Citation Guides/the U.S. Constitution

How to Cite the U.S. Constitution in Bluebook Format

Learn the correct Bluebook format for citing constitutional provisions, including articles, amendments, sections, and clauses. Covers both the U.S. Constitution and state constitutions.

Citation Format

U.S. Const. [art./amend.] [Number], [§/cl.] [Number].

Citation Components

Constitution

The abbreviated name of the constitution. For the U.S. Constitution, use 'U.S. Const.' For state constitutions, use the state abbreviation (e.g., 'Cal. Const.').

Example: U.S. Const.

Subdivision

Identify whether you are citing an article ('art.') or an amendment ('amend.'). Use lowercase and abbreviate.

Example: amend. XIV

Section/Clause

Further narrow the citation with a section ('§') or clause ('cl.') number. Use Arabic numerals for sections and Arabic numerals for clauses.

Example: § 1

Examples

First Amendment

U.S. Const. amend. I.

Fourteenth Amendment, Section 1

U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 1.

Commerce Clause (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3)

U.S. Const. art. I, § 8, cl. 3.

Supremacy Clause

U.S. Const. art. VI, cl. 2.

State constitution (California)

Cal. Const. art. I, § 7.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using Roman numerals inconsistently -- articles and amendments use Roman numerals, but sections and clauses use Arabic numerals
Adding a date parenthetical -- do not include a year unless citing a provision that has been repealed or amended
Writing out 'Article' or 'Amendment' instead of using the abbreviations 'art.' and 'amend.'
Capitalizing 'amend.' or 'art.' when they should be lowercase in citation form
Forgetting the period after 'Const.' -- all abbreviations in Bluebook citations include their trailing period

Tips for Getting It Right

Constitutional citations are never italicized or underlined in Bluebook format
Do not include a date parenthetical unless the constitutional provision has been repealed or superseded
For amendments I through X, you can note '(Bill of Rights)' in a parenthetical if helpful for context, though this is optional
When referring to the Constitution generically in text (not in a citation), write out the full name: 'the United States Constitution'
State constitutions follow the same pattern: abbreviate the state per T6, then 'Const.' followed by the relevant subdivisions