The first step in the process of locating the full text of a treaty or agreement is to find a citation to an official or unofficial source. Use the indexes described below to find citations to treaties and other international agreements to which the U.S. is a party.
| Title and Description | Print Holdings | Online Access |
|---|---|---|
| Treaties in Force (TIF) Treaties in Force is the best source for locating citations to U.S. treaties and other international agreements that are currently in force. Section 1 lists bilateral treaties and agreements alphabetically by country (treaty partner). Section 2 lists multilateral treaties by subject. The State Department usually publishes Treaties in Force annually. In recent years, there have been exceptions. In 2014 and 2015, only supplements to the 2013 edition were published. In 2021, 2022, and 2023 only supplements to the 2020 edition were published. |
KZ235 .U38 (1976-2013; 2016-present) |
The 2020 edition and the most recent 2023 supplement are available for download from the State Dept. website. HeinOnline (2020 edition & prior editions from 1955 onward) Lexis (2020 edition only) Westlaw (2020 edition only) |
| Kavass's Guide to the United States Treaties in Force (Kavass) This index is similar to TIF and includes lists of bilateral and multilateral treaties and agreements currently in force arranged by numerical citation (helpful for locating parallel citations), by country, and by subject. It also includes a chronological index. Often referred to as "Kavass" for its longtime editor, Professor Igor Kavass. Treaties and agreements not yet published in the official T.I.A.S. series are assigned a "KAV number," which may be used for citation purposes until an official T.I.A.S. citation number is assigned. |
KZ235 .G84 (1983-2013) No longer updated in print. |
HeinOnline 1982-current edition |
| United States Treaty Index This comprehensive 15-volume index includes all treaties and other international agreements concluded by the U.S. from 1776 to the present, whether ratified or not. The Master Index (volumes I-V) lists treaties numerically by citation number and includes brief descriptions, relevant dates, and parallel citations. Treaties also are listed chronologically, by country, and by subject. This index will not tell you if a treaty is currently in force. Updated by the Current Treaty Index (see below). |
KZ235 .K3925 1991 | None |
| Kavass's Current Treaty Index This supplement to the United States Treaty Index covers recently concluded treaties and agreements, including un-ratified treaties, and is updated twice each year. Treaties and agreements not yet published in the official T.I.A.S. series are assigned a "KAV number," which may be used for citation purposes until an official T.I.A.S. citation number is assigned. |
KZ235 .K3925 1999 No longer updated in print. |
HeinOnline 1982-current edition |