RIS MCP Server

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that gives AI assistants access to Austria's official legal database — the Rechtsinformationssystem (RIS).

Ask your AI assistant about Austrian law, and it will search and retrieve legal documents directly from the official government API. No API key required.

What You Can Do

Once connected, you can ask your AI assistant things like:

"What does Austrian law say about tenancy rights?"

"Find Constitutional Court decisions on freedom of expression."

"Show me §1295 of the ABGB (Austrian Civil Code)."

"What laws about climate protection were published in 2024?"

"Look up the building code for the province of Salzburg."

"Get the full text of document NOR40052761."

The server translates these natural language requests into structured API calls against the RIS Open Government Data API.

Features

• 12 specialized tools covering all major RIS collections
• Federal law (ABGB, StGB, UGB, ...) and state law for all 9 provinces
• Court decisions from 11 court types (Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, Administrative Court, ...)
• Law gazettes — Federal (BGBl) and state (LGBl)
• Government bills, ministerial decrees, cabinet protocols
• Full document retrieval with smart prefix-based routing
• Change history tracking across 30 application types
• Markdown and JSON output formats
• Free and open — uses Austria's Open Government Data API, no API key needed

Quick Start

Run directly without installation:

pnpm dlx ris-mcp-ts

Or install globally:

pnpm add -g ris-mcp-ts

Configuration

Claude Desktop

Add to your Claude Desktop config (Settings > Developer > Edit Config):

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ris": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "ris-mcp-ts"]
    }
  }
}

Note: The "Add custom connector" UI in Claude Desktop only supports remote MCP servers (HTTP/SSE). Local stdio servers like this one must be configured via the JSON file.

Tip: You can also use pnpm dlx instead of npx in all configuration examples if you prefer pnpm.

Claude Code

Add to your project or user settings:

claude mcp add ris -- npx -y ris-mcp-ts

VS Code (GitHub Copilot)

Add to .vscode/mcp.json in your project:

{
  "servers": {
    "ris": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "ris-mcp-ts"]
    }
  }
}

Cursor

Add to .cursor/mcp.json in your project (or ~/.cursor/mcp.json for global access):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ris": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "ris-mcp-ts"]
    }
  }
}

Windsurf

Add to your Windsurf MCP config at ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ris": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "ris-mcp-ts"]
    }
  }
}

Other MCP Clients

Any MCP-compatible client can connect via stdio transport:

npx -y ris-mcp-ts
# or: pnpm dlx ris-mcp-ts

Available Tools

Tool	Description
ris_bundesrecht	Search federal laws (ABGB, StGB, UGB, etc.)
ris_landesrecht	Search state/provincial laws (all 9 provinces)
ris_judikatur	Search court decisions (11 court types)
ris_bundesgesetzblatt	Search Federal Law Gazettes (BGBl I/II/III)
ris_landesgesetzblatt	Search State Law Gazettes (LGBl)
ris_regierungsvorlagen	Search government bills
ris_dokument	Retrieve full document text by ID or URL
ris_bezirke	Search district authority announcements
ris_gemeinden	Search municipal law and regulations
ris_sonstige	Search miscellaneous collections (8 sub-apps)
ris_history	Track document change history (30 app types)
ris_verordnungen	Search state ordinance gazettes

Tool Reference

<details> <summary><strong>ris_bundesrecht</strong> — Federal Laws</summary>

Search Austrian federal laws such as ABGB, StGB, UGB, and more.

Inputs:

Parameter	Type	Description
suchworte	string	Full-text search (e.g., "Mietrecht", "Schadenersatz")
titel	string	Search in law titles (e.g., "ABGB", "Strafgesetzbuch")
paragraph	string	Section number (e.g., "1295" for §1295)
applikation	string	"BrKons" (consolidated, default), "Begut" (draft reviews), "Erv" (English version)
fassung_vom	string	Date for historical version (YYYY-MM-DD)
seite	number	Page number (default: 1)
limit	number	Results per page: 10, 20, 50, 100 (default: 20)
response_format	string	"markdown" (default) or "json"

All parameters are optional. At least one search parameter (suchworte, titel, or paragraph) should be provided.

</details>

<details> <summary><strong>ris_landesrecht</strong> — State/Provincial Laws</summary>

Search state laws of the nine Austrian provinces.

Inputs:

Parameter	Type	Description
suchworte	string	Full-text search
titel	string	Search in law titles
bundesland	string	Province: Wien, Niederoesterreich, Oberoesterreich, Salzburg, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Kaernten, Steiermark, Burgenland
applikation	string	"LrKons" (consolidated, default)
seite	number	Page number
limit	number	Results per page
response_format	string	"markdown" or "json"

</details>

<details> <summary><strong>ris_judikatur</strong> — Court Decisions</summary>

Search court decisions from Austrian courts.

