The Code of Federal Regulations is a publication established by Act of Congress (44 U.S.C. § 1510). It represents a compilation of all the regulations issued by Federal administrative agencies that have general applicability and legal effect. As a consequence the contents of the CFR covers a wide range of subjects. Most states prepare comparable compilations of state agency regulations, generally called their Administrative Code.
Federal statutes furnish the authority and the limits for regulations that appear in the CFR. This means that the regulations on a subject should be read together with any pertinent portions of the U.S. Code. It also means that courts will, upon occasion, hold that regulations which appear in the Code of Federal Regulations are invalid because they conflict with a Federal statute.
Related Terms: United States Code