Style guides by government agencies
Style guides are used to set the tone and guidelines for how an agency communicates with the public. This page is a collection of style guides created by and for government agencies.
Federal style guide
By act of Congress, the Director of the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) is authorized to determine the form and style of government printing. The GPO Style Manual is the product of many years of public printing experience, and its rules are based on principles of good usage and custom in the printing trade.
Other style guides
Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS)
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
- Style Manual & Writers Guide for Intelligence Publications, 8th edition, 2011 (PDF, 7 MB, 190 pages)
Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Department of Energy (DOE)
- Energy Information Administration (EIA) Writing Style Guide (PDF, 873 KB, 79 pages)
- Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI) Style Guide
- Technical Standards Program Style Guide
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
- HHS Web Style Guide
- Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Editorial Style Guide
- National Center for Environmental Health Clear Writing Hub
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal Editorial Style Guide (PDF, 794 KB, 88 pages)
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) Style Guide
- National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Style Guide
Department of the Interior (DOI)
Department of Justice (DOJ)
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
- VA.gov Content Style Guide
- DigitalVA Accessibility Guide
- Office of Information Technology (OIT) Product Documentation Style Guide (DOCX, 92 KB, 18 Pages)
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
General Services Administration (GSA)
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
Small Business Administration (SBA)
Social Security Administration (SSA)
U.S. Postal Service (USPS)
Note
Contact the Digital.gov team to add your agency’s guide to this list.
Other writing resources
Here is a collection of guides created by the Digital.gov Communities of Practice.