Department Of Justice Authentication

generated: '2026-09-06'
method: searched
provider: Department of Justice
providerId: department-of-justice
source: >-
  Derived from openapi/department-of-justice-foia-api-swagger.json, then upgraded from the
  provider's own auth documentation at https://www.foia.gov/developer/ and the gateway manual at
  https://api.data.gov/docs/developer-manual/, and confirmed against live anonymous responses on
  every DOJ API host on 2026-09-06.
docs: https://www.foia.gov/developer/
summary:
  types: [apiKey, none]
  api_key_in: [header, query]
  oauth2: false
  openid_connect: false
  mutual_tls: false
  note: >-
    DOJ operates two auth postures side by side. Most of its public data is unauthenticated. Only
    the National FOIA Portal requires a credential, and that credential is not issued by DOJ — it
    is a shared federal api.data.gov key that works across every participating agency.
schemes:
  - name: APIKeyHeader
    type: apiKey
    in: header
    parameter: X-API-Key
    applies_to: National FOIA Portal JSON:API (https://api.foia.gov/api)
    issuer: api.data.gov (GSA)
    signup: https://www.foia.gov/developer/#api-key-signup
    key_shape: 40-character opaque string
    alternates:
      - in: query
        parameter: api_key
        note: 'Accepted by the gateway; the FOIA docs use it in their own curl examples.'
      - in: header
        parameter: Authorization
        scheme: basic
        note: >-
          api.data.gov also accepts the key as the HTTP basic-auth username with an empty
          password. Documented by the gateway, not by DOJ.
    missing_credential_response:
      status: 403
      body: '{"error":{"code":"API_KEY_MISSING","message":"No api_key was supplied. Get one at https://api.data.gov/signup/"}}'
      evidence: 'https://api.foia.gov/api/agency_components probed 2026-09-06'
    shared_test_credential:
      published: true
      note: >-
        The contract's info.description publishes a working test api_key inline for the Swagger UI
        "Authorize" button, and api.data.gov publishes a shared DEMO_KEY. Both are heavily rate
        limited (DEMO_KEY: 30 requests per IP per hour, 50 per day). The literal value is not
        reproduced in this repository.
    sources:
      - openapi/department-of-justice-foia-api-swagger.json
      - https://www.foia.gov/developer/
      - https://api.data.gov/docs/developer-manual/
  - name: None
    type: none
    applies_to:
      - DOJ News API (https://www.justice.gov/api/v1)
      - BJS NCVS / NIBRS National Estimates (https://api.ojp.gov/bjsdataset/v1)
      - FARA e-File Registrant feed (https://efile.fara.gov/api/v1)
      - DOJ Open Data Catalog (https://www.justice.gov/data.json)
    evidence: >-
      Anonymous GETs returned 200 on 2026-09-06 for
      https://www.justice.gov/api/v1/press_releases.json?pagesize=1,
      https://api.ojp.gov/bjsdataset/v1/r32q-bdaw.json?$limit=1,
      https://efile.fara.gov/api/v1/Registrants/json/Active and
      https://www.justice.gov/data.json. No key, header or token of any kind is documented or
      required.
absent:
  - mechanism: OAuth 2.0
    evidence: '/.well-known/oauth-authorization-server returned 404 on all eight probed hosts, 2026-09-06.'
  - mechanism: OpenID Connect
    evidence: '/.well-known/openid-configuration returned 404 on all eight probed hosts, 2026-09-06.'
  - mechanism: Scopes / permissions
    evidence: >-
      No scope model exists. derive-oauth-scopes.py found no oauth2 securityScheme, and no DOJ
      documentation describes permissions — the api.data.gov key is all-or-nothing across every
      participating agency API.
  - mechanism: mTLS
    evidence: No client-certificate requirement documented on any surface.
transport_security:
  https_enforced: true
  hsts: true
  note: >-
    All four DOJ-operated hosts serve TLS 1.3 with HSTS. api.foia.gov returns
    'strict-transport-security: max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains; preload'. See
    security/department-of-justice-domain-security.yml.