Code of Federal Regulations

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The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the codification of the general and permanent rules and regulations (sometimes called administrative law) published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the United States federal government. The CFR is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to federal regulation.

Structure

Each title of the CFR represents a subject area and is divided into chapters, which usually bear the name of the issuing agency. Each chapter is further subdivided into parts that cover specific regulatory areas. The parts are then divided into sections, which are the basic units of the CFR.

Publication and Updates

The CFR is published by the Office of the Federal Register (OFR) and the Government Publishing Office (GPO). The CFR is updated once each calendar year on a staggered basis. Titles 1–16 are updated as of January 1, Titles 17–27 are updated as of April 1, Titles 28–41 are updated as of July 1, and Titles 42–50 are updated as of October 1.

Legal Status

The CFR is a critical component of the United States Code (USC), which is the codification of the general and permanent laws of the United States. While the USC contains the statutory laws passed by the United States Congress, the CFR contains the rules and regulations issued by federal agencies to implement those laws. The CFR has the force of law and is used by federal agencies to enforce compliance with federal statutes.

Access and Use

The CFR is available in both print and electronic formats. The electronic version, known as the e-CFR, is updated daily and provides the most current version of the regulations. The e-CFR is accessible through the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR) website.

Related Publications

The Federal Register is the daily journal of the United States government and contains proposed rules, final rules, public notices, and presidential documents. The Federal Register and the CFR are closely related, as the Federal Register is the source of the rules and regulations that are codified in the CFR.

See Also

• United States Code
• Federal Register
• Administrative law
• Government Publishing Office
• Office of the Federal Register