": 20,
      "maximum": 100,
      "minimum": 1,
      "description": "Maximum notices to return, for example 20.",
      "x-fous-developer": true,
      "examples": [
        3,
        2
      ]
    },
    "field_office": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "FBI field office city, for example Chicago.",
      "examples": [
        "Chicago"
      ]
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "examples": [
    {
      "category": "all",
      "max_results": 3
    },
    {
      "category": "ten_most_wanted",
      "max_results": 3
    },
    {
      "category": "seeking_information",
      "max_results": 2,
      "field_office": "Chicago"
    }
  ]
}
```

**Output**

| Field | Type | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `notices` | array |  |  |
| `notices[].sex` | string or null | `"Female"` | Reported sex |
| `notices[].eyes` | string or null | `"Brown"` | Eye color |
| `notices[].hair` | string or null | `"Black (May be worn in dreadlocks)"` | Hair description |
| `notices[].link` | string or null | `"https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/vicap/missing-persons/tamika-cross---chicago-illinois"` | FBI notice page link |
| `notices[].name` | string or null | `"TAMIKA CROSS - CHICAGO, ILLINOIS"` | Name or notice title |
| `notices[].race` | string or null | `"Black"` | Reported race |
| `notices[].height` | string or null | `"5 ft 3 in"` | Reported height |
| `notices[].caution` | string or null | `"Julious George Khalid is wanted for his alleged connection to the kidnapping of a person in Atlanta, Georgia. On August` | Caution text with formatting removed |
| `notices[].category` | string or null | `"ViCAP Missing Persons"` | FBI notice subject labels |
| `notices[].age_range` | string or null | `"21 (at time of disappearance)"` | Reported age range |
| `notices[].description` | string or null | `"January 23, 2025 Chicago, Illinois\nTamika Cross was last seen by her family on January 23, 2025, in the area of the 16` | Notice description and details with formatting removed |
| `notices[].reward_text` | string or null | `"The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Julious George Kh` | FBI reward wording |
| `notices[].fbi_notice_id` | string or null | `"e1a7c6ebec5c4a3685554779122af36f"` | FBI notice identifier |
| `notices[].field_offices` | array |  | FBI field office cities |
| `notices[].place_of_birth` | string or null | `"Indianapolis, Indiana"` | Place of birth |
| `notices[].main_image_link` | string or null | `"https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/vicap/missing-persons/tamika-cross---chicago-illinois/@@images/image"` | Main photograph link |
| `notices[].publication_date` | string or null | `"2026-09-24"` | Date the notice was published, YYYY-MM-DD |
| `notices[].dates_of_birth_used` | array |  | Dates of birth listed by the FBI |

**Example input**

```json
{
  "category": "all",
  "max_results": 3
}
```

**Example output**

```json
{
  "notices": [
    {
      "sex": "Female",
      "eyes": "Brown",
      "hair": "Black (May be worn in dreadlocks)",
      "link": "https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/vicap/missing-persons/tamika-cross---chicago-illinois",
      "name": "TAMIKA CROSS - CHICAGO, ILLINOIS",
      "race": "Black",
      "height": "5 ft 3 in",
      "caution": null,
      "category": "ViCAP Missing Persons",
      "age_range": "21 (at time of disappearance)",
      "description": "January 23, 2025 Chicago, Illinois\nTamika Cross was last seen by her family on January 23, 2025, in the area of the 1600 block of W. 77th St., Chicago, Illinois. She has not been heard from since the …",
      "reward_text": null,
      "fbi_notice_id": "e1a7c6ebec5c4a3685554779122af36f",
      "field_offices": [],
      "place_of_birth": null,
      "main_image_link": "https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/vicap/missing-persons/tamika-cross---chicago-illinois/@@images/image",
      "publication_date": "2026-09-24",
      "dates_of_birth_used": []
    }
  ]
}
```

## Quick start

Replace `YOUR_API_KEY` with a Fous API key. To create one, open Developers at the bottom of Fous Studio, turn on Developer mode, then go to API keys (https://app.fous.com/keys). Change the values in `input` to run the same tool on new data.

```bash
curl 'https://api.fous.com/v1/query' \
  --fail-with-body --silent --show-error --max-time 180 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data-raw '{
  "api": "@fbi",
  "visibility": "public",
  "operation": "list_most_wanted",
  "version": 1,
  "input": {
    "category": "all",
    "max_results": 3
  },
  "response": {
    "format": "json"
  }
}'
```

