API Reference

Operational Context

Query regulatory posture and active deployments by location. Designed for physical AI systems querying at runtime.

GET/v1/operational-context

Query parameters

Supply either location or the lat and lng pair. Both paths are required; the remaining parameter is optional.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
location	string	yes*	Location slug (e.g. `san-francisco`, `california`, `united-kingdom`)
lat	float	yes*	Decimal latitude. Use with `lng` for GPS-based lookup.
lng	float	yes*	Decimal longitude. Use with `lat` for GPS-based lookup.
form_factor	string	no	Filter regulations to this form factor. One of: `sidewalk`, `av`, `aerial`, `truck`, `humanoid`, `quadruped`, `surgical`, `biometric`, `wearable`, `agriculture`, `maritime`, `defense`, `amr`, `service`

* Either location OR lat + lng is required.

Response

Example for /v1/operational-context?location=san-francisco&form_factor=sidewalk:

{
  "location": {
    "slug": "san-francisco",
    "name": "San Francisco",
    "kind": "city",
    "lat": 37.7749,
    "lng": -122.4194
  },
  "form_factor": "sidewalk",
  "operational_posture": "permit_required",
  "regulations": [
    {
      "slug": "san-francisco-pdd-sec-794",
      "kind": "permit",
      "headline": "San Francisco Public Works Code Sec. 794: autonomous delivery device permit program",
      "summary": "Requires permits for personal delivery devices operating on SF sidewalks...",
      "formFactors": ["sidewalk"],
      "currentStatus": "in_effect",
      "locationSlug": "san-francisco",
      "source": {
        "url": "...",
        "title": "...",
        "sourceName": "San Francisco Public Works"
      }
    }
  ],
  "active_deployments": [],
  "hierarchy_checked": [
    "san-francisco",
    "sf-bay-area",
    "california"
  ],
  "_meta": {
    "note": "Regulatory data is editorial and research-sourced. Verify with the relevant regulatory authority before operational use.",
    "registry": "registry.deploy.report",
    "api_version": "v1",
    "regulation_count": 1,
    "deployment_count": 0
  }
}

Operational posture values

The operational_posture field summarizes the regulatory environment for the queried location and form factor.

Value	Meaning
regulated	In-effect regulations exist for this form factor at this location
permit_required	A permit is required to operate here
proposed_only	Regulations exist but are not yet in effect
no_data	No regulations on file for this location and form factor
mixed	Multiple regulation types apply

Use cases

Route planning

A sidewalk delivery robot queries this endpoint before entering a new zone. The response tells the robot whether it needs a permit, which regulations apply, and whether any active deployments from the same operator are already operating at the location.

Fleet expansion

An operator queries a list of target cities to determine which have active permit programs before committing to a deployment. The hierarchy_checked field confirms that state and regional regulations were included in the lookup, not just the city level.

Agent coordination

A swarm coordinator queries multiple locations in parallel to route around restricted zones. The operational_posture field provides a single machine-readable signal that the coordinator can act on without parsing the full regulation list.

Rate limits

This endpoint is public with no authentication required during the beta period. Contact deploy.report for commercial use cases requiring higher rate limits.