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Understanding the Federal Register

Reader Aids

Reader Aids help people use FederalRegister.gov and understand the federal rulemaking process. Reader Aids information is not published in the Federal Register.

This section of our Reader Aids is designed to help you gain a greater understanding of the Federal Register and the regulatory system that is a part of. The items in this section are not geared towards specific FederalRegister.gov features.

Reader aid items in this section

  • Federal Register Statistics

    Statistics Federal Register & CFR Publication Statistics – Aggregated Charts PDF XLS Federal Register & CFR Publication Statistics – Individual Charts Federal Register Pages Published (1936-2021) (PDF) Federal Register Documents Published and Annual Percentage Change (1936-2021) (PDF) Federal Register Pages Published – Annual Percentage Change (1976-2021) (PDF) Code of Federal Regulations Total Pages and Volumes […]

  • Document Drafting & Research

    These links can help you better understand the document drafting process and research Federal Register documents. For procedural questions about transmitting documents and IBR requests, as well as office access, visit our COVID procedures page. Important: www.ecfr.gov displays split and indented paragraphs showing the regulatory hierarchy for increased readability, an option not available in the official 2-column […]

  • Related Resources

    Here are external resources that are helpful for understanding the Federal Register, its parent and partner agencies, and the rulemaking process. Regulations.gov (Official Docket System for Public Comments) RegInfo.gov (Unified Agenda & Regulations Under Review) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST – database of standards incorporated by […]