How to cite a Constitution in APA

• Hannah Berry (Ph.D.)
• Published on 03/07/2025

Citing the U.S. Constitution in APA style follows a structured approach to ensure consistency and accuracy. The Bluebook provides specific guidelines for legal citations, which apply to the Constitution. This article explains how to format in-text citations and reference list entries correctly.

GENERAL CITATION FORMAT

Citations for the U.S. Constitution begin with U.S. Const., followed by relevant article, amendment, section, or clause numbers. The abbreviations used are:

• Article = art.
• Amendment = amend.
• Section = §
• Clause = cl.
• Preamble = pmbl.

Roman numerals are used for article and amendment numbers (I, II, III), while Arabic numerals are used for sections and clauses (1, 2, 3). If citing a provision that has been repealed or amended, the year of repeal or amendment must be included in parentheses.

REFERENCE LIST ENTRIES

Reference list entries follow a similar structure to in-text citations but are presented as separate entries:

U.S. Const. [article/amendment]. [section/clause].

Examples:

• U.S. Const. art. I, § 7.
• U.S. Const. amend. XIII.
• U.S. Const. amend. XXIV.

A repealed constitutional provision should include the year it was repealed in parentheses after the citation.

U.S. Const. [article/amendment]. [section/clause] (repealed year).

Examples:

• U.S. Const. amend. XVIII, § 1 (repealed 1945).
• U.S. Const. amend. XIV (repealed 1919).

IN-TEXT CITATION FORMAT

In-text citations for the U.S. Constitution follow this format:

(U.S. Const. [article/amendment]. [section/clause])

Examples:

• The separation of powers is established in the Constitution (U.S. Const. art. I, § 7).
• The prohibition of poll taxes in federal elections was introduced in 1964 (U.S. Const. amend. XXIV).

In cases where a constitutional provision has been repealed, include the year of repeal in parentheses after the citation. This helps clarify that the provision is no longer in effect.

(U.S. Const. [article/amendment]. [section/clause], repealed year).

Example:

• The abolition of slavery was a significant constitutional change (U.S. Const. amend. XIII, repealed 1979).

No Author: The U.S. Constitution does not have a single author, so citations use “U.S. Const.” as the reference. No Italics: APA style does not require italics or underlining for legal citations. No Date for Current Provisions: Dates should only be included when citing repealed or amended provisions. Use Consistent Formatting Across Citations: Ensure that all citations follow the same structure, including the use of abbreviations, punctuation, and numeral styles, to maintain clarity and uniformity. Do Not Include the Constitution in the Reference List for General Discussions: If discussing the U.S. Constitution broadly rather than citing specific articles or amendments, an in-text citation is sufficient, and no reference list entry is required.