Statutory citation
The reference that says exactly where in a state's law a rule is written — the abbreviation, the section number and the subsection.
What it means
A citation names the code, then the part of it. "A.R.S. § 14-3971" is Arizona Revised Statutes, title 14, section 3971. The section symbol is §, and §§ means several sections.
Every state abbreviates its own code differently: EPTL and SCPA in New York, ILCS in Illinois, MCL in Michigan, RCW in Washington, KRS in Kentucky, NRS in Nevada, C.R.S. in Colorado. Federal regulations are cited as C.F.R. and federal statutes as U.S.C.
A citation identifies where a rule is, not what it says. Statutes are amended, and a citation from an old source may point at a section that has since changed.
Why it matters
It is the difference between a claim and a checkable claim. A page that gives a citation can be verified by anybody with a browser; one that does not is asking to be trusted.
It also matters at a counter. A clerk who says something is not permitted can usually be shown the section that permits it, and the section number is what makes that conversation possible.
When you are likely to meet it
- When a Sahvelo page names the statute behind a rule.
- When a form or a letter cites a section you want to read.
- When checking whether guidance from elsewhere is current.
How this varies by state
Every state names and abbreviates its own code differently, and some publish more than one — a general statutes volume and a separate probate or vehicle code.
Below is how the states Sahvelo has published describe it, in their own words, each linked to the guide that sources it.
California
A California DMV-specific affidavit procedure under Vehicle Code §5910 that allows an heir or devisee to transfer a vehicle title using the Probate Code §13100 affidavit (when the estate is small enough). The DMV's own form, REG 5, implements §5910. Distinct from the §13100 affidavit itself; §5910 specifies how the DMV accepts the §13100 affidavit for title transfer.
Primary source (opens in a new tab) Cal. Veh. Code §5910
Virginia
VSA 24
The Authority to Transfer Virginia Title Certification. A single page on which an heir certifies the death, their status as an heir, that no qualification on the estate has happened or is expected, and that the debts are paid or will be paid from the proceeds — or that the vehicle is in a family allowance, exempt property or homestead allowance claim. It also lists everybody else with an interest in the vehicle, each of whom signs a consent.
Primary source (opens in a new tab) Virginia DMV form VSA 24