cfr-free

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Read a CFR section

get_section

Read-onlyIdempotent

Retrieves the full Markdown text of a Title 38 CFR section or appendix from flexible citations, returning heading, hierarchy, issue date, and an eCFR permalink for accurate citation.

Instructions

Fetch the full text of one Title 38 CFR section or appendix as markdown. Accepts flexible citations: "4.125", "§ 4.125", "38 CFR 4.125", or appendix names like "Appendix A to Part 4". Returns heading, hierarchy path, issue date and an ecfr.gov permalink.

Tool call template

Replace each placeholder with a value matching the input schema. Only required parameters are included; add optional parameters as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "citation": "<citation>"
    },
    "name": "get_section"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`citation`	Yes	the citation to read, e.g. "38 CFR 4.125"

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`kind`	Yes
`part`	Yes
`path`	Yes
`text`	Yes
`notice`	Yes
`chapter`	Yes
`citedBy`	Yes
`heading`	Yes
`subpart`	Yes
`citation`	Yes
`markdown`	Yes
`issueDate`	Yes
`sourceUrl`	Yes
`indexStale`	Yes
`references`	Yes
`sourceUrlAtIndexDate`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed3 schema fields changedv0.2.1Oct 29, 2026

addedOutput schema / properties / citedBy

Added value: +{
+  "items": {
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / sourceUrlAtIndexDate
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```

changedOutput schema / required

Previous value: -[
-  "citation",
-  "kind",
-  "heading",
-  "chapter",
-  "part",
-  "subpart",
-  "path",
-  "issueDate",
-  "markdown",
-  "text",
-  "sourceUrl",
-  "references",
-  "indexStale",
-  "notice"
-]New value: +[
+  "citation",
+  "kind",
+  "heading",
+  "chapter",
+  "part",
+  "subpart",
+  "path",
+  "issueDate",
+  "markdown",
+  "text",
+  "sourceUrl",
+  "sourceUrlAtIndexDate",
+  "references",
+  "citedBy",
+  "indexStale",
+  "notice"
+]

First observedv0.1.0Oct 19, 2026

TDQS

A4/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnly, idempotent, openWorld=false, so the safety profile is covered; the description adds the output medium (markdown) and names the returned fields (heading, hierarchy path, issue date, permalink). It doesn't say what happens on an ambiguous or unmatched citation, which is the main remaining behavioral unknown for a lookup tool.

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?

Three short sentences, each doing distinct work: what it returns, what input it accepts, what comes back. No repetition of the name or title and no filler.

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?

For a single-parameter read with full schema coverage, complete annotations, and a declared output schema, the description covers purpose, accepted input forms, and output medium. Nothing an agent needs in order to call it correctly is missing.

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

Parameters4/5

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

Schema coverage is 100%, so baseline is 3, and the description earns above that by enumerating genuinely different citation syntaxes (bare section, §-prefixed, fully qualified, appendix names) that the schema only gestures at with one example. It stops short of stating whether leading/trailing whitespace or part qualifiers are tolerated.

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

Purpose4/5

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

Starts with a specific verb+resource pair ("Fetch the full text of one Title 38 CFR section or appendix") plus the output format (markdown), which is far more informative than the title. It doesn't disambiguate from the similarly named sibling get_section_at, so an agent comparing the two must infer the difference from the sibling's schema rather than this text.

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

Usage Guidelines3/5

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

Usage context is implied by "one ... section or appendix" (i.e., a single known citation, not a search), but there is no explicit when-to-use vs. search_regulations, browse_title38, or get_section_at. The accepted-format list helps the agent shape input more than it helps choose this tool over its siblings.

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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