Communications Law Research Guide

This guide suggests resources in media law, First Amendment, cable and broadcasting law, computer and internet law, and telecommunications.

Contents

Quick Links

Where to Find Federal Regulations

For a guide to the federal executive-branch regulatory process and the process of conducting federal administrative law research in general, see the Law Library's Administrative Law Research Guide.  Federal agencies' regulations appear in the following publications:

Key to Icons

  • Georgetown only
  • On Westlaw
  • On Lexis
  • On Bloomberg
  • PDF
  • More Info (hover)
  • Preeminent Treatise
  • Study Aid

Federal Administrative Agencies

Federal Regulations and Proposed Federal Regulations

  • Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Federal regulations in the CFR are arranged in subject order; FCC regulations are in Title 47. Only final regulations are included in the CFR.  Refer to "Where to Find Federal Regulations" (left) for a list of places where the CFR is available. 
  • Federal Register. Refer to "Where to Find Federal Regulations" (left) for a list of places where the Federal Register is available. 
  • EDOCS is the FCC's database of public agency releases, encompassing press releases to notices to decisions and rules. It provides online access to official agency documents published in the CFR, Fed. Reg., FCC Daily Digest, the FCC Record and more.
  • FCC Record is the official source of FCC rulemaking documents. It is published by the GPO.
  • FCC Daily Digest is an unofficial compilation of releases made by the FCC, made on a day by day basis. 
  • ECFS is the FCC's online system for public comments on their proposed rulemaking. It serves both as a portal to submit comments, and as a repository to view public comments. (FCC is a non-participating agency in regulations.gov).

For more information on finding federal regulations, try our Administrative Law Research Guide or our Administrative Law Tutorial.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Decisions

FCC Document Numbering System 

In the course of your research, you will encounter different types of document numbers. Here are some explanations:

  • FCC number (e.g. FCC-99-123): assigned to decisions/documents issued by the authority of the entire Commission, with each Commissioner voting. A FCC number is comprised of two digits indicating the year, and a number of up to 3 digits indicating the sequence.
  • DA number (e.g. DA-99-123): assigned to decisions/documents issued by authority delegated to the Bureaus and Offices by the Commission. A DA number is comprised of two digits indicating the year, and a number of up to 3 digits indicating the sequence.
  • Docket number (e.g. 83-593, WT 99-123): FCC actions that are related to a specific policy initiative called "a docketed proceeding" are assigned the same docket number assigned to the first proceeding. A docket number is comprised of two digits indicating the year, and a number of up to 3 digits indicating the sequence. Sometimes the initials of the initiating bureau are put at the beginning of a docket number. The initials are: CG for Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau, EB for Enforcement Bureau, IB for International Bureau, MB for Media Bureau, WT for Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, WC for Wireline Competition Bureau.
  • Rulemaking number (e.g. RM-5667)
  • Report number (e.g. Report No. 982): Assigned to public notices which are issued on a regular schedule are assigned a sequential report number.
  • Federal Register citation (e.g. 65 FR 2341): The FCC publishes summaries of decisions and other notices in the Federal Register. The first number is the volume, FR stands for Federal Register, and the last number is the page on which the decision or notice begins.
  • FCC Record citation (e.g. 19 FCCR 231): FCC Record is the official publication of FCC decisions and other documents. It continues FCC Reports, 2nd Series (FCC 2nd). The first number is the volume number, the last number the page on which the decision or notice begins.

Sources for FCC Decisions

Official Reporter

  •  FCC Record: A Comprehensive Compilation of Decisions, Reports, Public Notices and Other Documents of the Federal Communications Commission of the United States. Official source of FCC rulemaking documents.
  • Pike & Fischer (BNA), Radio Regulation (1948-1963), Radio Regulation 2nd Series (1963-1995)and Communications Regulations (1995-2011). Older cases frequently use RR, RR 2d and CR citations. Available on Bloomberg Law's In Focus: Communications Law page. 

Unofficial Reporters

  • EDOCS at the FCC web site: "EDOCS lets you search a database of Daily Digest entries for FCC documents posted to the FCC web site since March 1996. The query searches on words and numbers that appeared in the Daily Digest title and in the description for each document, not on the full text of each document. EDOCS has two search modules: quick and advanced."
  • Lexis: Federal Communications Commission Decisions (from March 13, 1939); FCC Daily Digest (from August 3, 1989).
  • Westlaw: Federal Communications Commissions Decisions & Guidance (from 1965; includes the FCC Daily Digest, the FCC Reports or the FCC Record); FCC News (from January 1994; includes press releases, transcripts, reports, notices & regulations).

State Administrative Bodies

State Utilities Commissions Directory

  • National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC). Click on the state you are interested in on the MAP to visit the NARUC page for that state's Public Utilities Commission (PUC). Note that the State Members (Associates) list on the main page is comprised of member agencies OTHER than PUCs.

State Public Utilities Commission Decisions

States typically regulate public utilities through public utility commissions. Contact information for and links to the websites of all state public utility commissions are available from the National Association of Public Utility Commissioners website.