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# How to pull the current text of a CFR section and search new Federal Register rules without a browser

When you ask an AI assistant what a federal regulation says from memory, it can blend old amendments or invent paragraph letters. Meanwhile, several legal reference sites block automated fetches with Cloudflare challenges. This guide shows how to read the exact current text of any Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR) section and search recent Federal Register notices and final rules through US Federal Regulations (CFR), using our 14 CFR 107.51 drone operating limits benchmark.

By OpenKrill. Published 2026-10-20. Every regulation excerpt, citation and response time below comes from live calls to [US Federal Regulations (CFR)](https://tools.openkrill.app/tools/rules) (`rules.openkrill.app`) and the official eCFR and Federal Register APIs between 06:20 and 07:17 UTC on 2026-10-20.

## The short answer

Open [US Federal Regulations and CFR Search](https://tools.openkrill.app/rules) or connect `https://rules.openkrill.app/mcp` to your AI assistant. Call `get_cfr_section` when you know the title and section number (such as `14 CFR 107.51` or `21 CFR 11.10`), `search_cfr` to search across one CFR title or all 50 titles by keyword, or `search_federal_register` to find newly published final rules, proposed rules and agency notices with their effective dates and comment deadlines.

## What 14 CFR 107.51 says in our live eCFR test

We asked for `14 CFR 107.51` (*Operating limitations for small unmanned aircraft* in Title 14, *Aeronautics and Space*). In 1,852 ms, `get_cfr_section` returned the complete, untruncated 1,135-character section text from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (current as of `2026-10-16`), matching the official eCFR XML word for word:

| Paragraph | Operating limit in 14 CFR 107.51 | Exact rule requirement |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `(a)` Groundspeed | 87 knots (100 miles per hour) maximum | The groundspeed of the small unmanned aircraft may not exceed 87 knots (100 mph). |
| `(b)` Altitude | 400 feet above ground level (AGL) maximum | Cannot fly higher than 400 feet AGL, unless flown within a 400-foot radius of a structure and no higher than 400 feet above the structure's immediate uppermost limit. |
| `(c)` Flight visibility | 3 statute miles minimum | Minimum flight visibility observed from the control station must be no less than 3 statute miles. |
| `(d)` Distance from clouds | 500 feet below, 2,000 feet horizontally | Minimum distance from clouds must be no less than 500 feet below the cloud and 2,000 feet horizontally from the cloud. |

## How US Federal Regulations (CFR) compared with legal reference sites

We tested the same `14 CFR 107.51` lookup against three widely cited regulation sites on 2026-10-20:

| Source | Result on 14 CFR 107.51 | Wall time | Score |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **OpenKrill US Federal Regulations (CFR)** | Full 1,135-char text matching eCFR word for word, with eCFR URL, `2026-10-16` currency date and legal-status notice, ready for an AI agent via MCP | 1,852 ms | 10.0 / 10 |
| **Cornell LII CFR** (`law.cornell.edu`) | Full current text matching eCFR on an HTML web page with ads | 1,540 ms | 10.0 / 10 |
| **GovRegs** (`govregs.com`) | Full current text matching eCFR plus authority and Federal Register source notes on an HTML page | 1,184 ms | 10.0 / 10 |
| **Justia Regulations** (`regulations.justia.com`) | Not run: returned an HTTP 403 Cloudflare challenge on a direct fetch | not run | not run |

## Searching eCFR sections and recent Federal Register rulemakings

When you do not have an exact section number, or need to see what agencies published this month, the other two tools on the server cover the gap:

