How to Cite a Government Document in APA (7th edition)
Learn how to cite government reports, legislation, and official documents in APA format (7th edition). This guide includes the reference list format, in-text citation examples, and key formatting rules.
APA Reference List Format
Here is the standard APA format for citing a government document in your reference list:
Agency Name. (Year). Title of document (Publication No. xxx). Publisher. https://url
APA Example for a Government Document
A complete APA reference for a government document, formatted by the official APA CSL style definition — the same engine that powers the generator on this site:
Department of Education. (2023). National literacy strategy (ED-2023-114). Government Publishing Office. https://www.example.gov/literacy-strategy
Matching in-text citation: (Department of Education, 2023)
APA In-Text Citation
Use one of these formats when referencing this source within your paper:
Parenthetical
(Agency Name, 2024)
Narrative
Agency Name (2024) reports...
Key APA Formatting Rules
- Use the agency as the author; list the parent department as the publisher if different.
- Italicize the document title.
- Add the report or publication number in parentheses after the title.
- Omit the publisher when it is the same as the author.
- End with the DOI or URL.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Gather source information: Collect the author name, title, publication date, and URL or DOI for your government document.
- Format the reference: Arrange the elements following the APA (7th edition) template shown above.
- Create the in-text citation: Add a parenthetical or narrative citation in your paper where you reference this source.
- Add to your reference list: Include the full formatted citation at the end of your paper.
- Double-check formatting: Verify italics, punctuation, capitalization, and hanging indents match APA 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: apa.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.
Editorial sources
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I cite a government document in APA?
- To cite a government document in APA (7th edition), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.
- What is the APA format for a government document citation?
- The APA format for a government document is: Agency Name. (Year). Title of document (Publication No. xxx). Publisher. https://url
- What does the in-text citation look like for a government document in APA?
- In APA, the in-text citation for the example above is (Agency Name, 2024)
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