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How to Cite a Government Document in ACS (4th edition)

Learn how to cite government reports, legislation, and official documents in ACS format (4th edition). This guide includes the reference list format, in-text citation examples, and key formatting rules.

ACS Reference List Format

Here is the standard ACS format for citing a government document in your reference list:

ACS Example for a Government Document

A complete ACS reference for a government document, formatted by the official ACS CSL style definition — the same engine that powers the generator on this site:

(1) Department of Education. National Literacy Strategy; ED-2023-114; Government Publishing Office: Washington, DC, 2023. https://www.example.gov/literacy-strategy.

Matching in-text citation: 1

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Gather source information: Collect the author name, title, publication date, and URL or DOI for your government document.
  2. Format the reference: Arrange the elements following the ACS (4th edition) template shown above.
  3. Create the in-text citation: Add a parenthetical or narrative citation in your paper where you reference this source.
  4. Add to your reference list: Include the full formatted citation at the end of your paper.
  5. Double-check formatting: Verify italics, punctuation, capitalization, and hanging indents match ACS requirements.

Evidence and review notes

Worked examples are generated by citeproc from the published CSL definition, not written by a language model. Editorial guidance and sources in this section were reviewed on 2026-08-14.

CSL style record: acs.csl

Metadata to collect

  • issuing agency and parent department
  • document title
  • report or publication number
  • publication year
  • publisher, if different from the agency
  • URL or DOI

Common metadata traps

  • Name the agency that wrote the document, not the website that hosts it.
  • Include the report number so readers can tell similar titles from the same agency apart.
Read the detailed source guide →

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a government document in ACS?
To cite a government document in ACS (4th edition), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.
What is the ACS format for a government document citation?
The ACS format for a government document is: (1) Department of Education. National Literacy Strategy; ED-2023-114; Government Publishing Office: Washington, DC, 2023. https://www.example.gov/literacy-strategy.
What does the in-text citation look like for a government document in ACS?
In ACS, the in-text citation for the example above is 1

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Cite a Government Document in Other Styles

Government Document in APAGovernment Document in MLAGovernment Document in ChicagoGovernment Document in HarvardGovernment Document in VancouverGovernment Document in IEEEGovernment Document in AMAGovernment Document in TurabianGovernment Document in CSEGovernment Document in BibTeXGovernment Document in NatureGovernment Document in OSCOLAGovernment Document in BluebookGovernment Document in AGLCGovernment Document in ASAGovernment Document in APSAGovernment Document in AAAGovernment Document in NLMGovernment Document in ACMGovernment Document in APSGovernment Document in AIPGovernment Document in CellGovernment Document in ScienceGovernment Document in PLOSGovernment Document in BMJGovernment Document in LancetGovernment Document in JAMAGovernment Document in Elsevier HarvardGovernment Document in Springer

Cite Other Sources in ACS

Website in ACSBook in ACSJournal Article in ACSYouTube Video in ACSPodcast in ACSNewspaper Article in ACSMagazine Article in ACSBlog Post in ACSWikipedia in ACSPDF in ACSInterview in ACSSocial Media Post in ACSDissertation or Thesis in ACSConference Paper in ACSLecture or PowerPoint in ACSWebinar in ACSOnline Course in ACSPowerPoint Presentation in ACSImage or Photograph in ACSMovie or Film in ACSDocumentary in ACSTV Show in ACSSong or Music in ACSPoem in ACSCourt Case in ACSPatent in ACSEncyclopedia Entry in ACSDictionary Entry in ACSDataset in ACSSoftware or App in ACSVideo Game in ACSPress Release in ACSReport in ACSPreprint in ACSBook Chapter in ACSChatGPT in ACSBible in ACSTED Talk in ACSEmail in ACSReddit or Forum Post in ACSX (Twitter) Post in ACSMap in ACS

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