Skip to Main Content

Sources of Free Legal Research: Adminstrative Regulations

Introduction to Free Sources of Administrative Regulations

Regulations are the type of primary law that is created by executive branch administrative agencies. Regulations are created by both federal and state government administrative agencies.  When administrative agencies first publish their primary law (e.g. in the Federal Register or the New York State Register), that primary law is referred to as Rules.  After the primary law is codified (arranged by subject) and published in a regulatory code (e.g. the C.F.R. or New York's N.Y.C.R.R.) that primary law is referred to as Regulations.

Because regulations resemble statutes, when agencies enact regulations, they are said to be acting in their quasi-legislative capacity. When agencies hold hearings and impose penalties, they are said to be acting in their quasi-judicial capacity.  When agencies investigate and prosecute violators, they are said to be acting in their quasi-executive capacity.

Free Sources of Administrative Regulations

Federal Regulations - Code of Federal Regulations

  • e-CFR - the most current edition of Code of Federal Regulations (with annual editions back January 2017). Browseable and searchable by keyword, as well as C.F.R. citation and relevant U.S. Code section.
  • Govinfo - Browseable and searchable by keyword and C.F.R. citation - from 1996 to present. To search the full text of the C.F.R., use the advanced search interface and select Code of Federal Regulations.
  •  Library of Congress - a historical collection of the Code of Federal Regulations dating from 1938-1995.
  • Legal Information Institute - provides access to the current version of the Code of Federal Regulations. Browseable and searchable by citation.

Federal Rules - Federal Register

  • Govinfo - Browseable and searchable by keyword from 1936 - present. To search the full text of the Federal Register, use the advanced search interface and select Federal Register.
  • Federal Register.gov - Provides Federal Register from 1994 - present.  Filter search results by agency, topic (C.F.R. indexing terms), or type of document. Search by index.
  • National Archives - Office of the Federal Register - Provides access to the current day's and the next day's edition of the Federal Register.  Also provides an annual subject index to aid in searching the Federal Register.
  • Regulations.gov - Provides access to current proposed regulations open for comment. Includes a form for submitting comments. 
  • Library of Congress - Provides access to PDF versions of the print Federal Register from 1936-1993.  Browseable by volume.

 

State Administrative Regulations

Online access to state administrative regulations varies widely. The Guide to the Law Online from the Law Library of Congress describes governmental resources available from each of the fifty states.

New York

Federal Administrative Agency Opinions

Unlike administrative regulations, there is no central source for accessing administrative agency opinions/adjudications. You can often find agency opinions on the agency's website.  Use this A to Z list of U.S. government departments and agencies, to find the website of the agency you are interested in researching, and then search or browse for opinions.

Also, the University of Virginia Law Library maintains a comprehensive list to help you locate federal government administrative agency opinions.

New York State Administrative Agency Opinions

As with federal administrative agency opinions, there is no central source for New York State agency opinions, but you can often find these opinions on the agency's website.  Use this A to Z list of New York State agencies to find the website of the agency you are interested in researching, and then search or browse for opinions. 

Also, the University at Buffalo Law Library maintains a list to help you locate New York State administrative agency opinions.

The New York State Office of Administrative Hearings conducts hearings for the professions and occupations regulated by the New York Department of State.