The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations is the continuously updated web edition of the federal agencies’ rules. It shows the text of each title, and it incorporates amendments on a rolling basis rather than waiting for a once-a-year printed volume.
The underlying set of rules is the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The electronic edition is a way of reading that code. It is not a separate body of law.
How the Web Edition Differs in Practice
- Rolling updates. An amendment can appear in the web text within days, ahead of the next annual print.
- The same titles. The title and part numbers match the codified rules.
- Not the statute book. It contains agency rules, not the acts those rules implement.
Web Edition and Annual Print
| Compared | Web Edition | Annual Print |
| How current it is | Updated as amendments are processed | A snapshot for that year’s volume |
| Citation | The same title and part as the code | The same title and part, as of the revision date |
| What it contains | Agency rules currently codified | Agency rules codified for that revision |