List of federal agencies in the United States

Legislative definitions of an agency of the federal government of the United States are varied, and even contradictory. The official United States Government Manual offers no definition.[1][2] While the Administrative Procedure Act definition of "agency" applies to most executive branch agencies, Congress may define an agency however it chooses in enabling legislation, and through subsequent litigation often involving the Freedom of Information Act and the Government in the Sunshine Act. These further cloud attempts to enumerate a list of agencies.[3][4]

The executive branch of the federal government includes the Executive Office of the President and the United States federal executive departments (whose secretaries belong to the Cabinet). Employees of the majority of these agencies are considered civil servants.

The majority of the independent agencies of the United States government are also classified as executive agencies (they are independent in that they are not subordinated under a Cabinet position). There are a small number of independent agencies that are not considered part of the executive branch, such as the Congressional Research Service and the United States Sentencing Commission, which are legislative and judicial agencies, respectively.

United States Congress

The U.S. Congress is the bicameral legislature of the United States government, and is made up of two chambers: the United States Senate (the upper chamber) and the United States House of Representatives (the lower chamber). Together, the two chambers exercise authority over the following legislative agencies:

The legislature also oversees the Library of Congress (LOC), a national library dedicated to national records, which administers various programs, agencies, and services including:

Federal judiciary of the United States

The federal judiciary consists of courts established under Article Three of the United States Constitution. These are the following:

The United States bankruptcy courts, while not established as Article III courts, are legally designated as "units of the district courts."[5]

The judicial branch includes the following agencies:

Executive Office of the President

The President of the United States is the chief executive of the federal government. He is in charge of executing federal laws and approving, or vetoing, new legislation passed by Congress. The President resides in the Executive Residence (EXR) maintained by the Office of Administration (OA).

To effectively run the country's affairs, the President also maintains councils regarding various issues, including:

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

[6]

Office of the Secretary of Agriculture

  • Office of Secretary of Agriculture
  • Office of Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
  • Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration
  • Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
  • Office of the Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations
    • Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships (CFBNP)
  • Office of the General Counsel (OGC)
    • Office of Information Affairs
  • Office of Inspector General (OIG)
  • Office of Budget and Program Analysis (OBPA)
  • Office of Communications (OC)
  • Office of Ethics (OE)
  • Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA)
    • National Appeals Division (NAD)
    • Office of Administrative Law Judges (OALJ)
    • Office of the Judicial Officer (OJO)
  • Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE)
  • Office of the Chief Economist (OCE)
    • World Agricultural Outlook Board
  • Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OFCO)
  • Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO)
  • Office of the Executive Secretariat (OES)
  • Office of Tribal Relations (OTR)
  • White House Liaison Office (WHLO)
  • Departmental Administration (DA)
    • Office of Customer Experience
    • Office of Contracting and Procurement (OCP)
    • Office of Homeland Security (OHS)
    • Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM)
    • Office of Operations (OO)
    • Office of Property and Environmental Management (OPEM)
      • Agriculture Buildings and Facilities (AgBF)
      • Hazardous Materials Management (HMM)
    • Office of Safety, Security and Protection (OSSP)
    • Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU)

Mission Areas

Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC)

Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services (FNCS)

Food Safety (OFS)

Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP)

Natural Resources and Environment (NRE)

  • Office of Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment

Research, Education, and Economics (REE)

Rural Development (RD)

Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs (TFAA)

United States Department of Commerce

Office of the Secretary (OS)

  • Office of the Secretary of Commerce[7]
  • Office of the Chief of Staff
  • Office of the Deputy Secretary
  • Office of Public Engagement (OPE)
  • Office of the Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary for Administration (CFO/ASA)
  • Office of Chief Information Officer (OCIO)
  • Office of Executive Secretariat
  • Office of General Counsel (OGC)
  • Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs (OLIA)
  • Office of Native Affairs and Economic Development
  • Office of Policy and Strategic Planning (OPSP)
  • Office of Public Affairs (OPA)
  • Office of Public Engagement (OPE)
  • Office of Security (OSY)
  • Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU)
  • Office of the White House Liaison (OWHL)
  • Office of Inspector General (OIG)

Bureaus

  • National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)[11]
    • Office of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology
      • Chief of Staff
      • CHIPS for America Program Office
      • Innovation and Industry Services
      • Laboratory Programs
      • Management Resources
      • Staff Offices

