federal-regulations-mcp-server

regulations_get_docket

regulations_get_docket

Read-onlyIdempotent

Pull a rulemaking docket from Regulations.gov by docket ID (e.g. "EPA-HQ-OAR-2025-0194") — the docket's metadata (title, agency, RIN, abstract) and the documents filed in it (NPRM, final rule, supporting materials). The docket is the folder holding a rule's whole paper trail; each returned document's objectId feeds regulations_find_comments. A docket often contains hundreds of supporting materials — filter document_types to "Proposed Rule"/"Rule" to find the rule documents themselves. Requires REGULATIONS_GOV_API_KEY (free at https://api.data.gov/signup/); the Federal Register and eCFR tools work without it.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`page`	No	Page number (1–40, default 1). Regulations.gov serves 40 pages, so a docket listing reaches 40 × per_page documents (10,000 at per_page 250); totalPages and nextPage in the response say how far this one goes. Beyond that, narrow with document_types.
`per_page`	No	Documents per page (5–250, default 25). Regulations.gov requires a minimum page size of 5.
`docket_id`	Yes	Regulations.gov docket ID (e.g. "EPA-HQ-OAR-2025-0194"). Obtain from regulationsGovDocketId on a regulations_search_rules or regulations_list_open_comments row, or docketId from regulations_get_document. The printed docketIds on those tools are not always Regulations.gov IDs ("REG-101355-26" is the IRS's own number for docket IRS-2026-0925).
`document_types`	No	Filter the docket's documents to these types. Omit for all. A docket often contains hundreds of "Supporting & Related Material" items — filter to "Proposed Rule"/"Rule" to find the rule documents.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`cap`	No	The most documents 40 pages reach at this per_page (40 × per_page); set with truncated.
`rin`	No	Regulation Identifier Number ("Not Assigned" when none), or null.
`error`	No	Present when the call failed. Absent on success.
`shown`	No	Documents returned on this page.
`title`	No	Docket title.
`notice`	No	Guidance when the docket has no documents, when the page is past the end, or when documents lie beyond the last page.
`abstract`	No	Docket abstract, or null.
`agencyId`	No	Agency ID (e.g. "EPA"), or null.
`docketId`	No	Regulations.gov docket ID.
`nextPage`	No	Page to request next — present only when a later page holds documents.
`objectId`	No	Docket object ID, or null.
`documents`	No	Documents filed in the docket (this page).
`truncated`	No	True when the docket holds more documents than 40 pages reach at this per_page, so some are on no page — set on every page of such a docket.
`docketType`	No	Docket type (e.g. "Rulemaking"), or null.
`modifyDate`	No	Last-modified date, or null.
`totalPages`	No	Pages of documents at this per_page, at most the 40 Regulations.gov serves; 0 when there are none.
`documentCount`	No	Total documents in the docket (before pagination).

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed4 schema fields changedSep 25, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / docket_id / description

Previous value: -"Regulations.gov docket ID (e.g. \"EPA-HQ-OAR-2025-0194\"). Obtain from a Federal Register document's docketId (regulations_get_document) or an agency rulemaking reference."New value: +"Regulations.gov docket ID (e.g. \"EPA-HQ-OAR-2025-0194\"). Obtain from regulationsGovDocketId on a regulations_search_rules or regulations_list_open_comments row, or docketId from regulations_get_document. The printed docketIds on those tools are not always Regulations.gov IDs (\"REG-101355-26\" is the IRS's own number for docket IRS-2026-0925)."

changedOutput schema / properties / documents / items / properties / commentEndDate / description

Previous value: -"Comment-period end date; when set, open for comment."New value: +"The UTC instant the comment period ends, or null. Periods end at 11:59 PM Eastern, so \"2023-05-31T03:59:59Z\" is the close date 2023-05-30 the Federal Register prints."

addedOutput schema / properties / documents / items / properties / commentPeriodOpen

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Whether the document is open for comment now, as Regulations.gov reports it (its openForComment); null when Regulations.gov doesn't say.",
+  "type": [
+    "boolean",
+    "null"
+  ]
+}

changedOutput schema / properties / documents / items / required

Previous value: -[
-  "documentId",
-  "objectId",
-  "title",
-  "documentType",
-  "postedDate",
-  "frDocNum",
-  "commentEndDate",
-  "withdrawn"
-]New value: +[
+  "documentId",
+  "objectId",
+  "title",
+  "documentType",
+  "postedDate",
+  "frDocNum",
+  "commentEndDate",
+  "commentPeriodOpen",
+  "withdrawn"
+]

Changed8 schema fields changedSep 25, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / page / description

Previous value: -"Page number (1-based). Regulations.gov caps a query at 20 pages (5,000 records); beyond that, narrow with document_types."New value: +"Page number (1–40, default 1). Regulations.gov serves 40 pages, so a docket listing reaches 40 × per_page documents (10,000 at per_page 250); totalPages and nextPage in the response say how far this one goes. Beyond that, narrow with document_types."

changedInput schema / properties / page / maximum
```
Previous value: -20New value: +40
```

changedOutput schema / anyOf

Previous value: -[
-  {
-    "not": {
-      "required": [
-        "error"
-      ]
-    },
-    "required": [
-      "docketId",
-      "title",
-      "docketType",
-      "agencyId",
-      "rin",
-      "abstract",
-      "modifyDate",
-      "objectId",
-      "documentCount",
-      "documents"
-    ]
-  },
-  {
-    "required": [
-      "error"
-    ]
-  }
-]New value: +[
+  {
+    "not": {
+      "required": [
+        "error"
+      ]
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "docketId",
+      "title",
+      "docketType",
+      "agencyId",
+      "rin",
+      "abstract",
+      "modifyDate",
+      "objectId",
+      "documentCount",
+      "documents",
+      "totalPages"
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "required": [
+      "error"
+    ]
+  }
+]

addedOutput schema / properties / cap

Added value: +{
+  "description": "The most documents 40 pages reach at this per_page (40 × per_page); set with truncated.",
+  "type": "number"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / nextPage

