How to Cite a Law or Statute in IEEE (standard)
Learn how to cite acts of a legislature, statutes, and codified laws in IEEE format (standard). This guide includes the reference list format, in-text citation examples, and key formatting rules.
IEEE Reference List Format
Here is the standard IEEE format for citing a law or statute in your reference list:
[1] Name of Act, Public Law No. xxx-xxx, U.S. Statutes at Large, vol. x, year, p. xxx (codified as amended in U.S. Code, Title x, sections xxx–xxx).
IEEE Example for a Law or Statute
A complete IEEE reference for a law or statute, written by hand and checked against the official IEEE guidance for this source:
[1] Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Public Law No. 101-336, U.S. Statutes at Large, vol. 104, 1990, p. 327 (codified as amended in U.S. Code, Title 42, sections 12101–12213).
Matching in-text citation: [1]
IEEE In-Text Citation
Use one of these formats when referencing this source within your paper:
Parenthetical
[1]
Narrative
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act [1], employers must...
Key IEEE Formatting Rules
- The IEEE Reference Guide does have a legal section (H. Legal Citations), with U.S. Laws given in words: the act’s name, Public Law No., section, U.S. Statutes at Large, volume, year and page.
- A code section alone is cited as U.S. Code, Title 18, section 3123(a)(1), followed by the edition year, as in the guide’s own example.
- IEEE spells out Public Law No., section and vol. instead of the Bluebook abbreviations Pub. L. No., § and Stat.
- The guide covers only U.S. federal laws, so for another country’s legislation follow its pattern and give the official title, number, year and source.
- Number the reference in order of first citation and cite it with the bracketed number, naming the act in the sentence when it helps the reader.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Gather source information: Collect the author name, title, publication date, and URL or DOI for your law or statute.
- Format the reference: Arrange the elements following the IEEE (standard) 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 IEEE requirements.
Evidence and review notes
Worked examples on this page are written by hand from the style's own published guidance and checked against it, because the general CSL styles do not encode this source's rules. Editorial guidance and sources in this section were reviewed on 2026-08-14.
Metadata to collect
- the act’s official short title, including its year
- the code title number and section number
- the year of the code edition you consulted
- the public law number and Statutes at Large citation, or the UK chapter number
- the official database or URL you used
Common metadata traps
- A code citation such as 42 U.S.C. § 12101 points to a section, so check that the section you name is the one that contains the words you quote or paraphrase.
- The year in a code citation belongs to the edition of the code, not to the year the act was passed, and the act’s own year is already in its name.
- A statute is not a government report or a court decision: do not add an author or a court, and use the dedicated formats for reports and cases instead.
Editorial sources
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I cite a law or statute in IEEE?
- To cite a law or statute in IEEE (standard), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.
- What is the IEEE format for a law or statute citation?
- The IEEE format for a law or statute is: [1] Name of Act, Public Law No. xxx-xxx, U.S. Statutes at Large, vol. x, year, p. xxx (codified as amended in U.S. Code, Title x, sections xxx–xxx).
- What does the in-text citation look like for a law or statute in IEEE?
- In IEEE, the in-text citation for the example above is [1]
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