Guides: Government Sources: Citing Government Docs

MLA

Government agencies are often the author of the source so they are used both in the in-text and Works Cited page as the author.

IN-TEXT

Name the government, department, as well as the agency (if there is one) in the in-text citation.

EXAMPLE
(United States, Dept. of Transportation, Natl. Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
Note: if there is a page number on the document, cite the page number in the parentheses - (United States, Dept. of Transportation, Natl. Highway Traffic Safety Administration, ###).

WORKS CITED ENTRY

Government Report or Document

General Format:
Government, department, agency. Title of Work. Website Title, Month Year, URL.

EXAMPLE
United States, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs & Border Protection. FY2016 Performance and Accountability Report. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, March 2017, https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/
assets/documents/2017-Mar/FY-2016-CBP-PAR-508C.pdf

APA

IN-TEXT
If there are persons names on the document, use their names as authors for both the in-text or Reference list entry. Otherwise use the department, agency, or branch as the author.

EXAMPLE
(U.S. Customs & Border Protection, 2017).
Note: if there is a page number on the document, cite the page number as well in the parentheses (Agency name, year, p.#).

REFERENCE LIST ENTRY

Government Report or Document
General Format:

Department, Agency. (Year, Month). Title of work. Retrieved from URL
If the document has a number, place the number in parenthesis after the work's title.

EXAMPLE
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs & Border Protection. (March, 2017). FY2016 performance and accountability report. Retrieves from https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/
assets/documents/2017-Mar/FY-2016-CBP-PAR-508C.pdf

The following citation guides are based on The Complete Guide to Citing Government Documents: A Manual for Writers & Librarians and also on the guide created by Indiana University Libraries.

The issue agency for a Bill or Act is always either the House or Senate.

General Format:
U.S. [Senate/House]. [nth] Congress, [nth] Session. [Bill number], Bill title, may be shortened. Edition statement. Washington: Government Printing Office, year.

EXAMPLE:
U.S. House. 116th Congress, 2nd session, H.R. 21, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019. Washington: Government Printing Office, 2019.

Consult guidelines for MLA or APA for additional information on citing government sources.

Congressional Records can either be bound or on the web (daily edition). These are cited differently. Since Congressional Record record statements made by congress members, often the citation will include the name of the particular person who said it. To avoid confusion, include their state abbreviation. Guide adapted from Indiana University Libraries guide.

Bound edition

[Sen. or Rep.] Last Name (Abbreviated State). "Title of Section," Congressional Record [volume number]. Pt. [part number] (day mon. year p[p]. [page range].

Rep. Weltner (GA). "Civil Rights Act of 1964," Congressional Record 110, 12 (02 July 1964) pp. 15894-15895.

Daily edition

[Sen. or Rep.] Last Name (Abbreviated State). "Title of Section," Congressional Record (day mon. year). Daily ed. [page range].

Rep. Serrano (NY). "Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019," Congressional Record (03 January 2019). Daily ed. H184.