Omar Bennett
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is a style guide that provides a standardised system for legal citation. The Bluebook is used by lawyers, law students, and legal scholars to ensure that legal documents and academic papers are cited accurately and consistently. This guide will focus on how to cite a constitutional amendment using The Bluebook's rules and format. It is important to note that The Bluebook is updated regularly, so it is crucial to refer to the most recent edition when citing legal sources.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cite the United States Constitution | U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2 |
| Cite a state constitution | [abbreviated state name] Const. |
| Example state constitution citation | Haw. Const. art. IX, § 1, cl. 2 |
| Cite the name of the database and information regarding its currency | The People v. Shamrock Foods Company, 11 P. 3rd 956, 968 (California 2000) |
| Indicate parenthetically if a constitutional provision is no longer in force | U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933) |
| Indicate parenthetically if a constitutional provision has been amended | U.S. Const. art. I, § 3, cl. 1 (amended 1913) |
| Cite a federal statute | 42 U.S.C. § 1983 |
| Cite a federal statute with a commonly known name | National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 § 102, 42 U.S.C. § 4332 |
| Cite an unofficial U.S. Code | United States Code Annotated; United States Code Service |
| Include the currency of the database when using commercial electronic databases | Lexis; Westlaw |
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What You'll Learn
Citing the US Constitution
When citing the US Constitution, the introductory signal is typically "See" or "See also". The citation format combines the abbreviated geographic region, denoted as "U.S." or "US", with the term "CONST." in small caps typeface. For instance, the correct citation for the 14th Amendment, Section 2 of the US Constitution is "U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2". This format adheres to Rule 11 of The Bluebook, which outlines the citation method for constitutional sections.
It is important to note that when citing constitutions or statutes from an online database, additional information is required. Parentheses should include the name of the database and details regarding its currency, as provided within the database itself. This is in accordance with the guidelines outlined on pages 119 and 126 of The Bluebook.
If the cited constitutional provision remains in force, there is no need to include a date. However, for repealed or amended provisions, it is necessary to indicate either the year and action or provide the full repealing/amending provision citation. For example, "U.S. CONST. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)" or "U.S. CONST. amend. XVIII, repealed by U.S. CONST. amend. XXI".
Additionally, specific rules apply when citing statutes within the US Constitution. The citation should consist of four elements: the title of the code, the title or section number, the volume or section number, and the year of the code (optional if citing the current code). For instance, the proper citation for a statute in the United States Code discussing civil actions for deprivation of rights would be "42 U.S.C. § 1983".
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Citing state constitutions
When citing state constitutions, it is important to follow the Bluebook style guide. The Bluebook (22d ed. 2025) outlines specific rules for citing constitutions, statutes, and legislative materials.
To cite a state constitution, combine the abbreviated name of the state with the word "Const." in small caps typeface. For example, when citing the Ohio Constitution, the correct format would be "Ohio Const."
If you are citing a specific article or section within the state constitution, include this information after the abbreviated state name and "Const." For instance, if you are referring to Article I of the Ohio Constitution, the citation would be "Ohio Const. art. I."
It is important to note that if the constitutional provision you are citing has been repealed or amended, you should indicate this in your citation. You can do this by providing the year and action in parentheses or by citing the repealing/amending provision in full. For example, if the citation above was amended in 2022, it would appear as "Ohio Const. art. I (amended 2022)."
Additionally, when citing state session laws, begin the title of the session law publication with the abbreviated state name, regardless of whether the state is included in the publication title. For example, "Ohio Rev. Stat. § 3503.06."
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Citing specific amendments
When citing specific amendments, the format is as follows:
> U.S. Const. amend. [amendment number in Roman numerals], § [section number].
For example, to cite the 14th Amendment, Section 2, the correct citation is:
> U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2.
Note that the "U.S. Const." part of the citation is standard for citing the United States Constitution. If citing a different country's or state's constitution, you would replace "U.S." with the appropriate abbreviation. For example, to cite the Hawaii Constitution, Article 9, Section 1, Clause 2, the citation would be:
> Haw. Const. art. IX, § 1, cl. 2.
