# Table of Authorities Rules by State: 16 States Compared

> Table of authorities rules by state: rule, court's term (index, table of citations, Points and Authorities), passim and word-limit treatment for 16 states.

*Updated: 2026-09-24*

**The short answer:** Every state checked here asks for a table of the authorities cited in an appellate brief, with the brief pages where each is cited. Georgia is the exception: it asks only for briefs “of significant length or complexity.” The name changes from state to state. It is a **table of authorities** in California, Virginia, Massachusetts, Colorado and North Carolina. It is an **index of authorities** in Texas and Michigan and a **table of citations** in Florida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Arizona. In Illinois it is **Points and Authorities**, organized by argument heading. None of the 16 states below mentions *passim* in its rule, and every one keeps the table out of the word or page limit. The table below gives the rule, the court's own term, passim status, limit treatment and an official source for each state. It is general formatting guidance, not legal advice. Last verified: 2026-09-24.

**Fast facts**

- States verified so far: 16 (CA, TX, FL, NY, IL, PA, OH, GA, NC, MI, NJ, VA, WA, AZ, MA, CO). Coverage is growing; states we could not verify from an official source are left out rather than guessed.
- Four names for the same thing: table of authorities, index of authorities, table of citations, Points and Authorities.
- Passim: none of the 16 state rules addresses it. The U.S. Supreme Court's Rule 34.2 forbids it; see [passim](/passim-table-of-authorities).
- Word and page limits: all 16 exclude the table. Massachusetts and Michigan do it by implication, because they count only the listed argument sections.
- Separate lists: California requires separate lists of cases, constitutions, statutes, court rules and other authorities (rule 8.204(a)(1)(A)).
- Page numbering: California requires Arabic numerals from the cover as page 1 (rule 8.204(b)(7)). Pennsylvania says the table pages need not be numbered, but if they are, they must be in Roman numerals (Pa.R.A.P. 2174(c)).
- Bookmarks: Texas civil briefs must be bookmarked (TRAP 38.1(b), 9.4(j), effective Dec. 1, 2024).
- Last verified: 2026-09-24.