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Page to request next — present only when a later page holds documents.",
+  "type": "number"
+}

changedOutput schema / properties / notice / description

Previous value: -"Guidance when the docket has no documents."New value: +"Guidance when the docket has no documents, when the page is past the end, or when documents lie beyond the last page."

addedOutput schema / properties / totalPages

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Pages of documents at this per_page, at most the 40 Regulations.gov serves; 0 when there are none.",
+  "type": "number"
+}

changedOutput schema / properties / truncated / description

Previous value: -"True when documentCount exceeds the returned set / 5,000 ceiling."New value: +"True when the docket holds more documents than 40 pages reach at this per_page, so some are on no page — set on every page of such a docket."

Changed16 schema fields changedSep 20, 2026

removedOutput schema / properties / abstract / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / abstract / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "string",
+  "null"
+]
```

removedOutput schema / properties / agencyId / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / agencyId / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "string",
+  "null"
+]
```

removedOutput schema / properties / docketType / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / docketType / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "string",
+  "null"
+]
```
removedOutput schema / properties / documents / items / properties / commentEndDate / anyOf
```
Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]
```
addedOutput schema / properties / documents / items / properties / commentEndDate / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "string",
+  "null"
+]
```

removedOutput schema / properties / documents / items / properties / frDocNum / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / documents / items / properties / frDocNum / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "string",
+  "null"
+]
```

removedOutput schema / properties / modifyDate / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / modifyDate / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "string",
+  "null"
+]
```

removedOutput schema / properties / objectId / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / objectId / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "string",
+  "null"
+]
```

removedOutput schema / properties / rin / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / rin / type

Added value: +[
+  "string",
+  "null"
+]

Changed6 schema fields changedAug 22, 2026

changedInput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

addedInput schema / additionalProperties
```
Added value: +false
```

changedOutput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

addedOutput schema / anyOf

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "not": {
+      "required": [
+        "error"
+      ]
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "docketId",
+      "title",
+      "docketType",
+      "agencyId",
+      "rin",
+      "abstract",
+      "modifyDate",
+      "objectId",
+      "documentCount",
+      "documents"
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "required": [
+      "error"
+    ]
+  }
+]

addedOutput schema / properties / error

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": {},
+  "description": "Present when the call failed. Absent on success.",
+  "properties": {
+    "code": {
+      "description": "JSON-RPC error code for this failure.",
+      "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+      "minimum": -9007199254740991,
+      "type": "integer"
+    },
+    "data": {
+      "additionalProperties": {},
+      "properties": {
+        "reason": {
+          "description": "Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `auth_required`: REGULATIONS_GOV_API_KEY is not configured, or Regulations.gov rejected the key that is. `not_found`: No docket exists with that ID. `rate_limited`: Regulations.gov returned 429 (1,000 requests/hour per key). `upstream_unavailable`: Regulations.gov returned a 5xx, timed out, or could not be reached at all. Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler.",
+          "examples": [
+            "auth_required",
+            "not_found",
+            "rate_limited",
+            "upstream_unavailable"
+          ],
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "recovery": {
+          "additionalProperties": {},
+          "description": "Actionable next step for the caller.",
+          "properties": {
+            "hint": {
+              "type": "string"
+            }
+          },
+          "required": [
+            "hint"
+          ],
+          "type": "object"
+        },
+        "retryable": {
+          "description": "Whether retrying may succeed.",
+          "type": "boolean"
+        }
+      },
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "message": {
+      "description": "Human-readable description of what went wrong.",
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "code",
+    "message"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

removedOutput schema / required

Removed value: -[
-  "docketId",
-  "title",
-  "docketType",
-  "agencyId",
-  "rin",
-  "abstract",
-  "modifyDate",
-  "objectId",
-  "documentCount",
-  "documents"
-]

First observedJun 16, 2026

TDQS

A4.3/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already mark the tool read-only and idempotent, so the description does not need to restate that. It adds useful behavioral context: the REGULATIONS_GOV_API_KEY requirement, the large volume of supporting materials, and the relationship to downstream comment retrieval. No contradiction with annotations exists.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is a single, well-organized paragraph that front-loads the core purpose and then adds practical guidance without repetition. Every sentence earns its place: purpose, conceptual model, downstream use, filtering advice, and API-key requirement.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given the rich input schema and output schema, the description covers the essential operational details: what a docket is, what is returned, how to filter large dockets, how returned documents feed comment retrieval, and the required API key. An agent has enough context to call this tool correctly.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so the baseline is 3. The description reinforces the document_types filter and gives a docket ID example, but the parameter-level details are already well documented in the schema; the description adds only modest extra meaning beyond it.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description opens with a specific verb and resource: 'Pull a rulemaking docket from Regulations.gov by docket ID.' It names what is returned (metadata plus filed documents) and clarifies the docket concept as a folder, which distinguishes it from sibling document-level tools like regulations_get_document.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

It gives clear context for when this tool is useful, such as retrieving a rule's whole paper trail and using returned objectIds to feed regulations_find_comments. It also advises filtering document_types to find rule documents, and notes that FR/eCFR tools work without the API key. It does not explicitly contrast with every sibling, but the context is sufficient.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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