Inputs:

Parameter	Type	Description
suchworte	string	Full-text search in decisions
gericht	string	Court type (see below)
norm	string	Legal norm (e.g., "1319a ABGB")
geschaeftszahl	string	Case number (e.g., "5Ob234/20b")
entscheidungsdatum_von	string	Decision date from (YYYY-MM-DD)
entscheidungsdatum_bis	string	Decision date to (YYYY-MM-DD)
seite	number	Page number
limit	number	Results per page
response_format	string	"markdown" or "json"

Available courts:

Value	Court
Justiz	Supreme Court (OGH), Higher Regional Courts (OLG), Regional Courts (LG) — default
Vfgh	Constitutional Court
Vwgh	Supreme Administrative Court
Bvwg	Federal Administrative Court
Lvwg	Provincial Administrative Courts
Dsk	Data Protection Authority
AsylGH	Asylum Court (historical)
Normenliste	Index of legal norms
Pvak	Personnel Representation Supervisory Commission
Gbk	Equal Treatment Commission
Dok	Disciplinary Commission

</details>

<details> <summary><strong>ris_bundesgesetzblatt</strong> — Federal Law Gazette</summary>

Search the Federal Law Gazette (BGBl) — official publications of federal legislation.

Inputs:

Parameter	Type	Description
bgblnummer	string	Gazette number (e.g., "120")
teil	string	"1" (I = Acts), "2" (II = Regulations), "3" (III = Treaties)
jahrgang	string	Year (e.g., "2023")
suchworte	string	Full-text search
titel	string	Search in titles
applikation	string	"BgblAuth" (authentic from 2004, default), "BgblPdf" (PDF), "BgblAlt" (1945–2003)
seite	number	Page number
limit	number	Results per page
response_format	string	"markdown" or "json"

</details>

<details> <summary><strong>ris_landesgesetzblatt</strong> — State Law Gazette</summary>

Search State Law Gazettes (LGBl) — official publications of state legislation.

Inputs:

Parameter	Type	Description
lgblnummer	string	Gazette number (e.g., "50")
jahrgang	string	Year (e.g., "2023")
bundesland	string	Province name
suchworte	string	Full-text search
titel	string	Search in titles
applikation	string	"LgblAuth" (authentic, default), "Lgbl" (general), "LgblNO" (Niederoesterreich)
seite	number	Page number
limit	number	Results per page
response_format	string	"markdown" or "json"

</details>

<details> <summary><strong>ris_regierungsvorlagen</strong> — Government Bills</summary>

Search government bills — draft legislation submitted to parliament.

Inputs:

Parameter	Type	Description
suchworte	string	Full-text search
titel	string	Search in titles
beschlussdatum_von	string	Approval date from (YYYY-MM-DD)
beschlussdatum_bis	string	Approval date to (YYYY-MM-DD)
einbringende_stelle	string	Submitting ministry (e.g., BKA, BMF, BMJ, BMK)
im_ris_seit	string	Added recently: EinerWoche, ZweiWochen, EinemMonat, DreiMonaten, SechsMonaten, EinemJahr
sortierung_richtung	string	Ascending or Descending
sortierung_spalte	string	Kurztitel, EinbringendeStelle, Beschlussdatum
seite	number	Page number
limit	number	Results per page
response_format	string	"markdown" or "json"

</details>

<details> <summary><strong>ris_dokument</strong> — Full Document Retrieval</summary>

Retrieve the full text of a legal document by its ID or URL. Uses a dual strategy: direct URL access first, then search API fallback.

Inputs:

Parameter	Type	Description
dokumentnummer	string	RIS document number (e.g., "NOR40052761")
url	string	Direct URL to document content
response_format	string	"markdown" (default) or "json"

At least one of dokumentnummer or url is required. Long documents are truncated to 25,000 characters.

Supported document prefixes:

Prefix	Type
NOR	Federal norms
LBG, LKT, LNO, LOO, LSB, LST, LTI, LVB, LWI	State laws (9 provinces)
JWR, JFR, JWT, BVWG, LVWG, DSB, GBK, PVAK, ASYLGH	Court decisions
BGBLA, BGBL	Federal Law Gazette
REGV	Government bills
BVB	District authorities
VBL	Ordinance gazettes
MRP, ERL	Cabinet protocols, ministerial decrees

</details>

<details> <summary><strong>ris_bezirke</strong> — District Authority Announcements</summary>

Search announcements from district administrative authorities.

Note: Only available for: Niederoesterreich, Oberoesterreich, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Burgenland, Steiermark.

