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Census Bureau
The U.S.Census Bureau was established as a permanent office by act of March 6, 1902 (32 Stat. 51). The major functions of the Census Bureau are authorized by the Constitution, which provides that a census of population shall be taken every 10 years, and by laws codified as title 13 of the United States Code. The law also provides that the information collected by the Census Bureau from individual persons, households, or establishments be kept strictly confidential and be used only for statistical purposes. The Census Bureau is responsible for the the decennial censuses of population and housing; the quinquennial censuses of State and local governments, manufacturers, mineral industries, distributive trades, construction industries, and transportation; current surveys that provide information on many of the subjects covered in the censuses at monthly, quarterly, annual, or other intervals; the compilation of current statistics on U.S. foreign trade, including data on imports, exports, and shipping; special censuses at the request and expense of State and local government units; publication of estimates and projections of the population; publication of current data on population and housing characteristics; and current reports on manufacturing, retail and wholesale trade, services, construction, imports and exports, State and local government finances and employment, and other subjects.
Recent Regulations
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USBC
Recent Regulations
View all →ProposedFeb 23, 2026
Age Search Service Fee Structure
RuleFeb 20, 2026
Streamlining the Regulations Governing Requests for Special Census Services and Studies
RuleJan 23, 2026
Removing Obsolete Regulations Governing the Cutoff Dates for Recognition of Boundary Changes for the 2010 Census
RuleJan 23, 2026
Eliminating Regulations Contemplating Collaboration With USAID To Train Foreign Participants in Census Procedures and General Statistics
RuleJan 23, 2026
Eliminating the Census Bureau's Redundant Regulatory Part Related to Public Information and Disclosure
RuleJan 23, 2026
Removing Redundant Language From the Regulations Governing the Furnishing of Personal Census Data
RuleJan 23, 2026
Streamlining the Regulations Governing the Official Seal of the Census Bureau
RuleJan 23, 2026
Eliminating Unnecessary and Overly-Restrictive Regulations Related to the Release of Decennial Census Population Information
RuleJan 23, 2026
Clarifying and Streamlining the Regulatory Procedures for Requesting a Challenge to the Census Bureau's Annual Population Estimates
RuleAug 27, 2025
Foreign Trade Regulations (FTR): Clarification of Filing Requirements Regarding In-Transit Shipments and Other FTR Provisions; Correction
About
The U.S.Census Bureau was established as a permanent office by act of March 6, 1902 (32 Stat. 51). The major functions of the Census Bureau are authorized by the Constitution, which provides that a census of population shall be taken every 10 years, and by laws codified as title 13 of the United States Code. The law also provides that the information collected by the Census Bureau from individual persons, households, or establishments be kept strictly confidential and be used only for statistical purposes. The Census Bureau is responsible for the the decennial censuses of population and housing; the quinquennial censuses of State and local governments, manufacturers, mineral industries, distributive trades, construction industries, and transportation; current surveys that provide information on many of the subjects covered in the censuses at monthly, quarterly, annual, or other intervals; the compilation of current statistics on U.S. foreign trade, including data on imports, exports, and shipping; special censuses at the request and expense of State and local government units; publication of estimates and projections of the population; publication of current data on population and housing characteristics; and current reports on manufacturing, retail and wholesale trade, services, construction, imports and exports, State and local government finances and employment, and other subjects.