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API behavior

This page records how the DRS API operates. The FAA documentation does not include all of these items. The data comes from tests with an external API key in October 2026.

Endpoints

Method Path SDK method
GET /{doctype} list_documents, iter_documents (no filters)
POST /{doctype}/filtered list_documents, iter_documents (with filters)
GET /download/{id} download, download_to
GET /get-other-attachment-details/{id} get_attachments

The base URL is https://drs.faa.gov/api/drs/data-pull. The API key goes in the x-api-key header.

Pages

  • A page has a maximum of 750 documents. You cannot change the page size.
  • An offset after the last document gives an empty page, not an error.
  • Pages are stable. A full read gives each document one time.

Errors

  • Some errors have HTTP status 200. The error is in an errorMessage field in the body.
  • A key that is not valid gives HTTP 403 with an empty body.

Fields

  • documentGuid is the only field that is always present.
  • docLastModifiedDate is null for many documents.
  • Some list fields contain the text _EMPTY_. The SDK changes it to None and keeps the position in the list.
  • The FAA field list has some incorrect types. The SDK catalog contains corrections.

Document types

  • 26 of 105 document types are internal only. External keys cannot read them.
  • 8 document types contain the full text inline. See Text and files.

Change date filter

  • docLastModifiedDate returns documents that changed after the time. It does not include the time.
  • It does not return documents that have no change date.
  • With ascending sort, documents with no change date come first. With descending sort, they come last.
  • Many documents can have the same change date. For example, 102 change dates in SAIB are shared by 2 to 11 documents.

Filters

  • A maximum of 5 filters, and a maximum of 10 values for each filter.
  • Values in one filter: a document must match one value.
  • Different filters: a document must match all filters.
  • Keyword: a document must contain one or more of the terms.