Inputs:

Parameter	Type	Description
suchworte	string	Full-text search
titel	string	Search in titles
bundesland	string	Province name
bezirksverwaltungsbehoerde	string	District authority name
kundmachungsnummer	string	Announcement number
kundmachungsdatum_von	string	Date from (YYYY-MM-DD)
kundmachungsdatum_bis	string	Date to (YYYY-MM-DD)
im_ris_seit	string	Added recently: EinerWoche, ZweiWochen, EinemMonat, DreiMonaten, SechsMonaten, EinemJahr
seite	number	Page number
limit	number	Results per page
response_format	string	"markdown" or "json"

</details>

<details> <summary><strong>ris_gemeinden</strong> — Municipal Law</summary>

Search municipal law — local ordinances and regulations.

Inputs:

Parameter	Type	Description
suchworte	string	Full-text search
titel	string	Search in titles
bundesland	string	Province name
gemeinde	string	Municipality name (e.g., "Graz")
applikation	string	"Gr" (municipal law, default) or "GrA" (official gazettes)
im_ris_seit	string	Added recently
seite	number	Page number
limit	number	Results per page
response_format	string	"markdown" or "json"

Additional parameters depend on the selected application. See Gr (municipal law) and GrA (official gazettes) specific parameters in the source code.

</details>

<details> <summary><strong>ris_sonstige</strong> — Miscellaneous Collections</summary>

Search miscellaneous legal collections and specialized databases.

Inputs:

Parameter	Type	Description
applikation	string	Required. Collection to search (see below)
suchworte	string	Full-text search
titel	string	Search in titles
datum_von	string	Date from (YYYY-MM-DD)
datum_bis	string	Date to (YYYY-MM-DD)
im_ris_seit	string	Added recently
seite	number	Page number
limit	number	Results per page
response_format	string	"markdown" or "json"

Available collections:

Value	Description
Mrp	Cabinet protocols (Ministerratsprotokolle)
Erlaesse	Ministerial decrees
Upts	Party transparency reports
KmGer	Court announcements
Avsv	Social insurance regulations
Avn	Veterinary notices
Spg	Health structure plans
PruefGewO	Trade licensing exams

Each collection has additional specific parameters. See the tool description for details.

</details>

<details> <summary><strong>ris_history</strong> — Document Change History</summary>

Track document creation, modification, and deletion across the RIS database.

Inputs:

Parameter	Type	Description
applikation	string	Required. Application type (30 options — see below)
aenderungen_von	string	Changes from date (YYYY-MM-DD)
aenderungen_bis	string	Changes to date (YYYY-MM-DD)
include_deleted	boolean	Include deleted documents (default: false)
seite	number	Page number
limit	number	Results per page
response_format	string	"markdown" or "json"

Available applications (30):

Federal law: Bundesnormen, BgblAuth, BgblAlt, BgblPdf, RegV State law: Landesnormen, LgblAuth, Lgbl, LgblNO, Vbl, Gemeinderecht, GemeinderechtAuth Case law: Justiz, Vfgh, Vwgh, Bvwg, Lvwg, Dsk, Gbk, Pvak, AsylGH Other: Bvb, Mrp, Erlaesse, PruefGewO, Avsv, Spg, KmGer, Dok, Normenliste

</details>

<details> <summary><strong>ris_verordnungen</strong> — State Ordinance Gazettes</summary>

Search state ordinance gazettes (Verordnungsblätter).

Note: Currently only data from Tirol is available (since January 2022).

Inputs:

Parameter	Type	Description
suchworte	string	Full-text search
titel	string	Search in titles
bundesland	string	Province name
kundmachungsnummer	string	Announcement number
kundmachungsdatum_von	string	Date from (YYYY-MM-DD)
kundmachungsdatum_bis	string	Date to (YYYY-MM-DD)
seite	number	Page number
limit	number	Results per page
response_format	string	"markdown" or "json"

</details>

Development

Prerequisites

• Node.js >= 20.0.0

Setup

git clone https://github.com/philrox/ris-mcp-ts.git
cd ris-mcp-ts
pnpm install
pnpm run build

Scripts

Script	Description
pnpm run dev	Start with hot reload (tsx)
pnpm run build	Compile TypeScript
pnpm start	Run compiled version
pnpm test	Run all tests
pnpm run check	Typecheck + lint + format check + tests
pnpm run inspect	Launch MCP Inspector for manual testing

Project Structure

src/
├── index.ts           # Entry point (stdio transport)
├── server.ts          # MCP server setup, delegates to tools/
├── client.ts          # HTTP client for RIS API
├── types.ts           # Zod schemas + TypeScript types
├── parser.ts          # JSON parsing and response normalization
├── formatting.ts      # Output formatting (markdown/json)
├── helpers.ts         # Shared helper functions
├── constants.ts       # Static mappings and configuration
├── tools/             # One file per tool handler
│   ├── index.ts
│   ├── bundesrecht.ts
│   ├── landesrecht.ts
│   ├── judikatur.ts
│   └── ...
└── __tests__/         # Unit and integration tests

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

License

MIT

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Built on the Open Government Data API provided by the Austrian Federal Chancellery (Bundeskanzleramt).