How to Use the Code of Federal Regulations

How to find a Regulation by Subject

The official annual CFR Index and Finding Aids, shelved at the end of the CFR volumes, is the most up-to-date, single volume index available. However, a substantially more comprehensive index is the multi-volume Index to the Code of Federal Regulations, published by the Congressional Information Service and issued annually.

How to find a Regulation by its Citation

20 C.F.R. § 404.946(a) (1996)
refers to Title 20, Part 404, Section 404.946, and Paragraph (a) of the 1996 CFR. The number after the period is a non-decimal whole number (e.g., 946 comes before 9300). The cover of each CFR volume lists its title number, inclusive parts, broad subject, and revision date. Although not part of its citation, Chapters (I, II, III, etc.) and Subchapters (A, B, C, etc.) appear in the CFR to group regulations by a single issuing agency.

How to find a Regulation by its Statute

To find a regulation implementing a given statute, look in the "Parallel Table of Authorities and Rules" in the official CFR Index and Finding Aids. Check under the United States Code citation for the CFR citation. Also, the editorial notes in the United States Code, and the United States Code Annotated sometimes refer to CFR sections.

How to find a Statute by its Regulation

To find a statute authorizing a given regulation, look in the Code of Federal Regulations or the Federal Register for the heading, "Authority" near the beginning of the regulation. The United States Code citation follows. Reading the statute will help in understanding the rule in its broader legislative context.

How to find Updates to the Code of Federal Regulations

1. Look at the current CFR volume in question and note its revision date on the cover.
2. Check the title page of the most recent List of CFR Sections Affected (LSA) monthly pamphlet to make sure that its beginning date of coverage coincides with the revision date in step 1. Look for page references to the Federal Register affecting the CFR section. Note the latest date covered by the List of CFR Sections Affected.
3. To update the latest LSA, check the "List of CFR Parts Affected" in the Federal Register itself. The List appears in every issue of the Federal Register but cumulates only from the first of the month through the last day of the same month. Therefore, check the last issue of every completed month and the latest issue of the current month. For example, if the LSA is current through March 31, 2006, and today is June 15, 2006, check the "List" in the Federal Register for April 30, May 31, and June 15.
4. Locate the issues of the Federal Register containing the page numbers identified in steps 2 and 3.
5. If the Library has not received the most recent issues of the Federal Register, they may be searched on LexisNexis or Westlaw Campus (see Where to find Regulations in the Penn State Libraries)

How to find Cases citing the Code of Federal Regulations

No annotated code exists for the CFR. However, consult Shepard's Code of Federal Regulations Citations to obtain a list of citing cases. Also, consider using the elements of a CFR citation in a search on LexisNexis or Westlaw Campus.