Statutes are cited under Bluebook Rule 12. The standard federal statute citation format uses the United States Code (U.S.C.), which is the official codification of federal statutory law. The basic format is: Title Number U.S.C. § Section Number (Year). For example: 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (2018). The year in the parenthetical refers to the year of the code edition, not the year the statute was enacted.
There are three published versions of the federal code: the United States Code (U.S.C.), United States Code Annotated (U.S.C.A.), and United States Code Service (U.S.C.S.). Under Bluebook rules, cite to U.S.C. whenever possible because it is the official code. Cite to U.S.C.A. or U.S.C.S. only when the provision has not yet been published in U.S.C. or when the annotation itself is relevant.
State statute citations vary by jurisdiction. Each state has its own official code with its own abbreviation convention. Consult Bluebook Table T1 for the correct abbreviation and format for each state's code. Some states organize their codes by title and section (like the federal model), while others use named subject-matter codes (e.g., California's system of named codes like Cal. Civ. Code or Cal. Penal Code).
Federal Statute (U.S.C.)
42 U.S.C. § 1983 (2018).
Multiple Sections
15 U.S.C. §§ 1--7 (2018).
State Statute (California)
Cal. Civ. Code § 1714 (West 2024).
State Statute (New York)
N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law § 349 (McKinney 2023).
Session Law
Pub. L. No. 116-136, 134 Stat. 281 (2020).
U.S.C. (United States Code) is the official codification. U.S.C.A. (United States Code Annotated, published by West) and U.S.C.S. (United States Code Service, published by LexisNexis) are unofficial annotated versions. The Bluebook requires citation to U.S.C. when available.
Use the year of the code edition you are citing, not the year the statute was originally enacted. For the U.S.C., this is typically the most recent edition year (e.g., 2018) plus any supplements.
Cite the current version and indicate the amendment in the date parenthetical: § 1983 (2018) (amended 2022). If you are citing the pre-amendment version, indicate that: § 1983 (2012) (amended 2018).
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Explore more Bluebook citation guides for other source types.
Learn the Bluebook rules for citing cases from federal and state courts with correct reporter, court, and year format.
Cite the U.S. Constitution and state constitutions with correct article, amendment, and section formatting.
Cite books, treatises, and hornbooks with the right author, title, edition, and page format.
Cite websites, online reports, and digital sources with proper author, title, and URL format.
Cite federal and state court rules with correct rule numbers, abbreviations, and parentheticals.
Cite agency decisions, administrative opinions, and guidance documents using Bluebook Rule 14 and 15 conventions.
Format citations for law review articles, journal essays, and academic legal publications following Bluebook Rule 16 conventions.
Format citations for the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.), Federal Register rules, and state administrative regulations following Bluebook Rule 14.
Format citations for bilateral and multilateral treaties, international agreements, and conventions following Bluebook Rule 21.4.
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.
Our generator handles the formats you use most, but legal writing courses grade you against the rule itself — and professors ask you to defend a citation by number. Check which edition your school requires before ordering; it's the one book where the wrong edition genuinely costs you points.
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