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Bluebook Citation Guide

California Reporter Citations (Cal. Rptr., Cal. Rptr. 2d, Cal. Rptr. 3d)

Format citations for California Court of Appeal and Supreme Court decisions published in the California Reporter series.

Overview

The California Reporter (Cal. Rptr.) is a West reporter that publishes decisions from the California Supreme Court and California Courts of Appeal. The series has progressed through three iterations: Cal. Rptr. (1959--1991), Cal. Rptr. 2d (1991--2003), and Cal. Rptr. 3d (2003--present). Before 1959, California appellate decisions were published only in the official California Reports and the Pacific Reporter.

California Supreme Court decisions are published in both the California Reporter and the Pacific Reporter. Under Bluebook rules, non-California filings and law review articles should cite California Supreme Court cases to the Pacific Reporter (P.2d or P.3d), not the California Reporter. However, California Courts of Appeal decisions that do not appear in the Pacific Reporter should be cited to Cal. Rptr.

California has six appellate districts, and the district must be included in the court abbreviation for Courts of Appeal decisions. The format is (Cal. Ct. App. [year]) for general reference or with the district number when required. The Supreme Court of California is cited simply as (Cal. [year]).

Formatting Rules

  • Cite California Supreme Court cases to P.2d or P.3d in non-California filings and law review articles.
  • Use Cal. Rptr., Cal. Rptr. 2d, or Cal. Rptr. 3d for California Courts of Appeal decisions.
  • Use the correct series based on the decision date: Cal. Rptr. (1959--1991), Cal. Rptr. 2d (1991--2003), Cal. Rptr. 3d (2003--present).
  • Note the spacing: "Cal. Rptr. 2d" — there is a space between "Rptr." and the series number.
  • The California Supreme Court is cited as (Cal. [year]) in the date parenthetical.
  • California Courts of Appeal are cited as (Cal. Ct. App. [year]); include the district number if required by local rules.

Examples

California Court of Appeal

Mitchell v. Gonzales, 1 Cal. Rptr. 2d 913 (Cal. Ct. App. 1991)

Cal. Rptr. 3d

Hernandez v. Robles, 42 Cal. Rptr. 3d 1 (Cal. Ct. App. 2006)

California Supreme Court (P.3d preferred)

In re Marriage Cases, 183 P.3d 384 (Cal. 2008)

Older Cal. Rptr.

Dillon v. Legg, 69 Cal. Rptr. 72 (Cal. 1968)

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I cite California Supreme Court cases to Cal. Rptr. or P.3d?

For non-California filings and law review articles, cite to the Pacific Reporter (P.2d or P.3d). For California state court filings, local rules typically require the official California Reports citation (Cal.2d, Cal.3d, Cal.4th, or Cal.5th).

When should I use the California Reporter vs. the Pacific Reporter?

Use the California Reporter for Courts of Appeal decisions that appear only in Cal. Rptr. Use the Pacific Reporter for Supreme Court decisions in non-California contexts. California Supreme Court decisions appear in both, but the Bluebook preference outside California is the Pacific Reporter.

When did the California Reporter switch to Cal. Rptr. 3d?

The transition from Cal. Rptr. 2d to Cal. Rptr. 3d occurred in 2003. Cases decided before that date should be cited to Cal. Rptr. 2d (or Cal. Rptr. for cases before 1991).

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U.S. Supreme Court Citations

Master Bluebook citation format for cases reported in U.S. Reports, the official reporter of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Federal Reporter Citations (F., F.2d, F.3d, F.4th)

Format citations for U.S. Courts of Appeals decisions published in the Federal Reporter series, from the original F. through the current F.4th.

Atlantic Reporter Citations (A., A.2d, A.3d)

Format citations for state court decisions from Connecticut, Delaware, D.C., Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Pacific Reporter Citations (P., P.2d, P.3d)

Format citations for state court decisions from Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

South Western Reporter Citations (S.W., S.W.2d, S.W.3d)

Format citations for state court decisions from Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas.

North Western Reporter Citations (N.W., N.W.2d)

Format citations for state court decisions from Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

South Eastern Reporter Citations (S.E., S.E.2d)

Format citations for state court decisions from Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Southern Reporter Citations (So., So. 2d, So. 3d)

Format citations for state court decisions from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

North Eastern Reporter Citations (N.E., N.E.2d, N.E.3d)

Format citations for state court decisions from Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio.

New York Supplement Citations (N.Y.S., N.Y.S.2d, N.Y.S.3d)

Format citations for decisions from all levels of the New York state court system, including the Court of Appeals, Appellate Division, and Supreme Court.

Disclaimer: While this guide follows Bluebook 21st edition rules, always verify citations with official Bluebook resources or your institution's requirements. This content is for educational assistance only.