How To Cite The Constitution Chicago

Library Research Guides Citation Guides Citation Guide: Chicago US Constitution or Treaty Learn how to cite the U.S. Constitution by article or amendment in footnotes using Roman and Arabic numerals.

See examples and tips for Chicago style citation format. Chicago-style source citations come in two varieties: (1) notes and bibliography and (2) author-date. If you already know which system to use, follow one of the links above to see sample citations for a variety of common sources.

Learn how to cite the U.S. Constitution in MLA, APA, Chicago, and Harvard styles with this comprehensive guide. Perfect your citations for academic writing!

Learn how to cite the U.S. Constitution in APA, MLA, and Chicago styles, including amendments and state constitutions. Cite the author of the publication if the author is identified.

Otherwise, start with the name of the national government, followed by the agency (including any subdivisions or agencies) that serves as the organizational author. This section contains information on The Chicago Manual of Style method of document formatting and citation. These resources follow the seventeenth edition of The Chicago Manual of Style, which was issued in 2017.

This guide outlines the essential steps and considerations for properly citing the U.S. Constitution in various citation styles, including the Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago), and Bluebook formats. Legal publications use notes for documentation and therefore citations for most government or legal documents do not need to be included in bibliographies.

If you are citing only a few legal or government documents, just cite through the text, including the same information as footnotes. When citing a constitution, whether the US Constitution, any state's constitution, or another country's constitution, instead of page numbers, include article, section, clause, and amendment numbers as necessary to direct the reader to as specific a place as possible.