The Reg Map: A guide to the U.S. federal informal rulemaking process

ICF’s Reg Map® provides federal agencies, Congressional committees, law schools, and others in the public and private sector with an overview of how the federal rulemaking process works. This complimentary guide—updated in 2025—contains:

• Practical information on how the U.S. federal informal rulemaking process works and guidance for regulators on required components of procedural tasks and potential challenges along the way;
• Citations to relevant statutes, regulations, and Executive Orders;
• References to authoritative interpretations of important rulemaking concepts; and
• FAQs and a “Frequently Used” terms and abbreviations table that serves as a handy reference for agency program staff, journalists, students, and others interested in understanding the process.