M
API Matrix

Federal Register API

⭐ Beginner's Pick Government / No Auth Required Beginner HTTPS
Free to Use Varies (check documentation)
87 Score
Grade A
Visit Official Site Compare Alternatives

Overview

The Federal Register API provides programmatic access to the official daily journal of the US government, including executive orders, proposed rules, and public notices. No API key is needed, so you can query it right away. It is a valuable resource for legal researchers, compliance tools, and civic applications tracking regulatory changes.

💡

Beginner Tip

Use the conditions[term] parameter to search for specific topics like "climate" or "healthcare" and filter by conditions[type]=RULE for final rules or PRESDOCU for presidential documents. Results are paginated with 20 items per page by default.

Available Data

Federal Register data via REST API
JSON-formatted response data
Freely accessible without authentication

Example Response

JSON Response 
{
  "status": "success",
  "data": {
    "result": "Data from Federal Register",
    "description": "The Daily Journal of the United States Government",
    "timestamp": "2025-01-15T10:00:00Z"
  }
}

Field Reference

results Array of Federal Register document objects matching the search criteria
title Official title of the government document or rule
document_number Unique identifier for the document in the Federal Register
publication_date Date the document was published in YYYY-MM-DD format
type Document type such as RULE, PRORULE, NOTICE, or PRESDOCU
abstract Brief summary of the document content and its regulatory or legal purpose

Implementation Example 

const url = "https://www.federalregister.gov/reader-aids/developer-resources/rest-api";
const response = await fetch(url);
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${response.status}`);
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);

What Can You Build?

Note: These code examples are AI-generated and unverified. Always refer to the official API documentation for accurate usage.

Common Errors & Troubleshooting

422 Unprocessable Entity A required parameter is missing or a filter value is not in the expected format
✓ Check the API docs at federalregister.gov/reader-aids/developer-resources and ensure dates use YYYY-MM-DD format
Large response payload Requesting all fields for many documents at once
✓ Use the fields[] parameter to request only the fields you need, such as fields[]=title&fields[]=document_number
Results not updating The Federal Register publishes new documents each business day; weekend queries may seem stale
✓ Check the publication date in each document object; new issues are published weekdays only

Matrix Score Breakdown

🌐 Reachability 30/30
⚡ Speed 20/20
🔒 Security 15/15
🛠 Developer XP 15/20
✓ Reliability 7/15
Response Time 192ms

Fully tested on Apr 5, 2026

Technical Specifications

Auth No Auth
HTTPS REQUIRED
CORS UNKNOWN
Category Government
Difficulty Beginner
Verified: 2026-04-04

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