Regulations are promulgated by administrative agencies and are primary legal authority (meaning that they carry the force and weight of law). Rules and regulations of federal agencies are first published in the Federal Register, which is distributed each business day except for federal holidays. Eventually, regulations are recorded in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), which is a subject compilation of the rules and regulations in effect at the time of its publication. This guide offers more information about the Federal Register, the CFR, and how to locate them.
Regulations.gov
Regulations.gov, while not an official source of administrative rules, provides an online portal for access to agency rulemaking documents, including proposed rules and public comments submitted in regard to proposed rules.
A Research Guide to the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations
This guide, from the Law Librarians' Society of Washington, DC, provides information on the historical development of the Federal Register and CFR, guidance on the contents and organization of the Federal Register and CFR, and insight on finding aids used to search the Federal Register and CFR.
The Federal Register is the official journal of the executive branch. It is published each business day and contains final regulations, proposed regulations, and notices by federal agencies and departments. It also includes presidential documents, specifically executive orders and proclamations.
When a notice of proposed rulemaking or a proposed rule is printed in the Federal Register, the agency states why the rule is needed and under what authority (sometimes referred to as an enabling act or enabling legislation) the rule is being promulgated. Names and telephone numbers of agency contacts are provided so that the public can submit comments on the proposed rule. When the final rule is published in the Federal Register, a statement is typically included that summarizes the comments received as well as any changes to the rule. There is also a citation to the Federal Register where the proposed rule was printed.
The Unified Agenda is published in the Federal Register in October and April of each year. The Agenda is a good place to review and prepare for regulatory activity. Every federal agency is required to list the following information in the Agenda:
For more detailed information, visit the National Archives for their tutorial Federal Register: What it Is and How to Use It.
Federal Register
The federal government's GovInfo.gov website provides access to the official version of the Federal Register (beginning in 1936). It also contains the Federal Register Index, which summarizes each agency's yearly regulatory activity.
FederalRegister.gov
This website, a collaboration between the Office of the Federal Register, the National Archives and Records Administration, and the U.S. Government Publishing Office, provides access to the unofficial, but easily searchable version of Federal Register (beginning in 1994). It also provides information on the rule-making process and contains numerous finding aids, including topical lists as well as the Federal Register Index.
HeinOnline (available on campus and remotely with ASURITE, coverage begins in 1936)
ProQuest Congressional (available on campus and remotely with ASURITE, coverage begins in 1936)
Westlaw (Westlaw password required, 1936-current)
Lexis+ (Lexis+ password required, 1936-current)
The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) contains the general and permanent rules of the agencies and executive departments of the federal government. It is divided into 50 Titles, each corresponding to a major subject area. The individual titles are arranged into chapters according to the issuing agency. The chapters are then divided into parts, which are further divided into sections.
Code of Federal Regulations
The federal government's GovInfo.gov website provides access to the official version of the CFR (beginning in 1996). However, the version of the CFR on the GovInfo.gov website is only as current as the published print version, which is updated once yearly in quarterly increments. GovInfo.gov also contains the List of CFR Sections Affected (LSA), an updating tool that details the CFR sections that have been published since the most recent update to the CFR.
eCFR
The federal government's eCFR website provides access to the unofficial, but more frequently updated and easily searchable version of the CFR. It also contains numerous finding aids, including agency lists. It is updated daily.
HeinOnline (available on campus and remotely with ASURITE, coverage begins in 1938)
ProQuest Congressional (available on campus and remotely with ASURITE, coverage begins in 1938)
Westlaw - Current (Westlaw password required, current)
Westlaw - Historical (Westlaw password required, coverage begins in 1984)
Lexis+ (Lexis+ password required, current)