Regelnummer

Regelnummer is a numeric identifier used to label a specific rule, clause, or provision within a larger body of rules, regulations, or standards. The term is common in several languages, including Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish, and is often translated as rule number or article number. The purpose is to enable precise citation, navigation, and maintenance of normative texts.

Typically, regelnummer appears in a hierarchical numbering system. The top level might be a chapter or section (1), followed by subsections (1.1, 1.2), and further subdivisions (1.2.3). Some documents use article-based forms such as Artikel 3.4 or §3.4, while others use purely decimal or alphanumeric sequences. The numbering is designed to be stable for citations, with changes to text ideally not requiring renumbering of the entire document, though practical updates sometimes require adjustments.

Regelnummer is widely used in legal codes, administrative regulations, building codes, and formal standards (for example ISO, IEC, or national regulations). It also appears in policy documents within organizations to reference rules consistently. In digital formats, regelnummer supports hyperlinks, search indexing, and machine-readable references, aiding compliance checks and automatic document validation.

Challenges include renumbering after edits, ensuring consistency across revisions, and translating numbers in multilingual versions. Good practice emphasizes clear hierarchical structure, consistent style guidelines, and accompanying cross-references and index entries.