- **Keyword search across the eCFR (`search_cfr`).** Searching `query: "remote identification unmanned aircraft"` in `title: 14` with `limit: 3` matched 41 sections in 14 CFR Part 89 (Federal Aviation Administration), led by `14 CFR 89.310` (*Minimum performance requirements for standard remote identification unmanned aircraft*), `14 CFR 89.305` (*Minimum message elements broadcast by standard remote identification unmanned aircraft*), and `14 CFR 89.320` (*Minimum performance requirements for remote identification broadcast modules*).
- **Recent rules and notices (`search_federal_register`).** Searching `query: "unmanned aircraft"` with `publishedFrom: "2026-09-01"` and `order: "newest"` matched 15 Federal Register documents published between September and October 2026. The newest 3 were Document `2026-21371` (`91 FR 66204`, a Fish and Wildlife Service final Rule amending `50 CFR part 18`, published and effective `2026-10-19`), Document `2026-20859` (`91 FR 65028`, an FAA Notice on the Indianapolis Downtown Heliport, published `2026-10-13`), and Document `2026-20623` (`91 FR 64406`, a National Science Foundation Notice under the Antarctic Conservation Act published `2026-10-08` with public comments closing `2026-11-09`).

## Connect it to your AI client

Add `https://rules.openkrill.app/mcp` to your assistant, or follow the install steps for [ChatGPT](https://tools.openkrill.app/integrations/rules/chatgpt), [Claude](https://tools.openkrill.app/integrations/rules/claude), [Cursor](https://tools.openkrill.app/integrations/rules/cursor) and [Pi](https://tools.openkrill.app/integrations/rules/pi). You can also grab the 3 compliance research workflows in [rules-jobs/SKILL.md](https://tools.openkrill.app/skills/rules-jobs/SKILL.md).

Here is the JSON-RPC call that fetched `14 CFR 107.51`:

```
{"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"get_cfr_section",
 "arguments":{"title":14,"section":"107.51"}}}
```

## Important caveats when reading federal regulations

- **eCFR vs official legal text.** The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations is an editorial compilation updated daily by the Office of the Federal Register. The authoritative legal text is the published Federal Register and the annual CFR editions on `govinfo.gov`.
- **Federal Register notices vs codified CFR text.** A proposed rule or notice in the Federal Register has not yet changed the CFR, and a newly published final rule only appears in the eCFR on its effective date.
- **Scope.** This tool covers US federal regulations only; it does not include state statutes, court opinions or agency guidance letters that were not published in the Federal Register, and it is general information rather than legal advice.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does 14 CFR 107.51 say about drone altitude and speed limits?

Under 14 CFR 107.51 (current as of 2026-10-16), a small unmanned aircraft may not exceed 87 knots (100 miles per hour) groundspeed, may not fly higher than 400 feet above ground level unless within a 400-foot radius of a structure and within 400 feet of its top limit, and requires at least 3 statute miles of flight visibility and cloud clearance of 500 feet below and 2,000 feet horizontally.

### Where can I read the current text of a federal regulation by CFR citation?

You can read it on ecfr.gov, law.cornell.edu/cfr, govregs.com, or directly from an AI assistant by calling get_cfr_section on https://rules.openkrill.app/mcp with the title number and section string.

### Which new Federal Register rules were published this month about a given topic?

Call search_federal_register on https://rules.openkrill.app/mcp with your query, publishedFrom set to the first day of the month, and order set to newest. The response lists each rule, proposed rule or notice with its citation, agency, effective date and comment deadline.

### Does US Federal Regulations (CFR) require an API key?

No. Both the web search page at tools.openkrill.app/rules and the MCP server at rules.openkrill.app/mcp are free and keyless, within 60 calls a minute per network.

## Sources

- Section lookups and searches: [US Federal Regulations (CFR)](https://tools.openkrill.app/tools/rules) (`https://rules.openkrill.app/mcp`), read on 2026-10-20 between 06:20 and 07:17 UTC.
- Official eCFR section text and versioner API: [ecfr.gov/current/title-14/section-107.51](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/section-107.51), current as of 2026-10-16, read on 2026-10-20.
- Official Federal Register API: [federalregister.gov API v1](https://www.federalregister.gov/developers/documentation/api/v1), read on 2026-10-20.
- Competitors tested: [Cornell LII CFR](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/107.51) and [GovRegs](https://www.govregs.com/regulations/title14_chapterI_part107_subpartB_section107.51), tested on 2026-10-20.