## Table of authorities rules by state

**State appellate rules for the table of authorities (verified 2026-09-24)**

| State | Appellate rule | Term the court uses | Passim | Counts toward limit? | Official source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| California | Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.204(a)(1)(A) | Table of authorities (separate lists by type) | Rule is silent | No (rule 8.204(c)(3)) | [courts.ca.gov](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index.cfm?title=eight&linkid=rule8_204) |
| Texas | Tex. R. App. P. 38.1(c); 38.2(a)(1) | Index of authorities | Rule is silent | No (TRAP 9.4(i)(1)) | [Misc. Dkt. 24-9096](https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1459705/249096.pdf) |
| Florida | Fla. R. App. P. 9.210(b)(2) | Table of citations | Rule is silent | No (9.210(a)(2)(E)) | [Florida Bar rules PDF (Sept. 1, 2026)](https://www-media.floridabar.org/uploads/2026/09/Appellate-Court-Rules-09-01-26.pdf) |
| New York (Appellate Division) | 22 NYCRR 1250.8(b)(2) | Table of cases, statutes and other authorities (“table of citations” in the length rule) | Rule is silent | No (1250.8(f)(2)) | [First Dept. rules page](https://www.nycourts.gov/courts/ad1/Practice&Procedures/rules.shtml) |
| Illinois | Ill. S. Ct. R. 341(h)(1) | Points and Authorities (by argument heading) | Rule is silent | No (Rule 341(b)(1)) | [Ill. S. Ct. Rules (compiled)](https://ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net/antilles-resources/resources/7ae8a196-2a43-4484-9666-43098da60282/S_Ct_Rules_full.pdf) |
| Pennsylvania | Pa.R.A.P. 2174(b) | Table of citations | Rule is silent | No (Pa.R.A.P. 2135(b)) | [Pa. Code § 2174](https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?file=/secure/pacode/data/210/chapter21/s2174.html) |
| Ohio | Ohio App.R. 16(A)(2) | Table of cases, statutes, and other authorities | Rule is silent | No (App.R. 19(A)); districts may set other limits | [Supreme Court of Ohio](https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/docs/LegalResources/Rules/appellate/AppellateProcedure.pdf) |
| Georgia | Ga. Sup. Ct. R. 19(1)(a); Ga. Ct. App. R. 25(a)(1) | Table of cited authorities (“table of citations” in the length rules) | Rule is silent | No (Sup. Ct. R. 20(6); Ct. App. R. 24(f)(3)) | [Supreme Court of Georgia rules](https://www.gasupreme.us/rules/) |
| North Carolina | N.C. R. App. P. 26(g)(2); 28(b)(1) | Table of authorities (appendix heading: table of cases and authorities) | Rule is silent | No (Rule 28(j)(1), Court of Appeals) | [NC Rules of App. Proc. (2025)](https://www.nccourts.gov/assets/inline-files/North%20Carolina%20Rules%20of%20Appellate%20Procedure%20-%20Codified%202%20September%202025.pdf) |
| Michigan | MCR 7.212(C)(3) | Index of authorities | Rule is silent | No (MCR 7.212(B)(2) counts only (C)(6)-(8)) | [Michigan Court Rules](https://www.courts.michigan.gov/siteassets/rules-instructions-administrative-orders/michigan-court-rules/michigan-court-rules.pdf) |
| New Jersey | N.J. Ct. R. 2:6-2(a)(3) (formal briefs) | Table of citations | Rule is silent | No (R. 2:6-7) | [NJ Courts brief checklist](https://www.njcourts.gov/sites/default/files/forms/10836_cklist_brief.pdf) |
| Virginia | Va. Sup. Ct. R. 5:27(a); 5A:20(a) | Table of authorities | Rule is silent | No (Rules 5:26(b), 5A:19(a)) | [Rules of Supreme Court of Virginia](https://www.vacourts.gov/static/courts/scv/rulesofcourt.pdf) |
| Washington | RAP 10.3(a)(2) | Table of cases, statutes and other authorities (“table of authorities” in RAP 18.17) | Rule is silent | No (RAP 18.17(c)) | [RAP 10.3](https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_rules/pdf/RAP/APP_RAP_10_03_00.pdf) |
| Arizona | ARCAP 13(a)(2) | Table of citations | Rule is silent | No (ARCAP 4(b)(9)) | [ARCAP 13 (official AZ rules)](https://govt.westlaw.com/azrules/Document/N72F849A1B0BC11F092E0B31F73371C51?viewType=FullText) |
| Massachusetts | Mass. R. A. P. 16(a)(4) | Table of authorities | Rule is silent (but requires “each page on which it is cited”) | No (Rule 20(a)(2)(D) counts only 16(a)(5)-(11)) | [Mass. R. A. P. 16](https://www.mass.gov/rules-of-appellate-procedure/appellate-procedure-rule-16-briefs) |
| Colorado | C.A.R. 28(a)(3) | Table of authorities | Rule is silent | No (C.A.R. 28(g)(1)) | [Rule Change 2015(06)](https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/Rule_Change_2015-06.pdf) |

**Download the data.** Every row on this page — plus the Supreme Court and all 13 [federal courts of appeals](/federal-circuit-table-of-authorities-rules) — is available as a free dataset: [JSON](/data/toa-rules-2026-09.json) · [CSV](/data/toa-rules-2026-09.csv). Each row links to the official rule and carries its last-verified date. Free to reuse with attribution ("BriefAuthority TOA rules dataset", CC BY 4.0).

Source notes. **New York:** CPLR 5528(a) does not require a table of authorities. The requirement comes from the Appellate Division's Practice Rules, 22 NYCRR 1250.8(b)(2). The rule text was read on the State's NYCRR portal, which labels itself unofficial. **New Jersey:** njcourts.gov blocked automated access to the rule page. The wording of R. 2:6-2(a)(3) and R. 2:6-7 was read on a mirror and matches the court's own brief checklist (rev. 11/2025) and its 2022 Civil Practice Committee report. A letter brief under R. 2:6-2(b) does not need the table. **Colorado:** there is no consolidated official text online. The C.A.R. 28 wording comes from the Supreme Court's Rule Change 2015(06); later rule changes we found do not amend Rule 28. **Georgia:** the Court of Appeals site blocked automated access, so its rules (effective March 26, 2026) were read from an archived copy of the court's PDF. **Arizona:** ARCAP 13 was amended effective January 1, 2026, and the table of citations is still mandatory.

## The four naming conventions

**What courts call the table, and what changes with the name**

| Term | States (from the table above) | What is different |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Table of authorities | California, Virginia, Massachusetts, Colorado, North Carolina; the federal courts (FRAP 28(a)(3)) | The generic term. Content is an alphabetical case list, then statutes and other authorities, with page references. |
| Index of authorities | Texas (TRAP 38.1(c)), Michigan (MCR 7.212(C)(3)) | Same content under another name. Texas requires only that it be “arranged alphabetically.” Michigan requires “complete citations including the years of decision.” |
| Table of citations | Florida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Arizona; Georgia's length rules | Same content. Pennsylvania places it “immediately following the table of contents.” Arizona requires it to “alphabetically arrange and index” the authorities. |
| Points and Authorities | Illinois (Ill. S. Ct. R. 341(h)(1)) | Not alphabetical. It follows the argument's headings and subheadings, listing the authorities cited under each heading with the brief page where each appears. |

New York, Ohio and Washington describe the table rather than naming it: “a table of cases (alphabetically arranged), statutes and other authorities” or close variants, echoing the federal rule. Their own length rules then call it a “table of citations” (New York), a “table of cases, statutes and other authorities cited” (Ohio) or a “table of authorities” (Washington). Title your table with the court's own term. It costs nothing and shows the clerk you read the rule.

## What the rules have in common

- **Cases alphabetical.** Every state that requires a table requires the cases in alphabetical order, except Illinois, which organizes by argument point.
- **Page references to the brief.** Page numbers refer to the brief's own printed pages, not reporter pin cites. Build the table from the final paginated version.
- **Outside the limit.** All 16 states exclude the table from the word or page count, so a thorough table never costs you argument space.
- **Appellee briefs too.** The appellee's or respondent's brief generally has to meet the same table requirement (for example Texas 38.2(a)(1), Florida 9.210(c), Washington 10.3(b)). Some states also require it in reply briefs: Massachusetts 16(c) and Colorado 28(c).
- **Passim is up to you, and to local practice.** No state rule here addresses it. Listing every page is the safer default. See [when passim is used](/passim-table-of-authorities).

## State detail pages

Detailed pages quote each rule in full and give an example table in the state's citation style. So far: [California](/california-table-of-authorities-rules) (CRC 8.204 separate lists, rule 3.1113 for trial memoranda, California Style Manual examples), [Texas](/texas-index-of-authorities) (TRAP 38.1(c), 2024 bookmark amendments, Greenbook examples), [Florida](/florida-table-of-citations), [New York](/new-york-table-of-authorities) and [Illinois](/illinois-points-and-authorities).

> **Common mistake:** assuming the federal format works everywhere. **Correct approach:** check the state's term and structure. California needs separate lists and Arabic [page numbers](/table-of-authorities-page-numbers) from the cover. Illinois needs Points and Authorities organized by argument heading. Texas civil briefs need bookmarks. Georgia requires the table only for long or complex briefs.

> **Where BriefAuthority fits:** [BriefAuthority](/table-of-authorities-generator) is a pre-launch browser tool built to build the table from your [final PDF](/table-of-authorities-from-pdf), with the page numbers you will file, on a Mac, [without uploading](/table-of-authorities-without-uploading) the brief. You set the title, categories and passim. It formats and indexes only. Planned: free up to 8 authorities, $19 per brief, $149 a year. [Join early access](/early-access).

## Frequently asked

**Do all states require a table of authorities in appellate briefs?**

Of the 16 states we verified, 15 require one outright. Georgia's Supreme Court (Rule 19(1)(a)) and Court of Appeals (Rule 25(a)(1)) ask for a table of cited authorities only in briefs “of significant length or complexity,” and it is not among the items they require at a minimum. North Carolina requires the table only for documents of ten pages or more (Rule 26(g)(2)).

**What is the difference between a table of authorities, an index of authorities and a table of citations?**

Mostly the name. Texas and Michigan say “index of authorities.” Florida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Arizona say “table of citations.” California, Virginia, Massachusetts, Colorado and North Carolina say “table of authorities.” The content is the same: authorities cited, cases alphabetically, with brief page references. Illinois is different in substance: its Points and Authorities follows the argument headings.

**Does the table of authorities count toward the word limit?**

Not in any of the 16 states listed. Examples: California rule 8.204(c)(3), Texas TRAP 9.4(i)(1), Florida 9.210(a)(2)(E), Pennsylvania 2135(b), Washington RAP 18.17(c), Colorado C.A.R. 28(g)(1). Massachusetts and Michigan exclude it by counting only the argument sections.

**Which states allow passim in a table of authorities?**

None of the 16 state rules mentions passim, so none forbids it expressly. The U.S. Supreme Court's [Rule 34.2](/supreme-court-table-of-authorities) does forbid it. Where a state rule is silent, listing every page is the safer course; check local rules and any case-specific order.

**Does New York's CPLR 5528 require a table of authorities?**

No. CPLR 5528(a) requires a table of contents but not a table of authorities. The Appellate Division's rule, 22 NYCRR 1250.8(b)(2), requires “a table of cases (alphabetically arranged), statutes and other authorities, indicating the pages of the brief where they are cited.”

**Which states require roman numerals or Arabic numerals for the table pages?**

California requires Arabic numerals only, counting the cover as page 1 (rule 8.204(b)(7)). Pennsylvania says the table pages need not be numbered, but if numbered, they use Roman numerals (Pa.R.A.P. 2174(c)). Most other states' rules are silent.

