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To cite a federal regulation in a manuscript or thesis, cite the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) whenever the rule is codified there: title number, “C.F.R.”, then either “pt.” and the part number (whole part) or a section symbol and the part.section number, then the edition year in parentheses. A rule that is not yet codified, a proposed rule or a notice is cited to the Federal Register (Fed. Reg.) instead. This guide shows the legal-style pattern that law libraries teach, element by element, with a decision rule for choosing between the two.
The format
The University of South Carolina School of Law Library and the Georgetown Law Library describe the same C.F.R. and Federal Register pattern, and both cite Rule 14.2 of the Bluebook. Each element in order:
- Title number: the C.F.R. title the regulation sits in (29 in the example below).
- “C.F.R.”: the abbreviation for the Code of Federal Regulations.
- “pt.” or “§”: use “pt.” (part) when citing an entire part; use the section symbol when citing one specific section.
- Number: the part number for a part, or the part.section number for a section. The section is separated from the part by a decimal point (1980.103 is section 103 of part 1980).
- Year, in parentheses: the year of the C.F.R. edition you used.
Template for a part: [title] C.F.R. pt. [part] ([year]). Template for a section: [title] C.F.R. § [part].[section] ([year]).
Which year do I put?
The year is the edition year of the C.F.R. volume you consulted. South Carolina’s guide says to cite the most recent edition of the C.F.R., and in its example title 29 was revised on July 1, 2021, so the citation carries 2021. GovInfo, the U.S. Government Publishing Office’s repository, shows the same idea in its own structure: “21 CFR 310.502 Revised as of April 1, 1997” means Title 21, part 310, section 502, edition year 1997. GovInfo also notes that the revision year is not always available when the C.F.R. is cited, so read it from the volume or edition you actually used rather than assuming it.
Examples
These citation strings come from the two law-library guides named in Sources.
| What is being cited | Citation | Source guide |
|---|---|---|
| An entire part | 29 C.F.R. pt. 1980 (2021). | South Carolina |
| One section | 29 C.F.R. § 1980.103 (2021). | South Carolina |
| One section, older edition year | 15 C.F.R. § 8.1 (2011). | Georgetown |
| A final rule in the Federal Register, not yet codified | 76 Fed. Reg. 68,092 (Nov. 3, 2011) (to be codified at 29 C.F.R. pt. 1980). | South Carolina |
| A Federal Register rule, year-only form | 57 Fed. Reg. 18,822 (1992) (to be codified at 16 C.F.R. pt. 456). | Georgetown |
| A notice (no “to be codified”) | Meeting Notice, 65 Fed. Reg. 3415 (Jan. 21, 2000). | South Carolina |
C.F.R. or Federal Register?
- The rule is in force and codified: cite the C.F.R., as in the first three rows.
- The rule was just published and is “to be codified”: cite the Federal Register with the common name, volume, first page and date, then add where it will be codified.
- A proposed rule or notice: use the Federal Register form without the “to be codified” clause, as in the meeting-notice example.
The Federal Register citation has four parts: the document’s common name, the volume number before “Fed. Reg.”, the page on which it starts, and the date in parentheses.
In-text citation version
The citation strings above are the legal-style forms. The U.S. government writes the same references without periods or section symbols: GovInfo’s help page for the C.F.R. shows “21 CFR 310.502” and gives the Federal Register form “52 FR 49386” (volume, then page). Both conventions exist, so pick the one your journal, department or thesis template requires and use it throughout. Do not mix “C.F.R.” with periods and “CFR” without them in one reference list.
For background on one rule you might cite, see our guide to 21 CFR Part 11, and for the title it belongs to see Title 21 of the C.F.R.
Common errors
| Error | Fix |
|---|---|
| Using “§” for a whole part | Use “pt.” for an entire part: 29 C.F.R. pt. 1980, not 29 C.F.R. § 1980. |
| Using “pt.” for a single section | Cite the section with the section symbol: 29 C.F.R. § 1980.103. |
| Leaving out the year | Add the edition year in parentheses at the end, as every C.F.R. example above does. |
| Citing a Federal Register document without a date | Give volume, page and date: 65 Fed. Reg. 3415 (Jan. 21, 2000). |
| Citing a not-yet-codified final rule only to the C.F.R. | Cite the Federal Register and add “(to be codified at …)”, as in the 76 Fed. Reg. 68,092 example. |
As the examples show, the page number of a Federal Register citation is written with a comma once it has five digits (18,822 and 68,092) and without one at four digits (3415). Apply the same convention to your own page numbers.
Style-guide edition
The citation pattern on this page is the legal-style (Bluebook-form) pattern as presented in two law-library guides, South Carolina (page last updated October 28, 2026) and Georgetown (last updated September 30, 2026), both checked on October 29, 2026. Both cite Rule 14.2 of the Bluebook for regulations and the Federal Register. As of October 2026 the current editions of the common general-purpose manuals are APA 7th (2020), MLA 9th (2021) and Chicago 18th (2024). If your journal, funder or graduate school requires one of those instead of legal style, follow its instruction for the reference list and use this page for the legal elements (title, part, section, edition year) that any style needs to identify a regulation. The sibling guide How to cite an Act covers statutes.
For manuscripts and theses in research administration, regulation citations most often point to rules such as 2 C.F.R. Part 200, 5 C.F.R. Part 2635 and the ITAR.
FAQ
Do I cite the C.F.R. or the Federal Register?
Cite the C.F.R. for a rule that is codified. Cite the Federal Register for a newly published final rule not yet codified (add “to be codified at”), for a proposed rule, and for a notice.
Which year do I use for a C.F.R. citation?
The edition year of the volume you used. South Carolina’s guide says to cite the most recent edition; GovInfo shows editions identified by a “revised as of” date.
When do I write “pt.” and when “§”?
“pt.” for an entire part (29 C.F.R. pt. 1980), the section symbol for a specific section (29 C.F.R. § 1980.103).
Is “CFR” without periods wrong?
No. GovInfo, the government’s own repository, writes “21 CFR 310.502” and “52 FR 49386”. The periods and section symbols belong to the legal-style form. Choose one convention and keep it.
Sources
- University of South Carolina School of Law Library, “Citing Federal Regulations” (LRAW guide), guides.law.sc.edu/LRAWSpring/LRAW/citingfedregs, checked October 29, 2026.
- Georgetown Law Library, Administrative Law Research Guide, “Regulations”, guides.ll.georgetown.edu/adminlaw/publication-of-regulations, checked October 29, 2026.
- U.S. Government Publishing Office, GovInfo, “Code of Federal Regulations” help, govinfo.gov/help/cfr, checked October 29, 2026.
