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Chicago 18 (Author-Date) Regulation Citation Generator

Citing a regulation (administrative agency rule or executive order) under the Chicago Manual of Style (Author-Date System) framework requires combining Chicago Manual of Style (author-date)'s punctuation hierarchy with the specific metadata of the source. To construct a compliant entry, researchers must collect the regulation title or subject, Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) or Federal Register volume, agency abbreviation, section/page number, and year of codification. In the body of your paper, Chicago Manual of Style (author-date) utilizes parenthetical author-year citations with no comma between the author and year, e.g., (Author Year, page), which links directly to an entry organized in alphabetical by author family name and chronological by publication year.

When formatting a regulation in Chicago Manual of Style (author-date), pay close attention to contributor names and capitalization. Specifically, Chicago Manual of Style (author-date) enforces inverting only the first author name (Last, First) while writing subsequent co-authors in normal order (First Last) connected by the word "and", and applies headline-style Title Case for all titles, placing analytical works in quotation marks and standalone containers in italics. Chicago Author-Date places the year immediately after the author without parentheses in the reference list, and spells out first names rather than reducing them to initials. Furthermore, if your regulation does not display an individual creator, the rule is straightforward: begin with the regulation title or CFR citation; credit the issuing government agency in the authority or publisher slot if required by your style.

For digital and online regulation references, Chicago Manual of Style (author-date) stipulates placing the DOI (https://doi.org/...) or stable URL at the very end of the entry, requiring an access date only when no publication date exists. Note whether the regulation is already codified in the C.F.R. or is still a proposed/uncodified rule published in the Federal Register. Using the client-side Chicago Manual of Style (author-date) Regulation generator below, you can automatically parse URLs, DOIs, or ISBNs and apply these exact Citation Style Language (CSL) rules locally in your browser with zero server tracking.

Live Chicago Manual of Style (author-date) Example

Services, D. of H. and H. (2023). Protection of Human Subjects, 45 C.F.R. pt. 46. Code of Federal Regulations.

Critical Errors to Avoid

  • Source-Specific Pitfall: Citing an agency press release about a rule instead of the official codified regulation in the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) or Federal Register (Fed. Reg.).
  • Title & Author Formatting: Failing to apply Chicago Manual of Style (author-date)'s requirement of headline-style Title Case for all titles, placing analytical works in quotation marks and standalone containers in italics, or violating the contributor rule (inverting only the first author name (Last, First) while writing subsequent co-authors in normal order (First Last) connected by the word "and").
  • Locator & Sorting Mismatch: Ordering the bibliography incorrectly instead of using alphabetical by author family name and chronological by publication year, or neglecting Chicago Manual of Style (author-date)'s link rule for a regulation (placing the DOI (https://doi.org/...) or stable URL at the very end of the entry, requiring an access date only when no publication date exists).
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Frequently Asked Questions

What information do I need to cite a regulation in Chicago Manual of Style (author-date)?

To cite a regulation according to Chicago Manual of Style (Author-Date System) standards, you need the regulation title or subject, Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) or Federal Register volume, agency abbreviation, section/page number, and year of codification. Our generator formats these elements using headline-style Title Case for all titles, placing analytical works in quotation marks and standalone containers in italics.

How do I cite a regulation with no author in Chicago Manual of Style (author-date)?

When a regulation has no named individual author, begin with the regulation title or CFR citation; credit the issuing government agency in the authority or publisher slot if required by your style. The Chicago Manual of Style (author-date) engine automatically adjusts both the full reference entry and the in-text citation (parenthetical author-year citations with no comma between the author and year, e.g., (Author Year, page)) when the author field is left blank.

How are in-text citations formatted for a regulation in Chicago Manual of Style (author-date)?

In Chicago Manual of Style (author-date), in-text references use parenthetical author-year citations with no comma between the author and year, e.g., (Author Year, page). In the final reference list, your regulation entries must be arranged in alphabetical by author family name and chronological by publication year.

Do I need to include a URL or access date for an online regulation in Chicago Manual of Style (author-date)?

Under Chicago Manual of Style (Author-Date System) guidelines, online regulation citations follow placing the DOI (https://doi.org/...) or stable URL at the very end of the entry, requiring an access date only when no publication date exists. Note whether the regulation is already codified in the C.F.R. or is still a proposed/uncodified rule published in the Federal Register.