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License determination skill (exchek-license)

The ExChek license determination skill lets your agent determine EAR license requirements and license exceptions for a given item (or ECCN), destination country, and end use. It uses the Commerce Country Chart (15 CFR Part 738) and Part 740 license exceptions (LVS, GBS, TMP, RPL, CIV, TSR, etc.) and produces a short, audit-ready license determination memo. No API key required; the skill uses the ExChek API for Part 774, 738, and 740. Free; optional donation.

What you need

  • Skill installed — Copy the exchek-license folder from the exchekskills repo into your agent’s skills directory. See Install the ExChek skills.
  • No API key — The skill calls https://api.exchek.us for Part 774, 738, and 740; no auth or payment required.

How to use

  1. Install the skill — From the exchekskills repo, copy exchek-license into ~/.claude/skills/exchek-license (or your agent’s skills path):
    git clone https://github.com/mrdulasolutions/exchekskills exchekskills && cp -r exchekskills/exchek-license ~/.claude/skills/exchek-license
  2. Ask for a license determination — Say things like:
    • “Do we need a license to ship ECCN 5A992 to Germany?”
    • “License determination for [item] to [country].”
    • “Can we use LVS for this export?”
    • “Walk me through license exceptions for this item.”
  3. Provide inputs — The agent will collect item summary (or product name), ECCN (or EAR99), destination country, end user, and end use. You may already have an ECCN from a prior classification.
  4. Review the memo — The agent fetches Part 774, 738, and 740 data, applies the Country Chart and exceptions, and builds the license determination memo. In CoWork or with file access it can save as Markdown and optionally as Word (.docx) or Apple Pages.

API (ExChek)

The skill uses the ExChek API for regulatory data (no API key):

  • GET /api/ecfr/774 — Part 774 (CCL, reasons for control).
  • GET /api/ecfr/738 — Part 738 (Commerce Country Chart).
  • GET /api/ecfr/740 — Part 740 (License Exceptions).

See API Reference for curl examples and eCFR fallback if the API returns 503.

CUI and classified information

If the item or any information involves Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) or classified information, do not use cloud APIs or LLMs. Run the skill on-premises with a local LLM and on-prem regulatory data. See CUI / Classified Information.

Next steps