How to Cite a Government Document in Chicago 17th Edition (Author-Date)

Format Template

The general pattern for citing a government document in Chicago 17th Edition (Author-Date):

In-Text Citation Example

How the citation appears within the body of your paper:

Reference List Entry Example

The full citation as it appears in your reference list:

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Identify the author or agency

   Use the full name of the government agency. If an individual author is credited, list them first and place the agency as publisher.

2. 2

   Add the year

   Place the year immediately after the agency or author name, followed by a period.

3. 3

   Write the document title

   Italicize the title using headline-style capitalization. Include any report or publication number in parentheses after the title.

4. 4

   Add publication details

   Include the place of publication, a colon, and the issuing body or publisher. End with a period.

5. 5

   Include the URL

   Provide the full URL where the document can be accessed. End with a period.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Placing the year at the end of the entry instead of immediately after the author/agency.
• Using an agency abbreviation instead of the full name in the reference list.
• Including a comma between the agency name and year in the in-text citation (Chicago Author-Date omits the comma).
• Omitting the publication or report number when one is available.
• Forgetting to include the place of publication for print government documents.

Frequently Asked Questions

Information You Will Need

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

• Author/Agency
• Title
• Publication Number
• Publisher
• Year
• URL