How to Cite a Regulation

A rule made by a government agency, such as the FDA.

What You'll Need

Regulation Title
Short title
Issuing Agency
Jurisdiction
Register/Code
Volume
Page
Date Published

Cite the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) title and section. For recent rules, include the Federal Register citation with volume, page, and date.

Example Citations

Food Labeling: Revision of the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels, 81 Federal Register 33742 (2016).
In-text (Food Labeling: Revision of the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels, 2016)
Food Labeling: Revision of the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels. Federal Register, vol. 81, 27 May 2016, p. 33742.
In-text (Food Labeling: Revision of the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels)
Food Labeling: Revision of the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels, 81 Federal Register 33742 (2016).
Footnote Food Labeling: Revision of the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels, 81 Federal Register 33742 (2016).

Harvard (Cite Them Right 12th edition). Our Cite Them Right Harvard prints cases, legislation, bills, regulations and treaties without their citation numbers, so this guide shows no Harvard example. Add the numbers by hand, or use a legal style for legal work. What to check by hand

[1]
“Food Labeling: Revision of the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels,” Federal Register, vol. 81. p. 33742, May 27, 2016.
In-text [1]

Numbered by order of appearance in your document.

1.
Food Labeling: Revision of the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels. Vol. 81, Federal Register. 2016. p. 33742.
In-text (1)

Numbered by order of appearance in your document.