In 1816, Congress authorized the publication of a list of all federal employees every two years. It appeared in book form under the title Register of Officers and Agents, Civil, Military, and Naval, in the Service of the United States. This collection includes 77 volumes of registers for years ranging from 1863 to 1959 (noninclusive; see the browse table for years available).

Registers include the name of each government employee, office held, where employed, where born, whence appointed, and pay received, as well as information regarding the Navy, such as names and conditions of all ships and vessels belonging to the United States and when and where they were built. Registers are organized by department and there under by agency, bureau, or office.