How to Cite the United States Code

16 U.S.C. §1851 (1996)

A typical cite to a legal rule in the U.S. Code looks like this:

In this example,

16

refers to the title number
(Title 16, Conservation)

U.S.C.

is the standard abbreviation for
"United States Code"

§1851

refers to section number 1851
within Title 16

(1996)

is the year in which the codification
was published.

Note that this year is almost certainly not the year in which the underlying law was passed by Congress.

Increasingly, the year of codification is omitted from citations where the law in question remains in force. However, if Congress decides to amend the law at some point, "§1851" in a 1996 codification of Title 16 may be different from "§1851" in a 1999 codification of the same title.

There are other levels of classification within the United States Code that guide you to groups of sections on the same topic (including sections that were originally part of a single statute passed by Congress).

Thus §1851 in Title 16 (Conservation) is more specifically a part of "Chapter 38" (Fishery Conservation and Management), which in turn is part of Subchapter IV (National Fishery Management Program). By looking at the chapters and subchapters you will find a full range of particular rules, often corresponding to the range covered by Congress in a statute or group of statutes. Chapters and subchapters do not appear in formal citations, but are useful concepts for Internet users.

If you see a citation to a federal law in the United States Code, you should be able to determine how to find it quickly. Thus if you find a reference to

12 U.S.C. §371

you would call up section 371 of title 12 in a current codification of the United States Code. Assuming these rules have not recently been amended by Congress, your search will find the exact legal rule referred to by your reference.

For additional related information:
Understanding Federal Session and Slip Laws