How to cite an agency report / publication
Bluebook (22d ed.) citation format · B14 / R14.2(c)–(d) · Regulations & agencies
Example
U.S. Dep’t of Just., Just. Manual § 7-3.300 (2018).
More examples
Each of these is checked against the rules on every change to the tool.
- U.S. Gov’t Accountability Off., GAO-01-1163T, Commercial Aviation: A Framework for Considering Federal Financial Assistance (2001).
- 4 NLRB Ann. Rep. 93 (1939).
- U.S. Dep’t of Lab., Wage & Hour Div., Opinion Letter (Sep. 14, 1992).
What the citation needs
Required
- Issuing agency — The author’s full name as it appears on the publication (R15.1; R16.2).
When they apply
- Kind — Which form of this source you are citing. The fields that matter change with it.
- Title — The title as it appears on the source. R8(a): capitalize every word except articles, conjunctions and prepositions of four or fewer letters, unless they begin the title or follow a colon.
- Volume — The volume number, which comes before the reporter, code or periodical name.
- Page — The page the source begins on. The page you are citing goes in the pincite.
- Section — The section cited (R3.3).
- Serial / publication number — The agency’s serial or publication number: “GAO-01-1163T”.
- Full date — The date the rule for this source calls for, with the month abbreviated per T12 (“Nov. 24, 1978”).
- Year — The year that goes in the date parenthetical at the end of the citation.
- Reprinted in — Where the material is reprinted.
In a brief and in a law review
The Bluebook sets citations two ways: the Bluepages for court documents and legal memoranda, the Whitepages for law review footnotes. Here is the first example above as each one prints it, in its typeface.
Court documents (Bluepages)
U.S. Dep’t of Just., Just. Manual § 7-3.300 (2018).
Law review footnotes (Whitepages)
U.S. Dep’t of Just., Just. Manual § 7-3.300 (2018).
The words are the same in both; only the typeface changes.
Common mistakes
Each of these is a citation the checker refuses, with what it says is wrong and the corrected form.
Wrong
GAO-01-1163T, Commercial Aviation: A Framework for Considering Federal Financial Assistance (2001).
Why
Cite an agency publication as the work of its institutional author, naming the agency before the serial number (R14.2(d); R15.1(c); R15.7).
Right
U.S. Gov’t Accountability Off., GAO-01-1163T, Commercial Aviation: A Framework for Considering Federal Financial Assistance (2001).
Wrong
4 NLRB Ann. Rep. (1939).
Why
Give the author, or the editor/translator, or the publisher (R15.1; R15.2(d)).
Give the author, or the editor/translator, or the publisher (R15.1; R15.2(d)).
Right
4 NLRB Ann. Rep. 93 (1939).
Wrong
U.S. Dep’t of Lab., Wage & Hour Div., Opinion Letter (1992).
Why
An opinion letter gives the date of its publication, not just the year (R14.2(d)).
Right
U.S. Dep’t of Lab., Wage & Hour Div., Opinion Letter (Sep. 14, 1992).
Governing rules
B14 / R14.2(c)–(d)
- 14.2 — federal regulations (C.F.R.).
- 14.2(d) — other agency publications (institutional author).
- 15.1 — book author/editor.
- T1.2 — federal administrative and executive materials; the agency's own citation form governs where the table gives one.
Build this citation with the generator, check one you have already written, or paste a whole list of footnotes to check them in order.
Related source types
Regulations & agencies: