U.S. Federal Government: Getting Started

Find information on government services such as how to apply for a passport, register to vote, or file a consumer complaint. Use the A-Z Index to locate department and agency websites.

Finding tool for print and electronic publications from all three branches of the U.S. government. Access to full-text electronic documents, when available, or information on how to obtain a print copy in a depository library.

Bibliographic records for many pre-1976 publications. Use before consulting the historical print indexes below.

Free online access to official government publications from all three branches of the Federal Government. Collections include the Budget of the U.S. Government, Code of Federal Regulations, Congressional Record, Federal Register, United States Code, and U.S. Statutes at Large. Mostly recently published materials.

Two important collections: Documents from the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, 1774-1789 and Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875. Also includes the Presidential papers of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Abraham Lincoln.

CIC Google Government Documents Project aims to digitize approximately 1-1.5 million federal government documents, which will be made available in HathiTrust.