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How to Cite a General Statute in APA Text Format

Updated July 21, 2017

A statute is a law that has been enacted by the legislative branch of the U.S. government. Statutes can serve as excellent resources when writing a research paper, especially one dealing with legal matters. The American Psychological Association uses "The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation" as the basis for citing legal materials.

References Page

To cite a general statute on the References page, use the following format: Name of Act § Section number, Volume number U.S.C. § Section number (Year). Note that the symbols must be included, but do not include the words "volume" or "section." Instead, list the corresponding numbers.

In-Text Citation

Within the paper, cite a general statute by writing out the name of the law followed by the year. This can follow one of two acceptable formats: Name of Act (Year), or Name of Act of Year.

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About the Author

Jen has been a professional writer since 2002 in the education nonprofit industry. Her work has been featured in the New Jersey SEEDS Annual Report, as well as several Centenary College publications, including "Centenary in the News" and the "Trustee Times." In 2009, Jen earned a Master of Arts degree in leadership and public administration from Centenary College.
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