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Obtaining a Federal Document

The U.S. Government Publishing Office can assist you in obtaining federal documents by visiting their website www.gpo.gov.

GPO Access is a service of the U.S. Government Printing Office that provides free electronic access to a wealth of important information products produced by the Federal Government. The information provided on this site is the official, published version and the information retrieved from GPO Access can be used without restriction, unless specifically noted. This free service is funded by the Federal Depository Library Program and has grown out of Public Law 103-40, known as the Government Printing Office Electronic Information Enhancement Act of 1993.

The GPO has more resources below, including:
  • Federal Depository Library Program
    For more than 140 years, the Government Printing Office (GPO) has kept America informed by producing and distributing Federal Government information products. GPO combines conventional technology with state-of-the-art methods whether providing public access to Government information online, or producing or procuring printed publications that serve the information needs of the U.S. Congress, Federal agencies, and the American public.
  • Preservation Agreement with NARA
    The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) recognizes GPO as an official archival affiliate for the electronic content on GPO Access. Signed in 2003, the NARA-GPO agreement provides for the permanent preservation and access to the online versions of the Congressional Record, the Federal Register, the Code of Federal Regulations, and other appropriate publications from GPO Access.
  • U.S. Government Online Bookstore
    Locate and order publications (books, maps, serials, videos, CD-ROMs, subscriptions) available for sale through the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office. Orders may be placed online, via mail, fax, phone, teletype, or by visiting one of the U.S. Government bookstores nationwide. Online orders are encrypted to ensure secure transactions.
  • GPO Contact Center
    Users needing assistance with GPO Access can contact the GPO Contact Center. These highly trained specialists are available Monday through Friday (except Federal holidays) from 7:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The Contact Center may be reached via:

E-mail: ContactCenter@gpo.gov
Phone: 1-866-512-1800 (toll-free)
202-512-1800 (DC Area)
Fax: 202-512-2104

  • Ben's Guide to U.S. Government
    Ben's Guide serves as the educational component of GPO Access by providing learning tools for K-12 students, parents, and educators. The site provides age-specific explanations about how the Federal Government works, explains the use of the primary source materials available on GPO Access, and shows how the U.S. Government Printing Office fits into the Federal construct.

In addition, you can visit the U.S. Library of Congress to gather more information regarding legislation in Congress by visiting http://thomas.loc.gov/. THOMAS was launched in January of 1995, at the inception of the 104th Congress. The leadership of the 104th Congress directed the Library of Congress to make federal legislative information freely available to the public. Since that time THOMAS has expanded the scope of its offerings to include the features and content listed below:
  • Bills, Resolutions 
  • Activity in Congress
  • Congressional Record
  • Schedules, Calendars
  • Committee Information
  • Presidential Nominations
  • Treaties
  • Government Resources
  • For Teachers
  • Help and Contact