Executive Orders

About Executive Orders

Executive Orders have the force and effect of law and are generally used by the Executive Office of the President to provide direction to Federal Agencies and officials as they carry out operations within the executive branch. The authority for the President to issue Executive Orders can be found in Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution granting the President “executive power.”

The Office of the Federal Register (OFR), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), assigns a sequential number to each Executive Order after receiving the signed, original document from the White House. OFR then publishes the text of the Executive Order in the daily Federal Register; it is eventually codified in Title 3 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The text of the Executive Orders is also made available in the Compilation of Presidential Documents, which are the official publications of materials released by the White House Press Secretary.

View Executive Orders that are available on govinfo in the Federal Register for Presidents Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Trump.

President Donald J. Trump

View President Trump's Executive Orders.

View other types of Executive Actions from President Trump including proclamations and memoranda.

President Barack H. Obama

View President Obama's Executive Orders or view by year:

• 2017
• 2016
• 2015
• 2014
• 2013
• 2012
• 2011
• 2010
• 2009

President George W. Bush

View President Bush's Executive Orders or view by year:

• 2009
• 2008
• 2007
• 2006
• 2005
• 2004
• 2003
• 2002
• 2001

President William J. Clinton

View President Clinton's Executive Orders or view by year:

• 2001
• 2000
• 1999
• 1998
• 1997
• 1996
• 1995

Related Resources

• Executive Orders are also available in the Compilation of Presidential Documents. Search tip: Narrow your results using the president or publishdate field operator.
• Executive Order disposition tables for Presidents back to Clinton from the Office of the Federal Register
• Executive Orders Disposition Tables Index for Presidents back to Herbert Hoover (and including subject indexes for Presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton) from the National Archives
• Executive Orders from the current administration are also made available on the White House's website.