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Federal Regulations FAQs

What can I do in the Federal Regulations search section of the compliance portal?

The advanced Federal Regulations search allows you to research, view, print, save and organize the regulations that apply to you.

What regulations are included in the advanced search?

More than 207,000 current federal regulations are available, including OSHA, EPA and DoT/Hazmat regulations. Thousands of archive regulations are available as well.

How do I find the regulation I am looking for?

To find a regulation, first type your keywords into the search box and then click the orange search button. A list of federal regulations that contain your search word(s) will appear.

You can search for a federal regulation by title number, regulation, subsection, keywords, and/or history. You can also search for a CFR for different years by selecting the year from the drop down menu. The more search fields you fill out, the better directed your search will be.

Searching by Title Number: Enter the number of the title for the CFR you are searching for to generate a list (max. 500 results) of all CFRs associated with that title. Do not use CFR in any of the search fields.

Searching by Regulation: Enter the regulation number you are searching for to generate a list of all the titles which have that regulation number (if no title number has been entered in the search).

Searching by Subsection: Enter the subsection in parentheses you are searching for to generate the CFR containing the subsection you are searching for. From here you can view the whole CFR, or view only the subsection you searched for by clicking on View only subsection (_) located under the CFR in the list. Note: You can only search by subsection when also searching by regulation.

Searching by Keyword: Enter any search word(s) you are searching for to generate a list of all CFRs which contain the search word(s) you have entered. Enter additional search criteria to help your search.

Searching by History: When you search for a CFR with a certain keyword(s), the keyword(s) will be highlighted when viewing the CFR.

Scroll through your search results until you find the correct federal regulation. Click on any listed CFR, and it will appear on the right side of the portal. All keywords you searched for will be highlighted throughout the CFR. If this is the CFR you were searching for, you can now print, email and/or add it to your CFRs.

How do I print a regulation?

You can print any CFR that is displayed on your screen. Click on Print, located above the CFR you are viewing. This will open your browser's printing options.

How do I email a regulation?

To email a CFR, click Email, located above the CFR you are viewing. A text box will open in which you can type an email address and then click Send.

How do I save a regulation?

Add a CFR to your library by clicking Add to My Federal Regulations, located above any CFR which you have selected. A box will open in which you can select which location(s) to add the CFR to.

Check the box next to the location you want to save the CFR to. A check mark will indicate that the CFR has been added to that location. After you have made your selections, click Done.

How do I find a regulation that I have saved?

To view all of your saved CFRs, click the My Federal Regulations tab (located in the Federal Regulations section). A list of all CFRs you have saved will be located on the left side of the portal. Select any CFR on the list to view it.

You can also search for any CFR that you have saved to the library by entering search words into the search text boxes (Title Number, Regulation Number, Keywords, or History, Year). Your search results will then be generated from your own saved CFRs.

Search Your Saved CFRs by Department: Click Change located next to "All Departments" (above the list of CFRs) and click on a department. A list of your saved CFRs in that department will then display.

How do I change the location where I saved a regulation?

When viewing any saved CFR you can change its location by clicking Modify/Remove From my Federal Regulations. Un-check the boxes next to any locations you do not want this CFR in, and check the boxes next to any locations you do want this CFR in.

How do I add notes to a regulation?

You can add notes to any CFR which you have saved. Select Notes above any CFR you view. A text box will appear; type the notes you would like to keep with that CFR. Click Save at the bottom of the text box when you have finished.

Who can see the notes I have added to a regulation?

Notes are visible to everyone who has access to the CFRs.

Your notes can be accessed using the notes symbol that appears underneath any CFR you have added a note to. (If you have just added a new note, you will need to refresh the page to see this symbol.)