Sources and methods

Every rule in the library summarizes what a primary source says, records that source, and tracks when it was last reviewed. The library isn't published: it's applied at checkout by the app. This page explains how rules get there and how they're kept current.

Primary sources only

A rule cites the text that creates the restriction: a statute, a regulation, a county or city ordinance, or an official notice from the agency that enforces it. News coverage, trade group summaries and other compliance tools can point toward a source, but they're never cited as one. If the primary text can't be found, the rule isn't published.

Confidence levels

Each rule records how certain the finding is.

High

Checked against the current primary source, which clearly covers the product category.

Medium

Checked against the primary source, but the text leaves room for interpretation, such as a definition that may or may not include a particular product form.

Needs review

Not yet checked against a primary source. Never enforced against a live checkout and never part of a category the app covers.

Quarterly reviews

Every rule is re-checked against its source at least once a quarter, and its review date is updated even when the rule itself doesn't change. As a backstop, the build refuses to run if any rule goes more than365 days without a review, so a stale library cannot ship.

When a rule is unclear, Gatekeep blocks

Some sources are ambiguous, and some changes are announced before they take effect. In those cases Gatekeep treats the destination as restricted until the question is settled. Blocking an order you could have shipped costs a sale. Shipping one you shouldn't have can cost much more.

Report an error

Corrections aren't open yet: there's no monitored inbox to send them to, and publishing an address that nobody reads would be worse than saying so. When one exists it will be listed here.