United States Department of Defense (DOD)

Universities and research institutes

Unified combatant commands

Joint agencies

Department of the Army

U.S. Army Commands

U.S. Army Direct Reporting Units

U.S. Army Field Operating Agencies

Department of the Navy

U.S. Navy Functional Operating Forces

Shore Establishment and Activities, Echelon II
U.S. Navy Field Support Activities

Department of the Air Force

U.S. Air Force

U.S. Air Force Major Commands
Reserve and Auxiliary Components
Direct Reporting Units
Field Operating Agencies

U.S. Space Force

U.S. Space Force Major Commands
Direct Reporting Units
  • Space Rapid Capabilities Office
  • Space Development Agency
  • Space Warfighting Analysis Center
Field Operating Agencies
  • National Space Intelligence Center

United States Department of Education

Office of the Secretary of Education (OSE)

  • Office of Communications and Outreach
  • Office of Finance and Operations
  • Office of Inspector General
  • Office of the General Counsel
  • Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs
  • Office for Civil Rights
  • Office of Educational Technology
  • Office of the Chief Information Officer
  • Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development
  • Budget Service
  • Risk Management Service

Office of Deputy Secretary of Education (ODSE)

  • Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
    • Office of Migrant Education
    • Office of Safe and Healthy Students
  • Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited English Language Proficient Students
  • Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
    • Office of Special Education Programs
    • Rehabilitation Services Administration

Institute of Education Sciences (IES)

  • National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance
  • National Center for Education Research
  • National Center for Education Statistics
  • National Center for Special Education Research
  • National Board for Education Sciences

Office of the Under Secretary (OUS)

White House initiatives and operating commissions

Advisory bodies

  • Historically Black College and Universities Capital Financing Advisory Board
  • National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity
  • National Advisory Council on Indian Education
  • National Board of the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education

Federally-aided corporations

United States Department of Energy

United States Department of Health and Human Services

United States Department of Homeland Security

  • Office of the Secretary
    • Office of the Secretary
      • Immediate Office of the Secretary
      • Office of the Deputy Secretary
      • Office of the Chief of Staff
      • Military Advisor's Office
      • Office of the Executive Secretary
      • Joint Requirements Council
    • Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans
      • Office of Immigration Statistics
      • Office of International Affairs
    • Office of General Counsel
    • Office of Legislative Affairs
    • Office of Public Affairs
    • Office of Partnership and Engagement
      • Homeland Security Advisory Council
      • Office of State and Local Law Enforcement
      • Private Sector Office
    • Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
    • Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman
    • Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman
    • Privacy Office

Headquarters Offices and Directorates

  • Management Directorate
    • Federal Protective Service
    • Office of Biometric Identity Management
    • Office of the Chief Financial Officer
    • Office of the Chief Information Officer
    • Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer
    • Office of the Chief Procurement Officer
    • Office of the Chief Readiness Support Officer
      • Canine and Equine Governance Board
    • Office of the Chief Security Officer
  • Science and Technology Directorate
  • Office of Intelligence and Analysis
    • Current and Emerging Threats Center
    • Homeland Identities, Targeting and Exploitation Center
    • Transnational Organized Crime Mission Center
    • Counterterrorism Mission Center
    • Counterintelligence Mission Center
    • Cyber Mission Center
    • Economic Security Mission Center
  • Office of Operations Coordination
    • National Operations Center
  • Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office
    • Chief Medical Officer
  • Office of Inspector General

Component Agencies

United States Department of Housing and Urban Development

Executive Offices

  • Office of the Secretary
    • Office of the Deputy Secretary
    • Office of Hearings and Appeals
    • Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization
    • Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships
  • Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations
  • Office of Public Affairs

Administrative Offices

  • Office of Departmental Equal Employment Opportunity
  • Office of General Counsel
    • Departmental Enforcement Center
  • Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration
    • Chief Administrative Office
    • Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer
    • Office of the Chief Procurement Officer
  • Office of the Chief Financial Officer
  • Office of the Chief Information Officer
  • Office of Inspector General

