How to Cite a Government Document in MLA 9th Edition

This guide explains how to format a government document citation in MLA 9th 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 MLA 9th Edition:

Template

Government Body. Title of Document. Publisher, Year. URL.

In-Text Citation Example

How the citation appears within the body of your paper:

In-text citation

(United States, Dept. of Education)

Reference List Entry Example

The full citation as it appears in your Works Cited:

Works Cited entry

United States, Department of Education. Digest of Education Statistics. National Center for Education Statistics, 2024. nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Identify the government body
List the government body hierarchically: country or state, then the department or agency. Use the full official name.
2
Write the document title
Italicize the full title of the document. Use title case (headline-style capitalization).
3
Add the publisher and year
Include the publisher (the issuing body, if different from the author) followed by a comma and the year of publication.
4
Include the URL
Provide the URL without the "https://" protocol. End with a period.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Not listing the government body hierarchically (country, then department, then agency).
Forgetting to italicize the document title.
Using abbreviations for government agencies instead of spelling them out.
Omitting the publisher when it differs from the authoring agency.
Including the protocol (https://) in the URL — MLA omits it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I list the government body in MLA?

List from the broadest to the most specific level: United States, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. Each level is separated by a comma.

What if the document has an individual author?

If an individual is credited as the author, list them first, then include the government agency as the publisher. If the agency is prominent, you may start with the agency.

How do I handle document numbers in MLA?

MLA does not have a dedicated field for document numbers. You may include the number after the title as additional information if it is important for retrieval.

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 government body

List the government body hierarchically: country or state, then the department or agency. Use the full official name.

Write the document title

Italicize the full title of the document. Use title case (headline-style capitalization).

Add the publisher and year

Include the publisher (the issuing body, if different from the author) followed by a comma and the year of publication.

Include the URL

Provide the URL without the "https://" protocol. End with a period.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Not listing the government body hierarchically (country, then department, then agency).

Forgetting to italicize the document title.

Using abbreviations for government agencies instead of spelling them out.

Omitting the publisher when it differs from the authoring agency.

Including the protocol (https://) in the URL — MLA omits it.