Bring Federal Register
to VS Code Copilot
Learn how to connect Federal Register to VS Code Copilot and start using 9 AI agent tools in minutes. Fully managed, enterprise secure, and ready to use without writing a single line of code.
GDPR Free for SubscribersCompatible with every major AI agent and IDE
Gemini
What is the Federal Register MCP Server?
Connect your AI agent to the Federal Register and navigate the vast landscape of U.S. government regulations and public notices through natural language.
What you can do
- Document Search — Search through millions of documents published since 1994 using filters like agency, date, document type, and RIN.
- Public Inspection — Access the 'Public Inspection' desk to see documents scheduled for publication before they officially hit the register.
- Agency Intelligence — List all federal agencies and retrieve detailed profiles, including their recent regulatory activity and metadata.
- Regulatory Tracking — Monitor specific dockets, Regulation Identifier Numbers (RIN), and CFR titles/parts to stay ahead of compliance changes.
- Deep Metadata — Fetch full document details, including publication dates, page ranges, and agency contact information.
How it works
- Subscribe to this server
- No API key is required for standard public access
- Start querying the Federal Register from Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible client
Who is this for?
- Legal Professionals — quickly find specific rules or notices without navigating complex government portals
- Compliance Officers — track regulatory changes and public inspection filings in real-time
- Policy Researchers — analyze agency activity and historical document trends via AI-driven search
Built-in capabilities (9)
Fetch a single agency by slug
Retrieve all documents currently on public inspection
Fetch a single published document
Fetch multiple published documents
Retrieve documents on public inspection on a specific date
Fetch a single public inspection document
List all federal agencies
Search published Federal Register documents
Search public inspection documents
Why VS Code Copilot?
GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings Federal Register data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 9 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.
- —
VS Code is used by over 70% of developers. adding MCP tools to Copilot means your team can leverage external data without leaving their primary editor
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Project-scoped MCP configs (
.vscode/mcp.json) let you commit server configurations to your repository, ensuring the entire team shares the same tool access - —
Copilot's Agent mode integrates MCP tools seamlessly with file editing, terminal commands, and workspace search in a single agentic loop
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GitHub's enterprise compliance and audit features extend to MCP tool usage, providing visibility into how AI interacts with external services
Federal Register in VS Code Copilot
Federal Register and 4,000+ other MCP servers. One platform. One governance layer.
Teams that connect Federal Register to VS Code Copilot through Vinkius don't need to source, host, or maintain individual MCP servers. Every tool call runs inside a hardened runtime with credential isolation, DLP, and a signed audit chain.
Raw MCP | Vinkius | |
|---|---|---|
| Server catalog | Find and host yourself | 4,000+ managed |
| Infrastructure | Self-hosted | Sandboxed V8 isolates |
| Credential handling | Plaintext in config | Vault + runtime injection |
| Data loss prevention | None | Configurable DLP policies |
| Kill switch | None | Global instant shutdown |
| Financial circuit breakers | None | Per-server limits + alerts |
| Audit trail | None | Ed25519 signed logs |
| SIEM log streaming | None | Splunk, Datadog, Webhook |
| Honeytokens | None | Canary alerts on leak |
| Custom domains | Not applicable | DNS challenge verified |
| GDPR compliance | Manual effort | Automated purge + export |
Why teams choose Vinkius for Federal Register in VS Code Copilot
The Federal Register MCP Server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS — a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts. All 9 tools execute in hardened sandboxes optimized for native MCP execution.
Your AI agents in VS Code Copilot only access the data you authorize, with DLP that blocks sensitive information from ever reaching the model, kill switch for instant shutdown, and up to 60% token savings. Enterprise-grade infrastructure, zero maintenance.
* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure
How Vinkius secures
Federal Register for VS Code Copilot
Every tool call from VS Code Copilot to the Federal Register MCP Server is protected by DLP redaction, cryptographic audit chains, V8 sandbox isolation, kill switch, and financial circuit breakers.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find documents from a specific agency like the FDA?
First, use the list_agencies tool to find the correct agency slug or ID. Then, use the search_documents tool and provide that slug in the agencies parameter to filter results.
Can I see documents before they are officially published in the daily register?
Yes! Use the search_public_inspection or get_current_public_inspection tools. These access the 'Public Inspection' desk, which contains documents filed for public review before their formal publication date.
Is it possible to search for documents related to a specific Regulation Identifier Number (RIN)?
Absolutely. Use the search_documents tool and provide the rin parameter. This will return all published documents associated with that specific regulatory action.
Which VS Code version supports MCP?
MCP support requires VS Code 1.99 or later with the GitHub Copilot extension. Ensure both are updated to the latest version. Older versions of Copilot may not expose the Agent mode toggle.
How do I switch to Agent mode?
Open the Copilot Chat panel and look for two mode options: "Ask" and "Agent". Click "Agent" to enable autonomous tool calling. In Ask mode, Copilot provides conversational answers but cannot invoke MCP tools.
Can I restrict which MCP tools Copilot can access?
Yes. VS Code shows a tool consent dialog before any MCP tool is invoked for the first time. You can also configure tool access policies at the organization level through GitHub Copilot settings.
Does MCP work in VS Code Remote or Codespaces?
Yes. MCP servers configured via .vscode/mcp.json work in Remote SSH, WSL, and GitHub Codespaces environments. The MCP connection is established from the remote host, so ensure the server URL is accessible from that environment.
MCP tools not available
Ensure you are in Agent mode in Copilot Chat. MCP tools only appear in Agent mode.
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