Citation Guides/Court Rules

How to Cite Court Rules in Bluebook Format

Learn the correct Bluebook format for citing the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP), Federal Rules of Evidence (FRE), Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and local court rules.

Citation Format

Fed. R. [Subject] P. [Rule Number].

Citation Components

Rule Abbreviation

The abbreviated name of the rule set. 'Fed. R. Civ. P.' for Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, 'Fed. R. Evid.' for Federal Rules of Evidence, 'Fed. R. Crim. P.' for Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, 'Fed. R. App. P.' for Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure.

Example: Fed. R. Civ. P.

Rule Number

The rule number, including any subdivision in parentheses. Use lowercase letters for subdivisions.

Example: 12(b)(6)

Examples

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, motion to dismiss

Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6).

Federal Rules of Evidence, hearsay rule

Fed. R. Evid. 802.

Federal Rules of Evidence, hearsay exception

Fed. R. Evid. 803(1).

Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure

Fed. R. Crim. P. 16(a)(1)(E).

Local court rule (Northern District of California)

N.D. Cal. Civ. L.R. 7-2.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Writing 'FRCP' or 'FRE' instead of the full Bluebook abbreviation -- always use 'Fed. R. Civ. P.' or 'Fed. R. Evid.' in citations
Adding a date parenthetical -- court rules are cited without a year unless you are citing a version that is no longer in effect
Omitting the periods after each abbreviation element -- each abbreviated word requires its own period
Confusing rule subdivisions -- use parentheses for subdivisions: Rule 12(b)(6), not Rule 12.b.6
Citing local rules without the court designation -- always include the court abbreviation for local rules

Tips for Getting It Right

Court rules are among the simplest Bluebook citations -- no date parenthetical is needed for currently effective rules
The most commonly cited rules in law school are Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) (motion to dismiss) and Fed. R. Evid. 802 (hearsay)
For advisory committee notes, cite: Fed. R. Civ. P. 12 advisory committee's note to [year] amendment
Local court rules vary by jurisdiction -- check Bluebook Table BT2 for the correct abbreviation format
When citing a superseded version of a rule, include the year the version was effective in a parenthetical