How to Cite a Government Document in ACS (3rd Edition)

This guide explains how to format a government document citation in ACS (3rd Edition). Follow the format template below, refer to the real example, and use the step-by-step instructions to build your citation correctly.

Format Template

The general pattern for citing a government document in ACS (3rd Edition):

Template

Agency or Author. Title of Document; Publication No.; Publisher: Place, **Year**. URL (accessed Month Day, Year).

In-Text Citation Example

How the citation appears within the body of your paper:

In-text citation

¹¹ (superscript number)

Reference List Entry Example

The full citation as it appears in your reference list:

Reference list entry

U.S. Department of Education. Digest of Education Statistics; NCES 2024-009; National Center for Education Statistics: Washington, DC, **2024**. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/ (accessed March 28, 2026).

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Identify the author or agency
Use the full name of the government agency or individual author(s).
2
Write the document title
Do not italicize (unless it is a stand-alone publication). Use headline-style capitalization.
3
Add the publication number
After a semicolon, include the report or publication number.
4
Include publisher, place, and year
Write the publisher name, colon, place of publication, comma, and the year in bold.
5
Add URL and access date
Include the full URL followed by the access date in parentheses.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using a colon instead of a semicolon before the publication number.
Forgetting to bold the year.
Omitting the place of publication.
Not including the access date for online documents.
Using full journal-style formatting instead of the report/book format.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does ACS italicize government document titles?

For stand-alone government publications (analogous to books), italicize the title. For shorter reports or technical documents, italicization may not be required. Follow the pattern for similar source types in ACS.

How do I include the publication number?

Place the publication number after a semicolon following the document title, before the publisher information.

Is the access date required?

Yes. ACS requires an access date for all online sources, placed in parentheses after the URL.

Information You Will Need

Before creating your citation, gather the following information from your government document:

Author/Agency
Title
Publication Number
Publisher
Year
URL

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Step-by-Step Guide

Identify the author or agency

Use the full name of the government agency or individual author(s).

Write the document title

Do not italicize (unless it is a stand-alone publication). Use headline-style capitalization.

Add the publication number

After a semicolon, include the report or publication number.

Include publisher, place, and year

Write the publisher name, colon, place of publication, comma, and the year in bold.

Add URL and access date

Include the full URL followed by the access date in parentheses.