How do I cite a state law using APA style?

Answer

According to the Publication Manual for the APA (7th edition), "...most legal materials are cited in the standard legal citation style used for legal references across disciplines."   This means that while the rest of your citations for the books, articles, etc. that you used for your research paper, presentation, etc. would need to be in APA style, your legal citations would need to be based upon The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (20th ed., 2015).


Cornell University Law School's Legal Information Institute (LII) website  offers precise formats for specific states.  A sample citation for a Pennsylvania statute would be:

13 Pa.C.S. § 1101. (2022).

 

Westfield State University's "Citing Legal Material" page offers in-depth explanations with some examples.

  • Last Updated Sep 03, 2025
  • Views 382
  • Answered By Courtney Paddick (Mansfield)

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