name: Open States API Rate Limits
description: >
  Open States API v3 enforces per-minute and per-day rate limits tied to the
  API key tier. Limits are applied per API key. Exceeding limits results in
  HTTP 429 responses. Tier upgrades are available by contacting the team.
url: https://docs.openstates.org/api-v3/
tiers:
  - name: Default
    requestsPerMinute: 10
    requestsPerHour: null
    requestsPerDay: 500
    notes: Default tier assigned to all newly registered API keys.
  - name: Legacy
    requestsPerMinute: 40
    requestsPerHour: null
    requestsPerDay: 5000
    notes: Assigned to pre-v3 legacy API key holders during migration.
  - name: Bronze
    requestsPerMinute: 40
    requestsPerHour: null
    requestsPerDay: 5000
    notes: Standard elevated tier for active developers; available on request.
  - name: Silver
    requestsPerMinute: 80
    requestsPerHour: null
    requestsPerDay: 50000
    notes: High-volume tier for production applications serving many users.
  - name: Unlimited
    requestsPerMinute: 240
    requestsPerHour: null
    requestsPerDay: 1000000000
    notes: >
      Reserved for institutional partners; effectively unlimited for
      practical purposes.
headers:
  apiKey:
    name: X-API-KEY
    in: header
    description: API key obtained from open.pluralpolicy.com
  apiKeyQuery:
    name: apikey
    in: query
    description: Alternative to header-based authentication; pass key as query param.
enforcement:
  httpStatusOnExceed: 429
  retryAfterHeader: true
  contactForUpgrade: contact@openstates.org
sources:
  - https://github.com/openstates/issues/discussions/205
  - https://docs.openstates.org/api-v3/