Office of the Federal Register (OFR)

Withdrawing a Document from Publication

If necessary, you may completely withdraw a document from publication. If we have not placed the document on file for public inspection, we will make it available for pick-up (paper documents only). If we have already placed the document on file for public inspection, we will withdraw it and it will not publish in the Federal Register. We will replace your document with a document stating the fact of the withdrawal.  That document remains on public inspection through the date it was originally scheduled to publish. Further, the document becomes our record, so we cannot return it to you.[1]

Before Filing for Public Inspection

If we have not yet filed the document for public inspection, your Federal Register Liaison Officer must request that we withdraw the document from publication by emailing the Document Withdrawal Request (before PIL) letter to us. If you are requesting withdrawal on the business day before your document is scheduled to file, we must receive your letter before 4:00 pm to ensure that we can remove from the next day’s public inspection list.

We will not withdraw the document until we receive your letter.

After Filing and Before Publication

If we have filed the document for public inspection, your Liaison Officer must request that we withdraw it from publication by emailing the Document Withdrawal Request (after PIL) letter to us. 

The letter must reach the OFR before 12 noon on the business day before the document’s scheduled publication date.

We will not withdraw the document until we receive your letter.

If you wish to publish the document on a later date, we consider that a new document. You must send a new document package and request for publication, following the procedures in Chapter 8: How do I publish a document in the Federal Register?.

After publication

The only way to withdraw a published document is to publish a second document formally withdrawing the first document.  If you wish to withdraw a rule that is already effective, you must include amendatory instructions to undo the amendments.


Accordion

If we require a letter to update or change the status of a publication request (like emergency filing or immediate publication) or to correct or withdraw a document, you must email us a signed letter on agency letterhead. If you cannot email the letter, please contact our office to discuss possible alternatives.  We cannot accept these letters through the webportal.  To email the letter:

  • Use the appropriate letter template.
  • Make sure the name in the signature block and the signature name match:
    • Paper letters –
      • Print and sign your letter. Then,
      • Scan the letter and save it as a .pdf file; or
    • Electronic letters – using your PIV card (or other official Federal digital signature) digitally sign a:
      • .pdf file with a visible signature; or
      • .docx file with an invisible signature.
  • Email the file to the OFR's general scheduling email, even if you have already been in touch with a member of the Scheduling unit.

OFR’s standard signature policies apply to letters withdrawing or correcting documents. An employee with authority to submit Federal Register documents must sign this letter and that signature must match the name on the letter; usually this is your agency’s Liaison Officer.  If your agency’s Liaison Officer or alternate is not available to sign the letter, contact OFR’s Scheduling Unit to verify the authority of the signer.

 

[1] 1 CFR 18.13(a).

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