Last verified: 2026-09-24. Rules change; confirm the current text with the court before filing. We add states only after reading the rule on an official source. This page is general formatting information, not legal advice.

**Keep reading**

- [California table of authorities rules](/california-table-of-authorities-rules) — CRC 8.204 separate lists, rule 3.1113, Style Manual examples.
- [Texas index of authorities](/texas-index-of-authorities) — TRAP 38.1(c), bookmarks in civil briefs, Greenbook examples.
- [Florida table of citations](/florida-table-of-citations) — Fla. R. App. P. 9.210(b)(2).
- [New York table of authorities](/new-york-table-of-authorities) — 22 NYCRR 1250.8(b)(2).
- [Illinois Points and Authorities](/illinois-points-and-authorities) — Ill. S. Ct. R. 341(h)(1).
- [Table of authorities rules](/table-of-authorities-rules) — FRAP 28, Supreme Court Rule 34.2, Id. and supra.
- [Passim in a table of authorities](/passim-table-of-authorities) — When courts allow it and when they do not.
- [Table of authorities order](/table-of-authorities-order) — Category order and alphabetizing.
- [When is a table of authorities required?](/when-is-a-table-of-authorities-required) — Thresholds by court and document type.
- [Federal circuit rules (all 13 courts)](/federal-circuit-table-of-authorities-rules)

**Sources**

- [Judicial Branch of California — Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.204](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index.cfm?title=eight&linkid=rule8_204)
- [Supreme Court of Texas — Misc. Docket No. 24-9096 (TRAP 9, 38 amendments, eff. Dec. 1, 2024)](https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1459705/249096.pdf)
- [The Florida Bar — Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure (Sept. 1, 2026)](https://www-media.floridabar.org/uploads/2026/09/Appellate-Court-Rules-09-01-26.pdf)
- [New York State — 22 NYCRR 1250.8 (NYCRR portal)](https://govt.westlaw.com/nycrr/Document/I6d58a9143a5c11e9a3a1f0bc9df9bc4e)
- [New York State Senate — CPLR 5528](https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/CVP/5528)
- [Illinois Supreme Court — Rules (compiled, current May 29, 2026)](https://ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net/antilles-resources/resources/7ae8a196-2a43-4484-9666-43098da60282/S_Ct_Rules_full.pdf)
- [Pennsylvania Code — Pa.R.A.P. 2174](https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?file=/secure/pacode/data/210/chapter21/s2174.html)
- [Pennsylvania Code — Pa.R.A.P. 2135](https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?file=/secure/pacode/data/210/chapter21/s2135.html)
- [Supreme Court of Ohio — Rules of Appellate Procedure](https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/docs/LegalResources/Rules/appellate/AppellateProcedure.pdf)
- [Supreme Court of Georgia — Rules (eff. July 2, 2026)](https://www.gasupreme.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/SupremeCourtRules_eff-July-2-2026.pdf)
- [North Carolina Judicial Branch — Rules of Appellate Procedure (codified Sept. 2, 2025)](https://www.nccourts.gov/assets/inline-files/North%20Carolina%20Rules%20of%20Appellate%20Procedure%20-%20Codified%202%20September%202025.pdf)
- [Michigan Courts — Michigan Court Rules](https://www.courts.michigan.gov/siteassets/rules-instructions-administrative-orders/michigan-court-rules/michigan-court-rules.pdf)
- [New Jersey Courts — Checklist for Preparation of Brief (rev. 11/2025)](https://www.njcourts.gov/sites/default/files/forms/10836_cklist_brief.pdf)
- [Supreme Court of Virginia — Rules of Court](https://www.vacourts.gov/static/courts/scv/rulesofcourt.pdf)
- [Washington Courts — RAP 10.3](https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_rules/pdf/RAP/APP_RAP_10_03_00.pdf)
- [Washington Courts — RAP 18.17](https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_rules/pdf/RAP/APP_RAP_18_17_00.pdf)
- [Arizona Court Rules — ARCAP 13](https://govt.westlaw.com/azrules/Document/N72F849A1B0BC11F092E0B31F73371C51?viewType=FullText)
- [Mass.gov — Mass. R. A. P. 16](https://www.mass.gov/rules-of-appellate-procedure/appellate-procedure-rule-16-briefs)
- [Mass.gov — Mass. R. A. P. 20](https://www.mass.gov/rules-of-appellate-procedure/appellate-procedure-rule-20-form-of-briefs-appendices-and-other-papers)
- [Colorado Judicial Branch — Rule Change 2015(06), C.A.R. 28](https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/Rule_Change_2015-06.pdf)