Administrative regulations are cited under Bluebook Rule 14. The Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) is the official codification of federal administrative rules and is the primary source for citing regulations currently in force. The basic format is: Title Number C.F.R. § Section Number (Year). For example: 40 C.F.R. § 122.1 (2023).
The Federal Register (Fed. Reg.) publishes proposed rules, final rules, notices, and executive orders before they are codified in the C.F.R. When citing a regulation that has not yet been codified, or when referencing the preamble or supplementary information accompanying a rule, cite to the Federal Register. The format is: Volume Number Fed. Reg. Page Number (Date). For proposed rules, include "proposed" in the parenthetical with the date.
State regulations follow similar principles but with state-specific reporter and code abbreviations. Consult Bluebook Table T1 for the correct abbreviation of each state's administrative code or register. Some states use titles and sections (like the federal model), while others organize regulations differently.
Code of Federal Regulations
40 C.F.R. § 122.1 (2023).
Multiple Sections
29 C.F.R. §§ 1910.1--1910.999 (2023).
Federal Register (Final Rule)
88 Fed. Reg. 12,345 (Feb. 27, 2023).
Federal Register (Proposed Rule)
87 Fed. Reg. 45,678 (proposed July 29, 2022) (to be codified at 40 C.F.R. pt. 122).
The C.F.R. (Code of Federal Regulations) is the codified, organized collection of federal regulations currently in force. The Federal Register (Fed. Reg.) is the daily publication where new regulations, proposed rules, and notices first appear. Cite to C.F.R. for existing regulations and to Fed. Reg. for proposed rules or when the preamble is relevant.
Use the year of the C.F.R. edition you are citing. The C.F.R. is updated annually on a rolling basis by title, so the year depends on when that particular title was last revised.
Cite to the Federal Register with "proposed" and the intended codification: 87 Fed. Reg. 45,678 (proposed July 29, 2022) (to be codified at 40 C.F.R. pt. 122). This tells the reader the rule was proposed but not yet finalized.
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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.
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