How to Create Civil Code APA Citations
The American Psychological Association (APA) sets guidelines for the publication and formatting of papers written in the social science disciplines. If you are writing an APA-style paper that deals heavily with legal sources, you will find that APA citation of law codes is formatted differently than most APA-style citations. Instead of citing and listing sources by the last names of authors, both parenthetical citations and reference list entries will center around the names of laws.
Instructions
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Begin your reference entry with the name of the law. For example:
National Capital Punishment Act of 1980
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List the section of the law to which you are referring. This should be preceded by the symbol "§," which is an abbreviation for the word "section." For example:
National Capital Punishment Act of 1980 § 85,
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List the volume number, followed by the abbreviation for United States Code. For example:
National Capital Punishment Act of 1980 § 85, 36 U.S.C.
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List the section of the volume in which the statute is located. For example:
National Capital Punishment Act of 1980 § 85, 36 U.S.C. § 679
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Conclude your citation with the year in which the volume of the U.S. Code was published. This should be enclosed in parentheses and followed by a period. Your finished reference list entry should appear in the following general format:
National Capital Punishment Act of 1980 § 85, 36 U.S.C. § 679 (1999).
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Mention both the name of the law and the year within the text. The name of the year may appear either inside parentheses or as part of the name of the law. For example:
The National Corporal Punishment Act of 1980 was a groundbreaking victory for advocates of school discipline.
The National Corporal Punishment Act (1980) was a groundbreaking victory for advocates of school discipline.
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