SymbolHub

Section Sign (§)

The section sign § is Unicode U+00A7, the legal and editorial symbol used to cite numbered sections and statutory clauses. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard, or type it with Alt + 0167 on Windows or Option + 6 on a Mac.

Unicode
U+00A7
HTML
§
Windows
Alt + 0167
Mac
Option + 6

How to type the section sign (§)

The quickest way is to press Copy above and paste. To type § yourself, use the method for your device below. On Windows the alt code is Alt + 0167. On a Mac it is Option + 6.

Windows

  1. Hold Alt and type 0167 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. Num Lock must be on. This uses the Windows-1252 code page, so it works in almost every Windows app.
  2. Hold Alt and type 21 on the numeric keypad. This older code (from code page 437) works in Notepad, Word and most desktop apps.
  3. In Word or Outlook, type 00A7 and press Alt + X. Alt + X converts the hex code before the cursor into the character, and back again.
  4. Press Win + R, type charmap and press Enter. Tick “Advanced view”, search for Section Sign, then Select and Copy. Character Map is built into every version of Windows.

Mac

  1. Press Option+6. On the standard US and US-International layouts.
  2. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for section and double-click it.

Linux & ChromeOS

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type a7, then press Enter or Space. Works in GTK and IBus apps (GNOME, Firefox, Chrome, LibreOffice) and on ChromeOS.
  2. Press your Compose key, then s o. Needs a Compose key set in your keyboard settings.

iPhone & iPad

  1. Tap 123, then touch and hold & and slide to §.
  2. Copy § from this page, then go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement and add it with a shortcut such as ;sect. The shortcut then turns into the symbol as you type, in every app.

Android

  1. Copy § here, then open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary and add it with a shortcut.

Microsoft Word

  1. Type 00A7, then press Alt + X.
  2. Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 00A7 in “Character code” and click Insert.
  3. On a Mac, Option+6 works in Word too.

Google Docs

  1. Insert → Special characters, then search for “section” or draw it in the box.

Excel & Google Sheets

  1. Enter =UNICHAR(167) in a cell. It works in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.

HTML

  1. Write § or § in your HTML.

What does § mean?

The section sign (§), historically known as the signum sectionis or silcrow, is the foundational citation mark of the legal profession and statutory publishing. Composed of two graceful, interlocking S-shaped curves, this distinctive glyph cites specific numbered sections of legal statutes, constitutional provisions, administrative regulations, and contractual agreements. Its appearance on a page immediately signals statutory authority, rigorous governance, and formal codification.

In legal practice across the United States, Europe, and international courts, attorneys cite legislation by coupling the section sign with title and section numbers, such as 17 U.S.C. § 107 for copyright fair use or 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for civil rights claims. When an author refers to multiple sections simultaneously, standard legal citation style doubles the sign into §§ (e.g., §§ 201–208), mirroring how “p.” pluralizes into “pp.” for pages. To understand how section citation complements paragraph boundaries, review our paragraph symbol guide and browse the complete legal symbols collection.

Beyond modern courtrooms, the section sign has a rich heritage in classical European book design. In traditional editorial footnoting before numbers became automated, the section sign served as the fourth symbol in the standard footnote sequence, following the asterisk, the dagger symbol, and the double dagger. It also survives in video game coding, such as Minecraft formatting codes, and throughout classical punctuation symbols.

Common uses

  • Legal statutory citations: “According to 18 U.S.C. § 1001…”
  • Plural statutory references: “Refer to §§ 14 through 18 of the municipal bylaws”
  • Fourth-tier footnote reference mark in academic treatises: (*, †, ‡, §)
  • Section breaks and numbering in formal legal contracts and corporate articles of incorporation

Section Sign codes for HTML, CSS and programming

Every code below produces §. Use the HTML entity in web pages, the CSS escape in content, and the escape sequence in source code.

Unicode code pointU+00A7
HTML entity (named)§
HTML decimal§
HTML hex§
CSS contentcontent: "\A7";
JavaScript"\u00A7"
Python"\u00A7"
Python (by name)"\N{SECTION SIGN}"
Java / C#"\u00A7"
LaTeX\S
UTF-8 bytesC2 A7
UTF-1600A7
URL encoded%C2%A7
Windows Alt codeAlt + 0167
Alt code (CP437)Alt + 21
Mac shortcutOption + 6

§ vs look-alike characters

These characters look similar to § but have a different meaning and code. Pasting the wrong one can break search, sorting and screen readers.

CharNameWhen to use it
Pilcrow
U+00B6		Paragraph symbol (U+00B6, pilcrow). Cites specific paragraphs within a legal brief or contract rather than statutory codes.
Double Dagger
U+2021		Double dagger (U+2021). Footnote reference mark preceding the section sign in classical academic ordering.
Capital S
U+0053		Capital Latin letter S. The § glyph is a ligature of two intertwining S characters, representing signum sectionis.
Integral
U+222B		Integral symbol (U+222B). Mathematical calculus operator shaped like an elongated single s.

Symbols similar to §

Click to copy, or open a symbol for its codes. See the full punctuation symbols collection.

§ character properties

Official Unicode name
SECTION SIGN
Also known as
section symbol, double s, signum sectionis, silcrow, paragraph sign
Code point
U+00A7
Unicode block
Latin-1 Supplement (U+0080–U+00FF)
General category
Other punctuation (Po)
Added in
Unicode 1.1 (1993)
Plane
Basic Multilingual Plane (0)
Emoji
No, it is a text symbol

Frequently asked questions

What does a double section sign §§ mean?

A doubled section sign (§§) represents the plural form “sections”. It is used in legal citations when referring to two or more statutory sections together, as in “§§ 401–405”.

How do I type the section sign on Windows and Mac?

On Windows, hold Alt and type 0167 on the numeric keypad. On Mac, press Option + 6. In Microsoft Word, type 00A7 and press Alt + X. In HTML, write the named entity § or §.

Where did the shape of the section sign originate?

The section sign originated in medieval Latin manuscripts as an intertwined monogram of two S letters, standing for signum sectionis (“sign of the section”) or senatus consulto (decree of the senate).

What is the alt code for the section sign?

On Windows, hold Alt and type 0167 on the numeric keypad to get §. The shorter code Alt + 21 also works in most desktop apps. On a laptop without a keypad, copy it from this page or use 00A7 then Alt + X in Word.

How do I type the section sign on a Mac?

Press Option + 6. It works in every app on the US keyboard layout. You can also open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space and search for it.

What is the HTML code for the section sign?

Use the named entity § or the numeric reference § (hex §). All three display § in every browser.

What is the Unicode for the section sign?

§ is U+00A7, officially named SECTION SIGN, in the Latin-1 Supplement block. It has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).