What are regulations?
Regulations are laws created by agencies in the executive branch of government. Regulations often explain how these agencies will carry out and enforce the statutory law passed by congress. Therefore, regulations are typically more detailed and direct in their impact on everyday life than statutes.
Federal regulations
Like statutes, regulations are published in multiple locations. Each day, the regulations enacted by government agencies are recorded in the Federal Register (Fed. Reg.). The Federal Register serves as a daily log of activities in the executive branch.
Each year, the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is revised to include new, permanent regulations enacted that year. The CFR is organized by topic.
Which source should you use?
Use the CFR if you want to learn about current laws concerning a specific topic or issuing from a specific government agency. You can also consult previous versions of the CFR to research the regulations that were in place at some point in the past. Consulting the latest version of the CFR, especially the eCFR (see below) is the best way to ensure you are seeing the regulations that are currently in effect.
Alternately, you may wish to consult the Federal Register to look up the language of a specific regulation when it was issued, or to read about recent regulations that have not yet been added to the CFR. The Federal Register provides more information than the CFR, as it includes detailed discussions about the reasoning behind new regulations and addresses public comments on proposed regulations. Use the Federal Register when you are conducting deep, thorough research on a particular regulation and its history.
Where to look for regulations
Federal regulations
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
- Code of Federal RegulationsThis is the official version of the CFR which is updated annually. See the note at the top of the page for the schedule of updates. Online versions of the CFR go back to 1996. Browse on the page linked here, or use the orange search button on the top right. To search the CFR only, select the Advanced tab above the search bar and check the box for "Code of Federal Regulations".
- eCFRThis version of the CFR is updated continuously. However, it is not the official version of the CFR. Use the tabs at the top of the page to search or browse by title, agency, etc. Check the Reader Aids tab for more help using this website.
- Library of Congress historical CFR collectionThis collection includes digitized versions of the CFR from 1938-1995. Browse by title or search using the search bar at the top of the page.
Federal Register
- Federal RegisterThe official version of the Federal Register, updated daily, going back to 1936. Browse on the page linked here, or use the orange search button on the top right. To search the Federal Register only, select the Advanced tab above the search bar and check the box for "Federal Register".
- FederalRegister.govThis is the unofficial web version of the Federal Register. It covers volumes going back to 1994 and can be easier to navigate than the official version on govinfo.gov. Use the tabs at the top of the page to search or browse by agency, topic, date, etc. Check the Reader Aids tab for more help using this website.
State regulations
- State regulationsUse this tool from the Legal Information Institute to find primary law sources for each state. After selecting a state, look for a link labeled "Regulations". Note that online accessibility of regulations varies by state.
How to Find a Specific Regulation
Understanding regulation citations
A four-part citation format tells you where to find a regulation being cited:
| Title/Volume | Publication | Section/Page | Date |
| 10 | C.F.R. | §719.30 | (2020) |
| 84 | Fed. Reg. | 14,264 | (April 10, 2019) |
When consulting the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), it's important to pay attention to the date at the end of the citation. Make sure you are looking at the appropriate version of the code.
How to find relevant regulations
- Look for citations in secondary sources and cases.
- Search by keyword or browse. Since the Code of Federal Regulations and other codes are arranged by topic, you may be able to find relevant sections on your own.
Advanced techniques for researching regulations
Tracing federal regulations
If you are interested in more complete research into an area of federal law, you will need to investigate the history of any relevant regulations (regulatory history), as well as the associated statutes that led to those regulations (statutory authority). The Library of Congress' research guide on tracing federal regulations can take you through this process.
Comments
Agencies accept public comments on proposed regulations. You can view comments (and submit your own) at Regulations.gov. For help navigating Regulations.gov, see the FAQs on their website and consult this Jenkins Law Library post on how to use Regulations.gov.