It is important to ensure that the abbreviations used are consistent with the abbreviations listed in Table 10 of the Bluebook. Additionally, according to Rule 11, you cannot use a short cite for constitutions other than "Id." Section symbols (§) are used to indicate sections within a citation.
When citing specific amendments, it is also important to indicate whether the provision is still in force or has been repealed or amended. If the provision is still in force, no date is needed. However, for repealed or amended provisions, you should indicate the year and action parenthetically or cite the repealing/amending provision in full. For example:
> U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933).
> U.S. Const. amend. XVIII, repealed by U.S. Const. amend. XXI.
> U.S. Const. art. I, § 3, cl. 1 (amended 1913).
These examples demonstrate how to cite specific amendments to the United States Constitution, following the guidelines outlined in the 20th edition of The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation.
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Abbreviations and typeface
Abbreviating Constitutional Documents
When citing the United States Constitution, use the abbreviation "U.S. Const." followed by the specific amendment, section, and clause information. For example, to cite the 14th Amendment, Section 2, the correct citation would be: "U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2".
When citing state constitutions, use the abbreviated state name followed by "Const." For example, for the Texas Constitution, you would use "Tex. Const.".
Using Small Caps Typeface
In your citations, use small caps typeface for certain elements. Specifically, use small caps for the abbreviations "CONST." and "AMEND." For example, "U.S. CONST. amend. XIV, § 2".
Additionally, when citing statutory compilations, use small and large caps for the name of the code in scholarly citation format. For instance, "42 U.S.C. § 1983".
Abbreviations for Federal and State Statutes
When citing federal and state statutes, refer to Table T.1 in The Bluebook for the official abbreviations. This table provides the standard abbreviations for federal and state statutory compilations.
For example, the abbreviation for the United States Code is "U.S.C." while the abbreviation for a specific state code may be different, such as "Cal. Gov't Code" for the California Government Code.
Publisher and Date Abbreviations
When citing a statute from an unofficial source, include the publisher or editor before the year. For example, the United States Code Annotated, published by West, would be abbreviated as "U.S.C.A." with "West" indicated before the year.
If the statute is still in force, the year is optional (Bluebook R. 12.3.2). However, if citing an older version, include the year to specify the relevant edition.
Additionally, when citing online sources, include the currency of the database in the parenthetical, as per Bluebook Rule 12.5.
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Current and amended provisions
When citing the current and amended provisions of a constitutional amendment, it is important to follow the correct Bluebook citation format. The Bluebook, in its 20th edition, provides comprehensive guidelines for citing legal documents, including constitutions and their amendments.
For the United States Constitution, the standard format is "U.S. Const." followed by the specific amendment, section, and clause. For example, to cite the 14th Amendment, Section 2, the correct citation would be "U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2." It is important to note that according to Rule 11, you cannot use a short cite for constitutions other than "Id." Additionally, nothing is underlined in a statute citation.
When citing state constitutions, the format is similar. You use the abbreviated state name followed by "Const." and then the relevant article, section, and clause. For instance, the citation for Article 9, Section 1, Clause 2 of the Hawaii Constitution would be "Haw. Const. art. IX, § 1, cl. 2."
If the constitutional provision you are citing is currently in force, there is no need to include a date. However, for repealed or amended provisions, you should indicate the year and action or cite the repealing/amending provision. For example, "U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)" or "U.S. Const. art. I, § 3, cl. 1 (amended 1913)."
It is worth mentioning that the Bluebook is updated periodically, and the latest edition may have slight variations in citation guidelines. Additionally, when citing statutes, the Bluebook provides specific rules, such as Rule 12.2.1, which states that you should cite the official code or its supplement if available when referring to a federal statute that is still in force.
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Frequently asked questions
U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 2.
Haw. Const. art. IX, § 1, cl. 2.
No date is needed if the constitutional provision is still in force.
You should indicate either the year and action or cite the repealing/amending provision in full. For example: U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933).
According to Rule 11, you cannot use a short cite other than Id. for constitutions.
