How to Cite Government Documents in Chicago Style
Government documents are essential sources for research in history, political science, law, and public policy. Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition) provides specialized formats for citing federal documents, state and local publications, congressional materials, executive orders, and international government sources in both Notes-Bibliography and Author-Date systems.
Understanding Government Document Citations
Government documents follow unique citation patterns because they often lack traditional authors, use specialized numbering systems, and appear in official series. Chicago style treats government agencies as corporate authors and includes specific elements like congress numbers, report numbers, and official document identifiers. Historical research frequently relies on government documents as primary sources, making proper citation essential for archival work.
Chicago Notes-Bibliography: Federal Documents
Congressional Reports and Documents
Footnote/Endnote:
U.S. Congress, House/Senate, Committee Name, Report Title, Congress number, session, Report number (Year), Page.
Bibliography entry:
U.S. Congress. House/Senate. Committee Name. Report Title. Congress number, session. Report number. Year.
Example: House Report
Note:
1. U.S. Congress, House, Committee on Ways and Means,Tax Reform Act of 2024, 118th Cong., 2nd sess., 2024, H. Rep. 118-456, 23.
Bibliography:
U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Ways and Means.Tax Reform Act of 2024. 118th Cong., 2nd sess., 2024. H. Rep. 118-456.
Example: Senate Hearing
Note:
2. U.S. Congress, Senate, Committee on Foreign Relations,Climate Change and National Security, 118th Cong., 1st sess., 2023, 45.
Example: Congressional Record
Note:
3. Congressional Record, 118th Cong., 1st sess., 2023, vol. 169, pt. 2: 1234.
Example: Federal Agency Report
Note:
4. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,Climate Change Indicators in the United States, 2024(Washington, DC: EPA, 2024), 56.
Bibliography:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.Climate Change Indicators in the United States, 2024. Washington, DC: EPA, 2024.
Example: Executive Order
Note:
5. Executive Order 14008, "Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad," Federal Register 86, no. 19 (February 1, 2021): 7619.
Example: Supreme Court Decision
Note:
6. Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954).
Note: Legal cases use specialized citation formats. See Chicago Manual section 14.276-305 for legal citations.
Chicago Notes-Bibliography: State and Local Documents
Example: State Legislative Document
Note:
7. California Legislature, Assembly, Committee on Education,Higher Education Funding in California, Assembly Bill 123 (2024), 12.
Example: State Agency Report
Note:
8. New York State Department of Health,Public Health Statistics, 2023 (Albany: NYSDOH, 2024), 34.
Example: Municipal Document
Note:
9. City of Chicago, Department of Planning and Development,Chicago Climate Action Plan (Chicago, 2023), 45.
Chicago Notes-Bibliography: International Documents
Example: United Nations Document
Note:
10. United Nations, General Assembly, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, A/RES/217(III) (December 10, 1948).
Bibliography:
United Nations. General Assembly. Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A/RES/217(III). December 10, 1948.
Example: Foreign Government Document
Note:
11. United Kingdom, Parliament, House of Commons,Brexit Impact Assessment, Cmd. 9876 (London: HMSO, 2023), 23.
Chicago Author-Date: Government Documents
Basic Format
In-text citation:
(Agency Name Year, Page)
Reference list entry:
Agency Name. Year. Document Title. Place: Publisher.
Example: Federal Agency Report
In-text citation:
(EPA 2024, 56)
Reference list:
EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 2024.Climate Change Indicators in the United States, 2024. Washington, DC: EPA.
Example: Congressional Report
In-text citation:
(U.S. Congress 2024, 23)
Reference list:
U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Ways and Means. 2024.Tax Reform Act of 2024. 118th Cong., 2nd sess. H. Rep. 118-456.
Example: International Organization Report
In-text citation:
(WHO 2023)
Reference list:
WHO (World Health Organization). 2023. World Health Statistics 2023. Geneva: WHO.
When to Use Each System
| Discipline | Recommended System |
|---|---|
| History | Notes-Bibliography |
| Law and Legal Studies | Notes-Bibliography |
| Political Science | Author-Date |
| Public Policy | Author-Date |
| Public Health | Author-Date |
| Economics | Author-Date |
Common Errors to Avoid
1. Wrong Agency Name Format
Use the official agency name as it appears on the document. Spell out abbreviations on first use: "U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)" then "EPA" in subsequent references in Author-Date format.
2. Missing Report Numbers
Congressional documents have specific identifiers (H.R., S., H. Rep., S. Rep.). Include these numbers as they're essential for locating documents. Don't confuse bill numbers with report numbers.
3. Incorrect Congress and Session Numbers
Congressional documents require the congress number (e.g., 118th) and session (1st or 2nd). These identify when the document was produced and are crucial for historical context.
4. Omitting Publication Information
Government documents need place of publication and publisher. For federal documents, use "Washington, DC" and the agency abbreviation or "GPO" (Government Publishing Office).
5. Wrong Format for Online Government Documents
When citing government documents accessed online, include the URL if it's a stable government website. For documents from government databases like GovInfo or FDsys, include the persistent URL.
6. Confusing Government Author Levels
List authorship from largest to smallest unit: Country, Branch (Congress/Executive), Specific Body (House/Senate), Committee/Agency, Subcommittee if applicable.
Special Cases and Online Access
Document from Government Website
Note:
12. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics: Digest of Education Statistics (Washington, DC: NCES, 2024), accessed February 5, 2026, https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/.
Historical Government Document
Note:
13. U.S. Congress, House, Select Committee on Assassinations,Investigation of the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, 95th Cong., 2nd sess., 1979, H. Rep. 95-1828.
Presidential Documents
Note:
14. Barack Obama, "Remarks by the President on Climate Change," June 25, 2013, White House Office of the Press Secretary, https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2013/06/25/remarks-president-climate-change.
Treaty or International Agreement
Note:
15. "Paris Agreement," December 12, 2015, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement.
Government Data Sets
Note:
16. U.S. Census Bureau, "2020 Census Redistricting Data," data.census.gov, released August 12, 2021, https://data.census.gov/cedsci/.
Research Tips for Government Documents
Government documents are essential primary sources for historical and policy research. For U.S. federal documents, GovInfo (govinfo.gov) is the official repository. Congressional hearings, reports, and the Congressional Record are all available there with persistent URLs.
When citing historical government documents, note that older materials may have been published by the Government Printing Office (GPO), now called the Government Publishing Office. Use the name that appears on the document.
For state and local documents, check state libraries and archives. Many states maintain digital repositories of legislative materials, reports, and historical documents. Municipal documents may be housed in city archives or public libraries.
Generate Chicago Citations for Government Documents
Create accurate Chicago-style citations for federal, state, and international government documents in both Notes-Bibliography and Author-Date formats. Essential for history, political science, and policy research.