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Table of Authorities Rules by State: 16 States Compared

Updated
Updated
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8 min read
On this page4 sections
  1. Table of authorities rules by state
  2. The four naming conventions
  3. What the rules have in common
  4. State detail pages

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.

Table of authorities rules by state

State appellate rules for the table of authorities (verified 2026-09-24)
StateAppellate ruleTerm the court usesPassimCounts toward limit?Official source
CaliforniaCal. Rules of Court, rule 8.204(a)(1)(A)Table of authorities (separate lists by type)Rule is silentNo (rule 8.204(c)(3))courts.ca.gov
TexasTex. R. App. P. 38.1(c); 38.2(a)(1)Index of authoritiesRule is silentNo (TRAP 9.4(i)(1))Misc. Dkt. 24-9096
FloridaFla. R. App. P. 9.210(b)(2)Table of citationsRule is silentNo (9.210(a)(2)(E))Florida Bar rules PDF (Sept. 1, 2026)
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 silentNo (1250.8(f)(2))First Dept. rules page
IllinoisIll. S. Ct. R. 341(h)(1)Points and Authorities (by argument heading)Rule is silentNo (Rule 341(b)(1))Ill. S. Ct. Rules (compiled)
PennsylvaniaPa.R.A.P. 2174(b)Table of citationsRule is silentNo (Pa.R.A.P. 2135(b))Pa. Code § 2174
OhioOhio App.R. 16(A)(2)Table of cases, statutes, and other authoritiesRule is silentNo (App.R. 19(A)); districts may set other limitsSupreme Court of Ohio
GeorgiaGa. 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 silentNo (Sup. Ct. R. 20(6); Ct. App. R. 24(f)(3))Supreme Court of Georgia rules
North CarolinaN.C. R. App. P. 26(g)(2); 28(b)(1)Table of authorities (appendix heading: table of cases and authorities)Rule is silentNo (Rule 28(j)(1), Court of Appeals)NC Rules of App. Proc. (2025)
MichiganMCR 7.212(C)(3)Index of authoritiesRule is silentNo (MCR 7.212(B)(2) counts only (C)(6)-(8))Michigan Court Rules
New JerseyN.J. Ct. R. 2:6-2(a)(3) (formal briefs)Table of citationsRule is silentNo (R. 2:6-7)NJ Courts brief checklist
VirginiaVa. Sup. Ct. R. 5:27(a); 5A:20(a)Table of authoritiesRule is silentNo (Rules 5:26(b), 5A:19(a))Rules of Supreme Court of Virginia
WashingtonRAP 10.3(a)(2)Table of cases, statutes and other authorities (“table of authorities” in RAP 18.17)Rule is silentNo (RAP 18.17(c))RAP 10.3
ArizonaARCAP 13(a)(2)Table of citationsRule is silentNo (ARCAP 4(b)(9))ARCAP 13 (official AZ rules)
MassachusettsMass. R. A. P. 16(a)(4)Table of authoritiesRule 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
ColoradoC.A.R. 28(a)(3)Table of authoritiesRule is silentNo (C.A.R. 28(g)(1))Rule Change 2015(06)

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
TermStates (from the table above)What is different
Table of authoritiesCalifornia, 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 authoritiesTexas (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 citationsFlorida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Arizona; Georgia's length rulesSame content. Pennsylvania places it “immediately following the table of contents.” Arizona requires it to “alphabetically arrange and index” the authorities.
Points and AuthoritiesIllinois (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.

State detail pages

Detailed pages quote each rule in full and give an example table in the state's citation style. So far: California (CRC 8.204 separate lists, rule 3.1113 for trial memoranda, California Style Manual examples), Texas (TRAP 38.1(c), 2024 bookmark amendments, Greenbook examples), Florida, New York and Illinois.

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 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

Sources

  1. Judicial Branch of California — Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.204courts.ca.gov
  2. Supreme Court of Texas — Misc. Docket No. 24-9096 (TRAP 9, 38 amendments, eff. Dec. 1, 2024)txcourts.gov
  3. The Florida Bar — Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure (Sept. 1, 2026)www-media.floridabar.org
  4. New York State — 22 NYCRR 1250.8 (NYCRR portal)govt.westlaw.com
  5. New York State Senate — CPLR 5528nysenate.gov
  6. Illinois Supreme Court — Rules (compiled, current May 29, 2026)ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net
  7. Pennsylvania Code — Pa.R.A.P. 2174pacodeandbulletin.gov
  8. Pennsylvania Code — Pa.R.A.P. 2135pacodeandbulletin.gov
  9. Supreme Court of Ohio — Rules of Appellate Proceduresupremecourt.ohio.gov
  10. Supreme Court of Georgia — Rules (eff. July 2, 2026)gasupreme.us
  11. North Carolina Judicial Branch — Rules of Appellate Procedure (codified Sept. 2, 2025)nccourts.gov
  12. Michigan Courts — Michigan Court Rulescourts.michigan.gov
  13. New Jersey Courts — Checklist for Preparation of Brief (rev. 11/2025)njcourts.gov
  14. Supreme Court of Virginia — Rules of Courtvacourts.gov
  15. Washington Courts — RAP 10.3courts.wa.gov
  16. Washington Courts — RAP 18.17courts.wa.gov
  17. Arizona Court Rules — ARCAP 13govt.westlaw.com
  18. Mass.gov — Mass. R. A. P. 16mass.gov
  19. Mass.gov — Mass. R. A. P. 20mass.gov
  20. Colorado Judicial Branch — Rule Change 2015(06), C.A.R. 28coloradojudicial.gov
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