The Federal Rules of Evidence govern the admission or exclusion of evidence in most proceedings in the United States courts.
The Supreme Court submitted proposed Federal Rules of Evidence to Congress on February 5, 1973, but Congress exercised its power under the Rules Enabling Act to suspend their implementation. The Federal Rules of Evidence became federal law on January 2, 1975, when President Ford signed the Act to Establish Rules of Evidence for Certain Courts and Proceedings, Pub. L. No. 93-595. As enacted, the Evidence Rules included amendments by Congress to the rules originally proposed by the Supreme Court. The Evidence Rules were last amended in 2024.
- Read the Federal Rules of Evidence (PDF).
Please refer to House Document 118-126 for the text of the amended rules and accompanying committee notes effective December 1, 2024. An updated PDF pamphlet that includes the newly effective rules will be posted on this page when it becomes available from the U.S. Government Publishing Office.