How do I cite a law or statute in MLA?

To cite a law or statute in MLA (9th edition), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.

What is the MLA format for a law or statute citation?

The MLA format for a law or statute is: Title U.S.C. § Section. Website Name, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.

What does the in-text citation look like for a law or statute in MLA?

In MLA, the in-text citation for the example above is (42 U.S.C. § 12101)

How to Cite a Law or Statute in MLA (9th edition)

Learn how to cite acts of a legislature, statutes, and codified laws in MLA format (9th edition). This guide includes the reference list format, in-text citation examples, and key formatting rules.

MLA Works Cited Format

Here is the standard MLA format for citing a law or statute in your Works Cited page:

Title U.S.C. § Section. Website Name, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.

MLA Example for a Law or Statute

A complete MLA reference for a law or statute, written by hand and checked against the official MLA guidance for this source:

42 U.S.C. § 12101. Office of the Law Revision Counsel, uscode.house.gov. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Matching in-text citation: (42 U.S.C. § 12101)

MLA In-Text Citation

Use one of these formats when referencing this source within your paper:

Parenthetical

(42 U.S.C. § 12101)

Narrative

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 sets out its findings and purpose at 42 U.S.C. § 12101...

Key MLA Formatting Rules

The MLA Handbook has no statute template of its own; the MLA Style Center allows either the core template or a hybrid entry that uses the legal citation (42 U.S.C. § 12101) in place of the author and title.
With the template method, the entry begins with the government author and names the code as a whole, for example United States, Congress, House. United States Code. Title 42, section 12101, Office of the Law Revision Counsel, uscode.house.gov.
If the works-cited entry covers the whole United States Code, the title and section number must appear in your sentence or in the parenthetical citation.
Names of acts are capitalized like titles and set in roman type, never in italics or quotation marks.
List hybrid entries that start with a number before the first lettered entry, in numerical order, as the Style Center advises.

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 MLA (9th 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 Works Cited: Include the full formatted citation at the end of your paper.
Double-check formatting: Verify italics, punctuation, capitalization, and hanging indents match MLA 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

MLA Style Center — works cited →

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a law or statute in MLA?: To cite a law or statute in MLA (9th edition), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.
What is the MLA format for a law or statute citation?: The MLA format for a law or statute is: Title U.S.C. § Section. Website Name, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
What does the in-text citation look like for a law or statute in MLA?: In MLA, the in-text citation for the example above is (42 U.S.C. § 12101)