How to cite a statute (code)

Bluebook (22d ed.) citation format · B12 / R12 · Statutes & legislation

A codified statute — U.S.C. or a state code.

Example

1 U.S.C. § 1.

More examples

Each of these is checked against the rules on every change to the tool.

• 42 U.S.C. § 1983.
• 33 U.S.C. § 1232 (1982), amended by, 33 U.S.C. § 1232(f) (Supp. I 1983).
• Kan. Stat. Ann. § 50–639 (2026).
• Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 106, § 2–316A (2026).
• Miss. Code Ann. § 75-2-719(4) (2026).

What the citation needs

Required

• Code name — The code’s abbreviated name, from T1.
• Section — The section cited (R3.3).

When they apply

• Status — Whether the statute is still in force. A repealed or amended statute says so (R12.7): pick one and the fields it needs come forward.
• Act name (optional) — The source’s name, as the rule for this type gives it.
• Original section of the act — R12.3.1: “National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 § 102, 42 U.S.C. § 4332”.
• Title number (federal) — 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.
• Chapter (e.g. Mass.) — The chapter number.
• Title (state codes, e.g. Del.) — T1 puts a state's title after the code: “Del. Code Ann. tit. 13, § 1301”.
• Additional sections (one per line) — R3.3(b): multiple sections take “§§” and are joined with commas.
• Publisher — The publisher (R15.4).
• Year of the code edition — The year that goes in the date parenthetical at the end of the citation.
• Year repealed — The year the statute was repealed, given in parentheses: “(repealed 1969)” (R12.7.2).
• Year amended — The year the statute was amended, given in parentheses: “(amended 1959)” (R12.7.3).
• Current version at — Where the statute’s current version is codified: “(current version at 15 U.S.C. § 18)” (R12.7.3).
• Later citation — The later citation, as it appears on the source.
• Repealing / amending statute, or invalidating case — R12.7: cited in full; a case for an invalidated statute (R12.7.1).

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)

1 U.S.C. § 1.

Law review footnotes (Whitepages)

1 U.S.C. § 1.

For this source the two are set the same way.

Common mistakes

Each of these is a citation the checker refuses, with what it says is wrong and the corrected form.

Governing rules

B12 / R12

• 12 — statutes.
• 12.3 — current official and unofficial codes: code name, section, and year.

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

Statutes & legislation:

• Session law
• Bill or resolution
• Hearing
• Committee report
• Committee print
• Legislative journal
• Legislative debate
• Constitution
• Municipal ordinance
• Procedural / evidentiary rule
• Model / uniform act, restatement