To cite the U.S. Constitution in MLA, name the document, pinpoint the article or amendment, and cite the official page you read.
You’ve got a quote from the Constitution, or you’re paraphrasing a clause, and you just want the citation to land clean. MLA can feel fussy here because the Constitution isn’t a book with page numbers. It’s a legal text with parts, sections, and amendments, with less hassle.
This guide walks you through the two spots that matter in an MLA paper: the in-text citation (where you point to the article, section, or amendment) and the Works Cited entry (where you show where you read the text). You’ll also see how to handle online versions, classroom handouts, and citations inside a sentence.
What MLA Expects When You Cite The U.S. Constitution
MLA treats legal works in a practical way for student writing. You identify the document, then you identify the part you used. In the Works Cited list, you also name the site or publication that hosted the text you read.
One detail trips people up: you don’t put “page” in the in-text citation. You point to the part of the Constitution itself, like Article I, Section 8, or the Fourteenth Amendment, Section 1. That lets any reader locate the same passage, no matter which edition or site they’re using.
Pieces You’ll Use Most Often
- Article: One of the seven main articles (Article I–VII).
- Section: A numbered section inside an article.
- Clause: A smaller unit inside a section (used when you must be precise).
- Amendment: One of the 27 amendments.
- Preamble: The opening statement that starts “We the People.”
Works Cited Basics By Source Type
Your Works Cited entry changes based on where you read the Constitution. If you used a government site, cite that page. If you used a textbook or anthology that reprints the text, cite that book instead.
| Where You Read It | Start The Entry With | What To Add Next |
|---|---|---|
| National Archives transcription page | United States Constitution. | Site name, publisher, date (if listed), URL |
| Library of Congress Constitution pages | United States Constitution. | Page title, site name, publisher, date (if listed), URL |
| govinfo PDF or a government PDF | United States Constitution. | Title of the PDF, site or agency, date, URL |
| Course pack or handout (printed) | United States Constitution. | Handout title (if any), course or school details, date |
| Textbook or anthology reprint | United States Constitution. | Book title, editor, publisher, year, page range |
| Database or e-book collection | United States Constitution. | Database name, publisher, date, stable URL or DOI |
| Website that isn’t a government site | United States Constitution. | Page title, site name, publisher, date (if listed), URL |
| Translated or annotated edition | United States Constitution. | Edition title, editor or translator, publisher, year |
MLA also has rules for legal works, including two common ways to format them in a Works Cited list. If you want to see those rules straight from MLA, read Documenting Legal Works.
How To Cite Us Constitution Mla For Common Situations
Here’s the part people want: the actual wording and punctuation you can copy, then edit. The templates below follow MLA’s habit of naming the document and then naming the container that delivered the text you used (a site, a book, a handout).
Works Cited Entry For An Official Online Text
If you read the Constitution on a government site, cite the exact page you used, not just the site’s front door. The National Archives maintains a transcription that’s widely used in classrooms: The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription.
Use this pattern:
- United States Constitution. Page Title. Website Name, Publisher, Date, URL.
On many government pages, the publisher and site name match. If there’s no clear publication date, MLA lets you leave it out and rely on the URL and access date rules set by your teacher or your course style sheet.
Works Cited Entry For A Book Or Anthology
If the text came from a print source, your Works Cited entry points to the book, since that’s the version you actually used. A standard pattern looks like this:
- United States Constitution. Book Title, edited by Editor Name, Publisher, Year, pp. xx–xx.
In a book, you still cite the Constitution as the work you’re using. The book is the container that carried it to your page.
Works Cited Entry For A Class Handout
Handouts can be messy. Some have a title, some don’t. Some list a teacher name, some list a department. Your goal is simple: help a reader trace the handout you saw. A clean pattern is:
- United States Constitution. Handout Title. Course Name, School Name, day Month year.
If there’s no title, you can describe it in plain words, like United States Constitution excerpt (handout). Keep it short and clear.
In-Text Citation Rules For Articles, Sections, And Amendments
The in-text citation is where MLA citations for the Constitution feel different. You’re not pointing to a page number. You’re pointing to the structure of the document.
Standard Parenthetical Forms
Use “U.S. Const.” in the parentheses, then list the part you used. MLA accepts common legal abbreviations in student writing, and they keep your sentences from turning into a citation parade.
- Article: (U.S. Const. art. 1, sec. 8)
- Amendment: (U.S. Const. amend. 14, sec. 1)
- Preamble: (U.S. Const., pmbl.)
If you already wrote “United States Constitution” in your sentence, you can shorten the parenthetical, since the reader has the context.