```python
# Save as fous.py and run with python3 fous.py. No packages needed.
import json
import urllib.error
import urllib.request

api_key = "YOUR_API_KEY"

body = json.loads("{\n  \"api\": \"@fbi\",\n  \"visibility\": \"public\",\n  \"operation\": \"list_most_wanted\",\n  \"version\": 1,\n  \"input\": {\n    \"category\": \"all\",\n    \"max_results\": 3\n  },\n  \"response\": {\n    \"format\": \"json\"\n  }\n}")
request = urllib.request.Request(
    "https://api.fous.com/v1/query",
    data=json.dumps(body).encode("utf-8"),
    headers={
        "Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}",
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
    method="POST",
)
try:
    with urllib.request.urlopen(request, timeout=180) as response:
        result = json.load(response)
except urllib.error.HTTPError as error:
    raise RuntimeError(f"HTTP {error.code}: {error.read().decode('utf-8', errors='replace')}") from error
if result.get("success") is False:
    raise RuntimeError(result.get("error", {}).get("message", "Request failed"))
print(json.dumps(result["data"]["output"], indent=2))
```

```typescript
// Save as fous.mts and run with npx tsx fous.mts.
const apiKey = "YOUR_API_KEY";

const response = await fetch("https://api.fous.com/v1/query", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Authorization": `Bearer ${apiKey}`,
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  signal: AbortSignal.timeout(180_000),
  body: JSON.stringify({
  "api": "@fbi",
  "visibility": "public",
  "operation": "list_most_wanted",
  "version": 1,
  "input": {
    "category": "all",
    "max_results": 3
  },
  "response": {
    "format": "json"
  }
}),
});
type ApiResult = { success: boolean; data?: { output: unknown }; error?: { message: string } };
const result: ApiResult = await response.json();
if (!response.ok || result.success === false) {
  throw new Error(result.error?.message ?? `HTTP ${response.status}`);
}
if (!result.data) throw new Error("Missing API response data");
console.log(result.data.output);
```

## Use from an AI assistant

Connect this tool to Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and any MCP client as its own MCP server. Each method is a typed tool whose arguments are the method’s input.

- Server URL: `https://api.fous.com/mcp/tools/fbi`
- Authorization: `Authorization: Bearer <Fous API key>`

**Tools**

- `list_most_wanted`: List most wanted. 1 credit per completed call. Failed calls without a completed billing receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted.
- `fous_get_run`: the result of a run that was still going, by its `request_id`. Free.

Claude Code:

```bash
claude mcp add --scope user --transport http fous-fbi https://api.fous.com/mcp/tools/fbi --header "Authorization: Bearer ${FOUS_API_KEY:?Set FOUS_API_KEY to your Fous API key}"
```

To give the assistant every tool, connect `https://api.fous.com/mcp`: it finds one with `fous_search_tools` and runs it with `fous_run_tool`. Setup for other clients: https://fous.com/llms-full.txt.

## Use cases

- Review wanted notices by category or field office
- Find notices matching a person or title
- Compile notice details and publication dates
- Review reported descriptions and identifying details
- Find notice reward wording and links

## FAQ

### Can I run it with my own inputs?

Yes. Change the inputs in Studio and press Run, or send new inputs from your code, or ask a connected AI assistant.

### Can I call this FBI tool as an API?

Yes. Send a POST request to /v1/query with your Fous API key and the inputs, and get JSON back.

### How much does it cost?

Each completed run costs 1 credit. Failed runs without a completed receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted. With pay as you go, a credit costs 1¢. Monthly plans cost less per credit.

### Do I need a FBI account?

No. You only need a Fous account.

### How current is the data?

Fous gets the data from fbi.gov when you run it. Some results are reused for up to 24 hours, and results that use your account or key are never reused. It was last verified on Sep 29, 2026.

### How can I find notices by name?

Use List most wanted with a name to find notices matching words in a person’s name or notice title.

### Can I filter notices by category or field office?

Yes. List most wanted accepts a category or field office to filter notices.

### What details does a notice include?

List most wanted returns the notice title, description, category, publication date, identifying details, reward wording, and notice link.

## Related

- [Federal Register API](https://fous.com/tools/federal-register.md): Search United States federal rules, proposed rules, notices, and presidential documents.
- [SAM.gov API](https://fous.com/tools/sam-gov.md): U.S. federal contract opportunities and government notices.
- [Grants.gov API](https://fous.com/tools/grants-gov.md): U.S. federal grant opportunities and application information.
- [USAJOBS API](https://fous.com/tools/usajobs.md): Federal government job listings and announcements.
- [InciWeb API](https://fous.com/tools/inciweb.md): InciWeb provides US interagency information on active wildfires and related incidents, with latest dated updates and evacuation or closure notices; past notices may no longer apply.
- [FEMA API](https://fous.com/tools/fema.md): FEMA provides public U.S. flood maps and disaster information, including approximate address-based flood risk details and federal disaster declarations by state or county.
- [Police.uk API](https://fous.com/tools/police-uk.md): Police.uk provides street-level crime data for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, using the latest published month by default, plus local policing team details where forces publish them.
- [IRS API](https://fous.com/tools/irs.md): IRS provides tax information and public organization records, including charity status and current-directory forms, instructions, and publications with revision and posting dates.
- [All Government tools](https://fous.com/tools/category/government)