Statutes, regulations, rules and constitutions
How to cite a public law and the Statutes at Large
Cite a federal law as enacted by its name, “Pub. L. No.” and the public-law number, the Statutes at Large volume and page, and the year.
The book leaves the year out when the act’s name already contains it.
Cite the session law, not the Code, when your point is what Congress enacted or when the provision was never codified.
12 real examples
Each citation is printed as the book prints it, from an authority the book checked against its source.
Sherman Act, ch. 647, § 1, 26 Stat. 209, 209 (1890).
The authority
- Sherman Act (Congress (51st, 1st Sess.), July 2, 1890)Source (tile.loc.gov)
Judicial Improvements Act of 1990, Pub. L. No. 101-650, § 321, 104 Stat. 5089, 5117.
- Name of the act
- Judicial Improvements Act of 1990
- Public law number
- Pub. L. No. 101-650
- Statutes at Large volume and page
- 104 Stat. 5089, 5117
The authority
- Judicial Improvements Act of 1990, Pub. L. No. 101-650 (Congress, Dec. 1, 1990)Source (govinfo.gov)
Where the book teaches this
Joint Resolution of July 3, 1952, ch. 567, 66 Stat. 327.
The authority
- Joint Resolution of July 3, 1952, ch. 567, 66 Stat. 327 (U.S. Congress, July 3, 1952)Source (govinfo.gov)
Where the book teaches this
Respect for Marriage Act, Pub. L. No. 117-228, 136 Stat. 2305 (2022).
- Name of the act
- Respect for Marriage Act
- Public law number
- Pub. L. No. 117-228
- Statutes at Large volume and page
- 136 Stat. 2305
- Year
- (2022)
The authority
- Respect for Marriage Act, Pub. L. No. 117-228 (Congress, Dec. 13, 2022)Source (govinfo.gov)
Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, Pub. L. No. 117-328, div. II, § 102, 136 Stat. 4459, 6084 (2022).
- Name of the act
- Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
- Public law number
- Pub. L. No. 117-328
- Statutes at Large volume and page
- 136 Stat. 4459, 6084
- Year
- (2022)
The authority
- Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Congress (117th), Dec. 29, 2022)Source (govinfo.gov)
Where the book teaches this
ADA Amendments Act of 2008, Pub. L. No. 110-325, 122 Stat. 3553.
- Name of the act
- ADA Amendments Act of 2008
- Public law number
- Pub. L. No. 110-325
- Statutes at Large volume and page
- 122 Stat. 3553
The authority
- ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (Congress (110th), Sept. 25, 2008)Source (govinfo.gov)
Where the book teaches this
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Pub. L. No. 111-148, 124 Stat. 119 (2010).
- Name of the act
- Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
- Public law number
- Pub. L. No. 111-148
- Statutes at Large volume and page
- 124 Stat. 119
- Year
- (2010)
The authority
- Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Congress (111th), Mar. 23, 2010)Source (govinfo.gov)
Where the book teaches this
Pub. L. No. 119-21, 139 Stat. 72 (2025).
- Public law number
- Pub. L. No. 119-21
- Statutes at Large volume and page
- 139 Stat. 72
- Year
- (2025)
The authority
- Pub. L. No. 119-21 (no short title) (Congress (119th), July 4, 2025)Source (govinfo.gov)
Where the book teaches this
Civil Rights Act of 1964 § 703(a)(1), 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2(a)(1) (2024).
The authorities
- Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Congress (88th), July 2, 1964)Source (govinfo.gov)
- 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2 (Unlawful employment practices) (U.S. Code (OLRC; official edition printed by GPO), July 2, 1964)Source (govinfo.gov)
Where the book teaches this
Pub. L. No. 89-774, 80 Stat. 1324 (1966).
- Public law number
- Pub. L. No. 89-774
- Statutes at Large volume and page
- 80 Stat. 1324
- Year
- (1966)
The authority
- Pub. L. No. 89-774 (consent to the WMATA Compact) (Congress (89th), Nov. 6, 1966)Source (govinfo.gov)
Where the book teaches this
Defense of Marriage Act, Pub. L. No. 104-199, § 3(a), 110 Stat. 2419, 2419 (1996).
- Name of the act
- Defense of Marriage Act
- Public law number
- Pub. L. No. 104-199
- Statutes at Large volume and page
- 110 Stat. 2419, 2419
- Year
- (1996)
The authority
- Defense of Marriage Act (Congress (104th), Sept. 21, 1996)Source (govinfo.gov)
Where the book teaches this
Laken Riley Act, Pub. L. No. 119-1, § 2(1)(C), 139 Stat. 3, 3 (2025).
- Name of the act
- Laken Riley Act
- Public law number
- Pub. L. No. 119-1
- Statutes at Large volume and page
- 139 Stat. 3, 3
- Year
- (2025)
The authority
- Laken Riley Act, Pub. L. No. 119-1 (Congress, Jan. 29, 2025)Source (govinfo.gov)
Where the book teaches this
Where the book teaches this
The full rule, its exceptions and the reasons for it are in these sections.
- 4.2 Pages: one page, several pages, a span
- 7.8 Judges and officials: titles in text and citations
- 12.8 Puerto Rico, the territories and the District
- 13.2 Citation forms, source by source
- 13.4 The law as enacted: names, public laws and the Statutes at Large
- 13.7 State codes and session laws
- 13.9 Amended, repealed, renumbered and invalidated laws
- 13.14 Errors to catch