Regulations.gov

Official site: https://www.regulations.gov

What This Site Is

Regulations.gov is the federal government's public rulemaking portal. It is where agencies publish regulatory actions (proposed rules, notices, studies, supporting materials) and where the public can read documents and submit comments during open comment periods. This site does not create laws. It is used before and during the regulatory process, after agencies publish actions in the Federal Register.

What You Can Do Here

  • Read proposed rules, final rules, notices, and studies
  • View entire rulemaking dockets (all documents tied to one regulatory action)
  • Track recently posted regulatory actions by agency
  • Submit public comments when a docket is open
  • Read public comments submitted by individuals and organizations
  • Submit deregulation suggestions through a structured government form
  • Download bulk regulatory data

Start Here (Pick What You're Looking For)

If you want to...

  • See what agencies are working on right now → Use the homepage search or click Posted Recently to see newly posted notices, proposed rules, and updates
  • Read a specific regulatory document → Open a result to land on a Document Details page showing the document text, posting date, agency, and comment status
  • Get the full regulatory context → From a document page, open the Docket — this contains all related notices, studies, rules, and comments for that action
  • Submit a public comment → Confirm the document is open for comment, click Comment, and submit before the deadline
  • Read what others submitted → Open the document or docket, click Comments, and open individual comments (often full letters or PDFs)
  • Suggest removing or changing a regulation → Click Submit Deregulatory Recommendation and complete the structured form identifying Agency, CFR section, Rule type, and Justification

How This Page Works

  1. Homepage shows trending items, comments due soon, and recent postings
  2. Click a recently posted item (notice, proposed rule, etc.)
  3. You land on a Document Details page showing: Document ID, Agency, Posted date, Comment deadline (if applicable), and Full document text
  4. From there, you can: Open the Docket (everything related), Submit a Comment, or View existing comments
  5. Clicking a comment opens the actual submission (often a full letter with name, organization, and arguments)

Common Things to Search For

  • Proposed rules from a specific agency (EPA, SEC, HHS, DOT, OSHA, etc.)
  • Regulatory actions mentioned in news articles
  • Docket numbers cited in Federal Register notices
  • Rules affecting a specific industry or issue
  • Comments submitted by advocacy groups or companies
  • Regulations with high public participation

Good to Know

  • Not all documents accept comments — only those marked "Open for Comment"
  • Most comments become public record, including names and organizations
  • Attachments and letters are often long-form PDFs, not short text
  • A single docket may span many years and multiple rule versions
  • Final rules are posted here, but laws are passed elsewhere
  • Regulations.gov complements the Federal Register, it does not replace it
Open Regulations.gov →