When You Mention The Part In The Sentence
You can bake the article or amendment into your prose, then use a shorter parenthetical. This reads smoothly when you’re writing about a single clause for a full paragraph.
- In Article I, Section 8, Congress gets enumerated powers (U.S. Const. art. 1, sec. 8).
- The Fourteenth Amendment sets the citizenship rule (U.S. Const. amend. 14, sec. 1).
Keep the punctuation simple: the period goes after the parentheses.
Quoting, Paraphrasing, And Where The Citation Goes
If you quote a clause word for word, use quotation marks and place the parenthetical citation right after the quote. The period goes after the parentheses.
If you paraphrase, keep the wording yours and still cite the same article, section, or amendment. When a paragraph relies on one clause across several sentences, you can cite once at the end of the paragraph if it stays clear what text you’re using.
Titles, Italics, And The “U.S.” Detail
In running text, you can write “the United States Constitution” or “the U.S. Constitution.” MLA style treats the title of the Constitution like the title of a law: no italics and no quotation marks in your sentence. In a Works Cited entry, you may italicize the title when you’re pointing to a specific published version of the text. MLA’s note on this topic sits on the MLA Style Center site.
Pick one form and stick with it inside a paper. If your teacher wants the spelled-out form in formal writing, use “United States Constitution” in the prose and keep “U.S. Const.” in the parentheses.
Trouble Spots That Cause Points Off
Most citation errors here aren’t about grammar. They’re about missing a piece that helps a reader trace your source. Run this quick check before you submit.
Mixing Up Articles And Amendments
Articles are the main body of the original Constitution. Amendments came later. If you cite an amendment as an article, your reader may chase the wrong section.
Leaving Out The Container
In the Works Cited list, the container matters because the Constitution appears in many places. If you cite the Constitution with no site name or book title, the reader can’t tell which version you used.
Using Page Numbers From A Website Print View
Some sites show page numbers when you print. Those page numbers belong to the print layout, not to the Constitution itself. Stick to article, section, clause, or amendment labels instead.
Not Matching Your In-Text Citation To Works Cited
If you use “U.S. Const.” in the text, your Works Cited entry still starts with “United States Constitution.” That’s fine. The Works Cited list is alphabetical, so keep the formal name there.
Fast Steps For Citing The Constitution Without Stress
- Decide what you’re citing: article, section, clause, amendment, or the preamble.
- Write the in-text citation: use “U.S. Const.” plus the part label.
- Record where you read it: site page, book, database, or handout.
- Build the Works Cited entry: start with “United States Constitution.” then add the container details.
- Check your punctuation: commas inside the parenthetical; period after it.
In-Text Citation Models You Can Copy
The table below gives you quick patterns for the parenthetical piece. Swap in your own numbers and keep the abbreviations tight.
| Use Case | Parenthetical Model | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Preamble | (U.S. Const., pmbl.) | No article or section numbers |
| Article And Section | (U.S. Const. art. 1, sec. 8) | Use lower-case abbreviations |
| Article, Section, Clause | (U.S. Const. art. 1, sec. 8, cl. 3) | Add clause only when needed |
| Single Amendment | (U.S. Const. amend. 1) | Use ordinal number for the amendment |
| Amendment And Section | (U.S. Const. amend. 14, sec. 1) | Common for civil rights topics |
| Multiple Parts In One Citation | (U.S. Const. art. 2, sec. 1; amend. 25) | Use a semicolon between parts |
A Mini Checklist To Use Right Before You Turn It In
Read your own paragraph out loud. If the citation interrupts the sentence, move the article or amendment label into the sentence and shorten the parenthetical.
- Did you name the document as “United States Constitution” in Works Cited?
- Did you cite the exact page or book you used as the container?
- Did you point to article, section, clause, or amendment in the in-text citation?
- Did you keep the abbreviations consistent: art., sec., cl., amend.?
- Did you use “how to cite us constitution mla” in your notes so you can reuse your format later?
If you’re building a full paper and you cite several clauses, keep a running list of the passages you used. It saves you from hunting down numbers at 1 a.m. while your deadline creeps up.
One last thing: teachers and departments can set local rules on access dates and abbreviations. If your rubric says “include access date,” add it to the end of your Works Cited entry after the URL.
If your source is a PDF, grab the document title from the first page or the download bar, not a file name like “constitution.pdf.” If the URL is long, keep it as-is. Don’t shorten it unless your instructor asks.
When you need to repeat the same format in another class, you can reuse the same structure. That’s the real win: once you know how to cite us constitution mla, you stop losing points to tiny formatting slips.