Agencies

  • Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae)
  • Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD)
    • Office of Economic Development (OED)
  • Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO)
    • Fair Housing Assistance Program
    • Fair Housing Initiatives Program
    • National Fair Housing Training Academy
  • Office of Field Policy and Management (FPM)
  • Office of Housing
    • Office of Finance and Budget
    • Office of Healthcare Programs
    • Office of Housing Counseling
    • Office of Manufactured Housing Programs
    • Office of Multifamily Housing Programs
    • Office of Operations
    • Office of Risk Management and Regulatory Affairs
    • Office of Single Family Housing
  • Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes (OLHCHH)
  • Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R)
  • Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH)
    • Real Estate Assessment Center

United States Department of the Interior (DOI)

  • Office of the Secretary
    • Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs
    • Office of the Executive Secretariat and Regulatory Affairs
    • Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs
    • Secretary's Indian Water Rights Office
    • Indian Arts and Crafts Board
    • Strategic Sciences Group
    • Interior Museum
    • Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations
    • Office of the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs
    • Office of the Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks
    • Office of the Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management
    • Office of the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science
    • Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget
      • Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance
      • Office of Restoration and Damage Assessment
      • Office of Native Hawaiian Relations
      • Office of Policy Analysis
      • Office of Planning and Performance Management
      • Orphaned Wells Program Office
      • National Invasive Species Council
      • Office of Budget
      • Office of Grants Management
      • Office of Acquisition and Property Management
      • Office of Financial Management
      • Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization
      • Business Integration Office
      • Office of Human Capital
      • Office of Occupational Safety and Health
      • Office of Employee Development
      • Office of Hearings and Appeals
        • Interior Board of Land Appeals
        • Interior Board of Indian Appeals
      • Office of Collaborative Action and Dispute Resolution
      • Appraisal and Valuation Services Office
      • Office of Facilities and Administrative Services
      • Interior Business Center
      • Office of Law Enforcement and Security
      • Office of Wildland Fire
      • Office of Aviation Services
      • Office of Emergency Management
      • Interagency Borderland Coordination and Field Communications Program
      • Office of Natural Resources Revenue
      • Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Civil Rights
      • Office of the Chief Information Officer
  • Office of Inspector General
  • Office of the Solicitor
  • Office of the Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs
  • Central Utah Project Completion Act Office
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs
  • Bureau of Indian Education
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
  • Bureau of Reclamation
  • Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
  • Bureau of Trust Funds Administration
  • Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
  • National Indian Gaming Commission
  • National Park Service
  • United States Fish and Wildlife Service
  • United States Geological Survey

United States Department of Justice (DOJ)

United States Department of Labor (DOL)

Office of the Secretary (OSEC)

  • Executive Secretary
  • Centers for Faith and Opportunity Initiative
  • Office of the Ombudsman for the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Programs
  • Office of Public Liaison

Offices under the Deputy Secretary of Labor

  • Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management
  • Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy
  • Office of the Chief Financial Officer
  • Office of the Chief Information Officer
  • Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs
  • Office of Emergency Management
  • Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
  • Office of Labor-Management Standards
  • Office of Public Affairs
  • Office of Disability Employment Policy
  • Office of the Solicitor
  • Office of Worker's Compensation Program

Administrations

Boards under the Office of Administrative Law Judges

  • Administrative Review Board
  • Benefits Review Board
  • Employees' Compensation Appeals Board

Bureaus

Miscellaneous

  • Veterans' Employment and Training Service
  • Wage and Hour Division
  • Wirtz Labor Library (National Labor Library)

United States Department of State (DOS)

Office of the Secretary

  • Chief of Staff
  • Bureau of Intelligence and Research
  • Bureau of Legislative Affairs
  • Office of the Legal Adviser
  • Executive Secretariat
    • Operations Center
    • Executive Secretariat Staff
      • Advance and Staffing Division
      • Records and Information Management Division
    • Executive Office of the Executive Secretariat
    • ExecTech Office
  • Office of the Chief of Protocol
  • Counselor of the Department
  • Office of the United States Global AIDS Coordinator and Health Diplomacy
  • Policy Planning Staff
    • Secretary's Foreign Affairs Policy Board
  • Office of Civil Rights
  • Office of the Ombudsman
    • Ombuds Services Office
    • Workplace Conflict Prevention and Resolution Center (wCPRc)
  • Foreign Service Grievance Board
  • Secretary's Open Forum
  • Office of Hostage Affairs
  • Office of Global Women's Issues
  • Office of the Coordinator for Cyber Issues
  • Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS
  • Office of Inspector General
  • Iran Action Group
  • Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation
  • Special Representative for Syria Engagement
  • Special Representative for Venezuela
  • United States Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority

