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How to Research State Law

Each U.S. state has its own legal system — constitution, statutes, regulations, courts, and court rules. This guide walks through the canonical free sources, the order to consult them, and the federal-preemption check that every state-law researcher needs to remember.

The five bodies of state law

  1. State constitution.Each state has one. Many include rights not found in the U.S. Constitution (e.g., explicit privacy rights in California, the "Lockean" preamble in New Hampshire).
  2. State statutes— codified in "codes" named differently in each state (Cal. Penal Code, Tex. Family Code, N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law, 23 Pa. C.S., etc.).
  3. State regulations— issued by state agencies, published in state administrative codes / registers.
  4. State case law— state supreme courts, intermediate appellate courts, trial courts of record.
  5. Court rules— rules of civil procedure, criminal procedure, appellate procedure, and evidence, issued by the state supreme court or judicial conference.

1. Find the state's official statute compilation

Every state publishes its statutory code free online. The names vary:

  • Cal. Penal Code, Cal. Health & Safety Code, etc. (California — California Legislative Information)
  • Tex. Family Code, Tex. Bus. & Com. Code, etc. (Texas — Texas Statutes online)
  • N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law, N.Y. C.P.L.R., etc. (New York — NYSenate.gov — Laws of New York)
  • Fla. Stat. § X (Florida Statutes)

See the states hub for per-state direct links to the official statute compilation.

2. Find the state's administrative code

State agencies issue regulations under statutory authority. Each state collects these in an administrative code (e.g., the California Code of Regulations, the Texas Administrative Code). The state will typically also publish a state register / register-of-regulations tracking proposed and final rules.

3. Find state cases

  • CourtListener indexes state appellate opinions for most states.
  • State court websites publish recent opinions of the state supreme court and intermediate appellate courts.
  • For citation help, the state's style manual (often issued by the supreme court reporter) gives the canonical short form.

4. Find court rules

Each state's rules of civil procedure, criminal procedure, appellate procedure, and evidence are usually consolidated on the state judiciary's website. Local rules supplement state rules in each county or judicial district — before filing alwayscheck the local rules of the specific court where you'll file.

5. The federal-preemption check

Before relying on a state law for advice or planning, ask whether federal law preempts it. Three preemption types:

  • Express— a federal statute explicitly says it preempts state law (e.g., ERISA, FLSA in some respects, the Federal Arbitration Act).
  • Field— Congress has occupied the field so comprehensively that no state regulation is permitted (e.g., immigration enforcement, nuclear safety, some areas of telecom).
  • Conflict— complying with both federal and state law is impossible, or state law stands as an obstacle to the federal scheme.

Citation conventions

State citations follow each state's own short form. Common patterns:

  • Cal. [Code Name] § [Number] (e.g., Cal. Penal Code § 530.5)
  • Tex. [Code Name] § [Number] (e.g., Tex. Fam. Code § 152.001)
  • N.Y. [Law Name] § [Number] (e.g., N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law § 218)
  • Fla. Stat. § [Number] (e.g., Fla. Stat. § 741.30)
  • [Number] Pa. C.S. § [Number] (e.g., 23 Pa. C.S. § 3106)

See How to Cite Law for fuller citation examples.

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This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.