United States Constitution
Original research draft · October 2026
Working pattern
U.S. Const. art. [article], § [section], cl. [clause].
Capture from the source
Instrument; article or amendment; actual subdivisions; relevant version
Check before you use it
Use the Constitution's own subdivision structure rather than adding nonexistent levels.
Common error: A clause locator that belongs to another section can look formally plausible.
Completed example
Real primary-source transcription and official constitutional locator inspected October 8, 2026. Verification covers the text's location and subdivision structure; no application of the Commerce Clause or current case-law treatment was researched for this example.
U.S. Const. art. I, § 8, cl. 3.
Read the supplied source facts
The National Archives transcription places the commerce language in Article I, Section 8, after the taxing and borrowing provisions. The Library of Congress's Constitution Annotated identifies that passage as Article I, Section 8, Clause 3. The exercise asks only for a citation locating the constitutional text concerning commerce with foreign nations, among the states, and with Indian Tribes. It does not ask whether a particular statute falls within congressional authority. The web page's interface also has headings, navigation links, and explanatory notes that are separate from the constitutional text.
Why this works
The instrument, article, section, and clause together supply a durable locator. The Roman numeral I identifies the article; 8 and 3 identify the section and clause. Do not replace these subdivisions with the position of a search result or a paragraph number created by a browser export. The citation points to constitutional text, while an essay interpreting that text would be a different source requiring its own attribution. A discussion of the reach of congressional power would require appropriate interpretive authorities and analysis beyond this citation-construction exercise.
When the facts change
For the adjacent borrowing provision, the terminal locator changes to cl. 2. For an article that is not divided into numbered sections, do not add a section solely to make its citation resemble this one. If a historical argument concerns text later changed by amendment, identify the historical version and relevant amendment in the discussion so that the reader understands which text is being used.
Official source material
Apply the receiving court or publication’s requirements. These working forms do not establish citation permission, precedential weight, or support for a legal proposition.