Office of the Federal Register (OFR)

CFR Headings

Descriptive headings

Use a descriptive heading for each designated component of the regulations, subchapter through section. (Chapter headings reflect the name of the agency assigned to that chapter.) A descriptive heading is a brief statement (or question) that describes the subject matter of a particular component of your regulations. Descriptive headings should illustrate the logic and arrangement of your regulations. Descriptive headings help readers locate the provisions of the regulations that apply to them.

EXAMPLE:

Part 2 - EMERGENCY CHILD HEALTH CARE

Subpart A - Administration of Emergency Care

Sec.
2.1 Purpose
2.2 Applicability
2.3 Board of directors: Appointment.
2.4 Board of directors: Term of office.
2.5 Board of directors: Duties.
2.6 Filing complaints; time limits; action by the Board

Subpart B - Maintenance of Information

2.10 Retain information 10 years.
2.11 Expunge information.

Relational headings - across sections

Use headings to indicate that material in a series of section is related.

EXAMPLE:

§ 2.3 Board of directors: Appointment.
§ 2.4 Board of directors: Term of office.
§ 2.5 Board of directors: Duties.

Relational headings - within sections

Use headings to indicate that a group of related subjects is treated together in a single section.

EXAMPLE:

§ ​2.6 Filing complaints; time limits; action by the Board.

Paragraph headings

Use headings only down to the section level of your regulations, unless a reader would miss significant information in a section.

Paragraph-level headings do not appear in the table of contents for the part.  When using paragraph-level headings (referenced as "subject headings" in amendatory instructions), make sure that all same-level paragraphs within the same unit have a subject heading. In other words, if paragraph (a) has a heading, all first-level paragraphs must have a heading.  If paragraph (b)(1) has a heading, then all second-level paragraphs under paragraph (b) - paragraphs (b)(2), (b)(3), etc - must have headings but paragraph (a) does not require a heading, nor do any second-level paragraphs under paragraph (a) - paragraphs (a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(3), etc.

EXAMPLE:

§ 2.10 Retain information 10 years.
(a) The 10-year rule. * * *
(b) Exceptions. * * *

 

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