List rulebooks

GET

api

rulebooks

curl 'https://api.courtrules.app/api/v1/rulebooks?jurisdiction=CA&scope=statewide' \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

import requests

resp = requests.get(
    "https://api.courtrules.app/api/v1/rulebooks",
    headers={"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"},
    params={"jurisdiction": "CA", "scope": "statewide"},
)
rulebooks = resp.json()["rulebooks"]

const resp = await fetch(
  "https://api.courtrules.app/api/v1/rulebooks?jurisdiction=CA&scope=statewide",
  { headers: { Authorization: "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" } },
);
const { rulebooks } = await resp.json();

{
  "rulebooks": [
    {
      "id": "california-rules-of-court",
      "name": "California Rules of Court",
      "aliases": ["CRC", "Cal. Rules of Court", "Cal. Rules Ct."],
      "jurisdiction": "CA",
      "scope": "statewide",
      "kind": "court_rules",
      "governed_court_ids": [],
      "issuer": "Judicial Council of California",
      "official_url": "https://courts.ca.gov/forms-rules/rules-court",
      "rule_count": 1488,
      "last_checked_at": "2026-10-19T08:20:21.677476+00:00",
      "site_url": "https://www.courtrules.app/rules/california-rules-of-court"
    }
  ],
  "meta": { "total": 1, "jurisdiction": "CA", "scope": "statewide" }
}

Returns the official rulebooks you can read. A rulebook is an official set of numbered rules published as one book, such as the California Rules of Court; see Rulebooks for how rulebooks, rules and requirements fit together. The full list comes back in one response. Use a rulebook’s id to read the rulebook with /rulebooks/{rulebook_id}, list its rules with /rulebooks/{rulebook_id}/rules, or read the requirements of its rules with /extracted-rules.

string

Only rulebooks that apply in this jurisdiction: a two-letter state code in capitals such as CA, DC for the District of Columbia, or US for national federal rules.

string

Only rulebooks of this scope: national, statewide or court. A statewide rulebook applies across one state. A court rulebook applies in the courts it names in governed_court_ids.

string

Court identifier, such as il-cook-circuit. Returns the rulebooks that name this court in governed_court_ids. Statewide and national rulebooks name no courts, so find them with jurisdiction and scope. A court we do not map returns 404.

string

Words to find in a rulebook’s name, abbreviations, identifier or issuer. Every word must appear. Not case-sensitive. Example: CRC.

curl 'https://api.courtrules.app/api/v1/rulebooks?jurisdiction=CA&scope=statewide' \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

import requests

resp = requests.get(
    "https://api.courtrules.app/api/v1/rulebooks",
    headers={"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"},
    params={"jurisdiction": "CA", "scope": "statewide"},
)
rulebooks = resp.json()["rulebooks"]

const resp = await fetch(
  "https://api.courtrules.app/api/v1/rulebooks?jurisdiction=CA&scope=statewide",
  { headers: { Authorization: "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" } },
);
const { rulebooks } = await resp.json();

{
  "rulebooks": [
    {
      "id": "california-rules-of-court",
      "name": "California Rules of Court",
      "aliases": ["CRC", "Cal. Rules of Court", "Cal. Rules Ct."],
      "jurisdiction": "CA",
      "scope": "statewide",
      "kind": "court_rules",
      "governed_court_ids": [],
      "issuer": "Judicial Council of California",
      "official_url": "https://courts.ca.gov/forms-rules/rules-court",
      "rule_count": 1488,
      "last_checked_at": "2026-10-19T08:20:21.677476+00:00",
      "site_url": "https://www.courtrules.app/rules/california-rules-of-court"
    }
  ],
  "meta": { "total": 1, "jurisdiction": "CA", "scope": "statewide" }
}

Response fields

array

The rulebooks that match, ordered by name. Empty when none match.

Show Rulebook

string

Rulebook identifier. It does not change: if the official name changes, the name changes and the id stays.

string

Official name.

string[]

Other names and abbreviations readers use, such as CRC.

string

Where the rulebook applies: a state code, DC, or US.

string

national, statewide or court.

string

court_rules, statute or administrative_code.

string[]

Court identifiers of the courts a court rulebook names, as listed by /courts. Empty for statewide and national rulebooks.

string

The body that adopts and publishes the rules.

string

The issuer’s official page for the rulebook.

integer

Rules in force that the official source still lists. Repealed, reserved and removed rules are not counted.

string | null

When we last read the official source. null before the first read.

string

The rulebook’s page on courtrules.app.

object

Show Meta

integer

Number of rulebooks returned

string

The jurisdiction filter you sent, when present

string

The scope filter you sent, when present

string

The district_id filter you sent, when present

string

The search you sent, when present

Finding the rulebook you need

A state’s rules of court: jurisdiction=CA&scope=statewide.
A court’s local rules: district_id=<court id>. Only rulebooks that name the court match.
A rulebook you know by its short name: q=CRC.

Combine filters to narrow the list. A request with no match returns 200 with an empty rulebooks array. A rulebook that is not in the list reads as not found everywhere else in the API.

Errors

400: Invalid parameters

Returned for a value the endpoint cannot use, such as jurisdiction=California or scope=local. Each failing parameter is named.

400

{
  "error": "Invalid request",
  "details": [
    {
      "path": "scope",
      "message": "Invalid enum value. Expected 'national' | 'statewide' | 'court', received 'local'"
    }
  ],
  "docs_url": "https://docs.courtrules.app/api-reference/rulebooks"
}

404: Court not found

Returned when district_id is not a court we map.

404

{
  "error": "District 'nowhere-court' not found.",
  "suggestion": "Use GET /api/v1/courts to list all valid district identifiers.",
  "docs_url": "https://docs.courtrules.app/api-reference/courts/list-courts"
}

Each rulebook in the answer counts as one row against your daily row limit.

curl 'https://api.courtrules.app/api/v1/rulebooks?jurisdiction=CA&scope=statewide' \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

import requests

resp = requests.get(
    "https://api.courtrules.app/api/v1/rulebooks",
    headers={"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"},
    params={"jurisdiction": "CA", "scope": "statewide"},
)
rulebooks = resp.json()["rulebooks"]

const resp = await fetch(
  "https://api.courtrules.app/api/v1/rulebooks?jurisdiction=CA&scope=statewide",
  { headers: { Authorization: "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" } },
);
const { rulebooks } = await resp.json();

{
  "rulebooks": [
    {
      "id": "california-rules-of-court",
      "name": "California Rules of Court",
      "aliases": ["CRC", "Cal. Rules of Court", "Cal. Rules Ct."],
      "jurisdiction": "CA",
      "scope": "statewide",
      "kind": "court_rules",
      "governed_court_ids": [],
      "issuer": "Judicial Council of California",
      "official_url": "https://courts.ca.gov/forms-rules/rules-court",
      "rule_count": 1488,
      "last_checked_at": "2026-10-19T08:20:21.677476+00:00",
      "site_url": "https://www.courtrules.app/rules/california-rules-of-court"
    }
  ],
  "meta": { "total": 1, "jurisdiction": "CA", "scope": "statewide" }
}

Overview

Endpoints

Policies

Response fields

Finding the rulebook you need

Errors

400: Invalid parameters

404: Court not found

​Response fields

​Finding the rulebook you need

​Errors

​400: Invalid parameters

​404: Court not found

Response fields

Finding the rulebook you need

Errors

400: Invalid parameters

404: Court not found