What Goes In the Parens When You’re Citing to the U.S. Code

Based on the Bluebook, if you’re citing to the United States Code, you may or may not need something more than just the year in the parens. If you’re citing to the official United States Code, all you need is the year:

  • 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (2012).

If you’re citing to one of the two unofficial versions of the U.S. Code, then you’ll need to include the publisher:

  • 12 U.S.C.A. § 1426 (West 2010).
  • 12 U.S.C.S. § 1710 (LexisNexis 1993).

One trick to remember who publishes which unofficial version of the Code – the U.S.C.S. ends in “S” and Lexis ends in “S”.