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How to read a statute citation

beginner5 min read

How to read a statute citation

Citations like 42 U.S.C. § 1983 or Cal. Civ. Code § 1668 show up in legal articles, court opinions, and statutory research all the time. They look intimidating but follow simple patterns.

This lesson explains the structure of statute citations so you can read them, find them, and understand what someone is referring to.

Federal statute citations

Federal statutes live in the United States Code (abbreviated U.S.C.). The Code is organized into 50+ "titles" by subject matter:

  • Title 1: General Provisions
  • Title 11: Bankruptcy
  • Title 17: Copyrights
  • Title 18: Crimes and Criminal Procedure
  • Title 21: Food and Drugs
  • Title 26: Internal Revenue Code (tax)
  • Title 28: Judiciary and Judicial Procedure
  • Title 35: Patents
  • Title 42: The Public Health and Welfare (includes most major civil rights statutes)
  • Title 47: Telecommunications

A federal statute citation typically has four parts:

  1. Title number
  2. U.S.C. (the abbreviation)
  3. § (section symbol: sometimes written as "§§" for multiple sections)
  4. Section number

So 42 U.S.C. § 1983 means: Title 42 of the United States Code, section 1983. That's the main federal civil rights statute used to sue state and local governments for constitutional violations.

Some other examples:

  • 18 U.S.C. § 1001: federal false statements statute
  • 17 U.S.C. § 102: copyright subject matter
  • 35 U.S.C. § 101: patent subject matter
  • 26 U.S.C. § 162: business expense deductions for tax
  • 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq.: Americans with Disabilities Act ("et seq." means "and what follows")

Sub-sections add more specificity:

  • 42 U.S.C. § 1983(a): subsection (a) of the section
  • 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2): paragraph (2) of subsection (a)
  • 26 U.S.C. § 162(a)(1)(A): even more specific

Where to find federal statutes

The U.S. Code is online for free at multiple places:

  • uscode.house.gov: the official version
  • govinfo.gov: also official
  • law.cornell.edu/uscode: Cornell's annotated version (free, browsable)
  • Westlaw, Lexis, Bloomberg Law: paid services with annotations

When citing federal statutes, you don't usually need a year: the U.S.C. is updated continuously. But formal citations sometimes include "(2018)" or similar to indicate which compilation year you used.

State statute citations

Each state has its own code, with its own organization. The format varies more than federal.

Common patterns:

California

  • Cal. Civ. Code § 1668: Civil Code section 1668
  • Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 425.16: Code of Civil Procedure (anti-SLAPP statute)
  • Cal. Penal Code § 187: Penal Code (murder)

California is unusual in having multiple codes by subject: Civil, Code of Civil Procedure, Penal, Family, etc. Most states have one main code with title and section numbers.

Texas

  • Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003: Civil Practice and Remedies Code section 16.003 (a statute of limitations)

Texas also uses multiple codes.

New York

  • N.Y. Civ. Prac. L. & R. § 213: Civil Practice Law and Rules section 213
  • N.Y. Penal Law § 125.25: Penal Law

Tennessee

  • Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104: Tennessee Code Annotated, title 28, chapter 3, section 104

Florida

  • Fla. Stat. § 95.11: Florida Statutes section 95.11

Illinois

  • 735 ILCS 5/2-201: Illinois Compiled Statutes, chapter 735, act 5, section 2-201

The lookup pattern is the same: figure out which code or compilation, find the right section, and read it.

Where to find state statutes

Each state has its own primary source:

  • Most states publish their codes online for free at state government websites
  • Cornell's Wex (law.cornell.edu) has links to state-statute compilations
  • Westlaw, Lexis and similar paid services have annotated versions
  • Some states use commercial publishers (West, LexisNexis) for their official annotated versions

Search "[your state] code" or "[your state] revised statutes": you'll usually find the official version near the top.

Pinpoint references

Citations often include specific subsections to point at exact language:

  • 42 U.S.C. § 1983(b): subsection (b)
  • N.Y. Civ. Prac. L. & R. § 213(2): paragraph 2

When researching, drill down to the exact sub-section the writer is pointing to. Skipping that step can lead to misunderstanding what was cited.

Reading a statute

Once you've found the statute, reading it has its own conventions:

  • Defined terms. Statutes often define key terms at the start. "Person" might be defined to include corporations, "month" might be defined to mean calendar month, etc. Always check definitions.
  • Cross-references. Statutes refer to other statutes constantly. "As defined in section 102 of this title" or "subject to the limitations in subsection (c)."
  • Exceptions. Most rules have exceptions. The exceptions are often more important than the rule.
  • Effective dates. Statutes have effective dates that may affect whether they apply to your situation. Older claims may be governed by older versions.
  • Annotations. Annotated versions (Westlaw, Lexis, paid services) include cross-references to court cases interpreting the statute. These are extremely valuable.

Statutes vs. cases

A statute citation tells you the rule that the legislature wrote down. A case citation tells you a court's interpretation of that rule (or of common law).

Both matter. The statute is the starting point, but courts often have to interpret what the statute means. Recent cases on the same statute can change how the statute is applied even when the text is unchanged.

Etiquette

When you see a statute citation:

  • The "§" symbol is read aloud as "section": "42 U.S.C. section 1983"
  • The double "§§" means multiple sections: "42 U.S.C. §§ 1981-1985" covers sections 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985
  • "et seq." after a section number means "and what follows": "42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq." includes 12101 plus the related sections that follow

You don't have to memorize this. Just recognize what the marks mean when you see them.

Why this matters

Even if you're not a lawyer, knowing how to read statute citations helps you:

  • Look up the actual law when someone references it
  • Read court opinions, articles, and treatises that cite statutes
  • Cite statutes correctly in your own filings if you're pro se
  • Verify whether someone is correctly summarizing a statute or oversimplifying it

The free online sources for statutes mean you can usually look up a citation in 30 seconds. That's a small investment for the ability to read primary sources directly instead of relying on someone's summary.

This lesson is research and educational information, not legal advice. Statutes can be complex; what they say isn't always what they mean as interpreted by courts. Consult a lawyer for advice on what specific statutes mean for your situation.