Reporting to the Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources

  • Office of Foreign Assistance

Reporting to the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security

Reporting to the Under Secretary for Human Rights, Civilian Security, and Democracy

Reporting to the Under Secretary for Environment, Energy, and Economic Growth

Reporting to the Under Secretary for Management

Reporting to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs

Reporting to the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs

  • Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
  • Bureau of Global Public Affairs
  • Office of Policy, Planning and Resources for Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy
  • International Expositions Unit
  • United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy

Permanent diplomatic missions

United States Department of Transportation

Operating administrations

United States Department of the Treasury

Departmental offices

Source:[15]

Bureaus

Source:[16]

United States Department of Veterans Affairs

Office of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Agencies

Independent agencies, tribunals, and government-owned corporations

Administration, records, and federal property

Civil rights

Civil service

  • Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB)
  • Office of Government Ethics (OGE)
  • Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
    • Human Resources University
    • USOPM Office of the Inspector General
    • Federal Executive Institute
    • Chief Acquisition Officers Council
    • Chief Human Capital Officers Council
    • Chief Financial Officers Council
    • Chief Information Officers Council
  • Office of Special Counsel (OSC)

Commerce

Defense and security

Elections

Government commissions, committees, and consortia

Education and broadcasting

Energy and science

Foreign investment

Interior

Labor

Monetary and financial

Postal

Retirement

Seat of government

Transportation

Volunteerism

Joint programs and interagency agencies

  • Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
  • Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council
  • Federal Interagency Committee on Education
  • Federal Interagency Council on Statistical Policy
  • Federal Interagency Committee for the Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds
  • Interagency Alternative Dispute Resolution Working Group
  • Joint Fire Science Program
  • National Interagency Fire Center
  • United States Interagency Council on Homelessness

Special Inspector General Office

Quasi-official organizations

Arts & culture

Memorial

Commerce and technology

Defense and diplomacy

Human service and community development

  • National Industries for the Blind
  • Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation
  • Access Board
  • AbilityOne Commission
  • National Institute of Building Sciences

Interior

Law and justice

See also

References

Explanatory notes

  1. ^ shares staff with the National Security Council

Notes

  1. ^ Fischer 2011, pp. 1–2.
  2. ^ Federal Register 2013.
  3. ^ Lewis & Selin 2013, pp. 13–14.
  4. ^ Kamensky 2013.
  5. ^ 28 U.S.C. § 151
  6. ^ "USDA Organization Chart" (PDF). U.S. Department of Agriculture. September 24, 2024. Archived from the original (.pdf) on April 12, 2025. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
  7. ^ "Bureaus and Offices". United States Department of Commerce. Archived from the original on June 5, 2025. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  8. ^ "Organizational Offices". United States Patent and Trademark Office. Archived from the original on June 5, 2025. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  9. ^ "U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration Work Reference Chart" (PDF). ITA Organization Charts. United States International Trade Administration. May 9, 2025. Archived from the original on June 5, 2025. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  10. ^ "NOAA Organization Chart". National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration. May 13, 2025. Archived from the original on June 6, 2025. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  11. ^ "NIST Organization Structure". Office of the Director. National Institute of Standards and Technology. June 2, 2025. Archived from the original on June 6, 2025. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  12. ^ "Program Offices". Department of Energy. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
  13. ^ a b c d e "Our Administrations". US Department of Transportation. March 1, 2012. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  14. ^ "Governance and Oversight". U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. January 27, 2013. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  15. ^ "IBM Cognos software". www.fedscope.opm.gov. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Bureaus". www.treasury.gov. Retrieved December 17, 2017.

Bibliography

  • US Government Manual, official online version of the United States Government Manual, continually updated.
  • US Government Manual, official freely downloadable PDFs of annual printed versions.
  • Federal Agency Directory, online database maintained by the Louisiana State University Libraries in partnership with the Federal Depository Library Program of the GPO
  • A–Z Index of US Departments and Agencies, USA.gov, the US government's official web portal. Directory of agency contact information.
  • CyberCemetery, online document archive of defunct US Federal Agencies, maintained by the University of North Texas Libraries in partnership with the Federal Depository Library Program of the GPO