How to Cite a Government Document in Chicago 17 Format

Government documents form the backbone of research in history, political science, public policy, and law. From congressional hearings and executive orders to agency reports and census data, these primary sources carry unique citation challenges. Chicago 17th Edition provides specific guidance for handling the complex authorship, numbering systems, and publication details that distinguish government documents from standard books and articles. Getting these citations right signals scholarly rigor and helps your readers locate the exact record you referenced.

This guide covers the most common types of U.S. government documents you will encounter in academic research, with templates and real-world examples for each. For the complete style overview, see our Chicago 17th Edition guide.

Understanding Government Document Types

Before diving into examples, it helps to know which category your source falls into. Chicago 17 treats these differently:

• Congressional documents — bills, resolutions, reports, hearings, and debates published in the Congressional Record
• Executive documents — presidential executive orders, proclamations, and documents from the Federal Register
• Agency reports and publications — reports issued by federal agencies such as the CDC, EPA, GAO, or Census Bureau
• State and local government documents — statutes, reports, and publications from state or municipal bodies

Each type follows the same core logic—government body as author, title, session or date information, and publication details—but the specific elements vary.

Real-World Examples

1. Congressional Report

Congressional reports accompany bills and are numbered sequentially within each Congress. Always include the Congress number, session, and report number.

2. Congressional Hearing

Hearings are cited by the committee that held them. Include the full title of the hearing as it appears on the title page, along with the date(s) on which testimony was given.

3. Executive Order

Executive orders are cited by their number and are published in the Federal Register and later compiled in title 3 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Chicago 17 recommends citing the Federal Register version when available.

4. Federal Agency Report

Agency reports list the department or agency as author. Include any report or publication number if one exists.

5. Congressional Record (Debate)

The Congressional Record is the official transcript of proceedings in Congress. Cite by the date and page number. In notes, the Congressional Record may be abbreviated as Cong. Rec.

Note: The Congressional Record is typically cited only in notes and not included in the bibliography unless it is a major source for the paper. When included, list the volume information rather than individual speakers.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps to build a Chicago government document citation from scratch.

Step 1: Identify the Government Body

Start with the broadest level of government and work down to the specific office or committee. Use periods to separate each level in the bibliography; commas in footnotes.

• Bibliography: U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Foreign Relations.
• Footnote: U.S. Congress, Senate, Committee on Foreign Relations,

For executive branch documents, the agency stands as author: "U.S. Department of Education" or "U.S. Census Bureau."

Step 2: Add the Title

Italicize titles of standalone documents such as reports, hearings, and publications. Use quotation marks for titles of articles, chapters, or sections within larger works. Reproduce the title exactly as it appears on the document's title page.

Step 3: Include the Congress and Session (Legislative Documents)

For congressional documents, always note the Congress number and session:

• 117th Cong., 1st sess.
• 118th Cong., 2nd sess.

This information usually appears on the title page of the document or can be determined from the date of publication.

Step 4: Add the Document or Report Number

Congressional reports use designations like "S. Rep. 117-39" (Senate Report) or "H. Rep. 118-12" (House Report). Bills use "S. 1234" or "H.R. 5678." Include these numbers as they help readers locate the precise document.

Step 5: Provide Publication Details

Most federal documents are published by the Government Publishing Office (GPO) in Washington, DC. Use the current name—"Government Publishing Office"—even for documents published before 2014 when the office was called the "Government Printing Office," unless you are citing the document in a historical context where the original name matters.

Format: (Washington, DC: Government Publishing Office, Year) in footnotes, or Washington, DC: Government Publishing Office, Year in bibliography entries.

Step 6: Add Page Numbers (Footnotes Only)

Include the specific page number in your footnote when referring to a particular passage. The bibliography entry does not include page numbers.

Step 7: Add a URL for Online Sources

If you accessed the document online, append the URL or DOI at the end of the citation. Chicago 17 also accepts a stable URL from sites like govinfo.gov. If the URL is extremely long, cite the main page of the database and note how the document can be located.

Common Errors

These are the most frequent mistakes students make when citing government documents in Chicago format.

Special Cases

Online Government Documents

Many government documents are now accessed through govinfo.gov, congress.gov, or agency websites. Append the URL at the end of the citation. If no fixed publication date is available, include an access date.

Presidential Proclamations

Like executive orders, proclamations are published in the Federal Register. Cite by proclamation number.

State Government Documents

Follow the same general pattern but replace "U.S." with the state name. Include whatever identifying numbers or publication details are available.

Document with a Named Individual Author

Occasionally, a government publication credits a specific author on its title page. In this case, list the individual as author and the agency as publisher.

No Date of Publication

If no publication date is available, use "n.d." in place of the year. If you can reasonably estimate the date, place it in brackets: [2020?].

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I cite the Congressional Record in my bibliography?

Chicago 17 notes that the Congressional Record is usually cited only in footnotes or endnotes. Include it in your bibliography only if it is a significant or frequently cited source in your paper. When you do include it, cite the volume and session rather than individual speakers or dates.

How do I cite a bill that has not yet been enacted into law?

Cite it by its bill number, title, Congress, and session. For example:

U.S. Congress. House. Equality Act. H.R. 5, 117th Cong., 1st sess. Introduced February 18, 2021.

Once a bill is enacted, cite the resulting public law or the Statutes at Large instead.

What is the difference between citing the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations?

The Federal Register publishes new executive orders, proposed rules, and notices as they are issued—it is chronological. The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the codified, organized compilation of existing regulations. Cite the Federal Register for newly issued orders and rules. Cite the CFR for established, currently operative regulations.

How do I handle very long document titles?

Reproduce the full title in the first footnote and the bibliography entry. For shortened footnotes, use a recognizable abbreviated version of the title—typically the first few distinctive words followed by the page number. You do not need to add an ellipsis after the shortened title.

Can I abbreviate agency names like "GAO" or "CBO" in citations?

In the first footnote and in the bibliography, spell out the full name: "U.S. Government Accountability Office." In subsequent shortened footnotes, you may use the abbreviation (GAO) if you introduced it in the first reference. For example: "GAO, Climate Change, 31." Provide the full name at least once so readers can identify the source.

Validation Checklist

Before submitting your paper, review each government document citation against this checklist:

• Author hierarchy: Does the citation begin with the issuing government body (country → branch/department → committee/office), not an individual's name?
• Punctuation style: Are periods used between levels of government in the bibliography? Commas in footnotes?
• Title formatting: Is the document title italicized (standalone works) or in quotation marks (sections within a larger work)?
• Congress and session: For legislative documents, are both the Congress number (e.g., 117th Cong.) and session (e.g., 1st sess.) included?
• Document/report number: Have you included all identifying numbers (S. Rep., H.R., GAO report number, Executive Order number)?
• Publisher: Is "Government Publishing Office" spelled out in full—not abbreviated as "GPO"?
• Page numbers: Are specific page numbers included in footnotes (but not in bibliography entries)?
• Shortened footnotes: Do subsequent references use a recognizable short title plus page number?
• URLs: For online documents, is a stable URL or DOI appended at the end of the citation?
• Consistency: Are all government document citations in your paper formatted in the same style (notes-bibliography)?

Summary: Quick Comparison Table

For more on Chicago 17 formatting across all source types, visit our complete Chicago 17th Edition citation guide.