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General Information
A statute is a written law passed by a a legislature. In Maryland, statutes are made by the Maryland General Assembly. At the federal level, statutes are made by Congress.
Statutes that are permanent and currently in effect are collected by subject in books or online resources called codes.
- Codification is the process of organizing laws into a code.
- An annotated code includes information (annotations) added by editors. Annotations can include summaries of court cases (case law), articles, and other sources that discuss a statute. This extra information is useful because laws can sometimes be unclear. Case law cited in annotations may help you understand the statutes by providing information on how courts interpreted a section of the law. Information provided in annotations may also describe the history of how different laws have evolved into the section of law you are reviewing.
Many Maryland libraries, both law libraries and general public libraries subscribe to the Maryland Code and the United States Code.
How to Research the Law: Diving In from the Maryland Courts
Maryland Statutes
Maryland's statutes are codified in the Maryland Code.
- The Code is divided into broad subject areas called Articles (e.g., Real Property, Family Law).
- Articles are broken down into Titles, which may be further divided into Subtitles.
Maryland statutes are available in print and online:
There are two print editions of the Maryland Code:
- The Annotated Code of Maryland (published by The Michie Company)
- The Annotated Code of Maryland (published by West)
These print versions of the Code and the version made available through the Department of Legislative Services (Maryland General Assembly) are the official versions and the ones most accepted by Maryland's courts.
Read the law: Md. Code, Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 10-201
Online
Free versions of the Maryland Code are available through:
These free versions are unannotated, meaning they don’t include the editor’s notes, including case summaries or background notes.
Paid databases, such as Westlaw, Lexis, and Bloomberg Law, include annotated versions of the code. Subscriptions to these databases may be too expensive for individual researchers, but are often available at law libraries. Many public law libraries in Maryland will provide free, in-person access to one, or more, of these databases.
NOTE: If a statute seems vague or ambiguous, , use an annotated code. The annotations can provide additional context that can help you understand how the law came to be and how courts have interpreted the statute.
Citation
A citation will help you find a specific section of a statute. A citation is a reference to a legal authority (e.g., statutes, regulations, cases).
A Maryland Code citation looks like this: Md. Code, Real Property § 8-210.
- Real Property = Article
- § 8-210 is the specific statutory section.
- The "§" is the symbol for "section"
- "8" is the "Title"
- "210" is the specific section within the title. Note that the first number in the section (i.e., the "2" in "210") is the "subtitle" (e.g., Subtitle 2).
- Even though 210 is the specific section within Title 8, when you refer to a statutory section, you would still call it "Section 8-210."
Print - The article name or number in a citation tells you to look at those volumes of the Code with that article name or number on the spine. Once you have the appropriate volume, look within that volume for the specific section number in the citation. The volume is organized in numerical order by Title. With the above example, select the print volume with "Real Property" on its spine and cover. Go to Title 10. Each Title is organized in numerical order by subtitle, then section.
No citation? - Start with the index. Look up words related to your problem in the subject index (for example, divorce, easements). Look up the code sections cited after each of the words you looked up.
Check the pocket part or supplement – When working with print volumes, always check for updates to the main (hardbound) volume. To check for updates, look in the back of the volume for a “pocket part” (a soft pamphlet) or a separate supplement pamphlet shelved next to the main volume. The pocket part or supplement contains updates to the law since the main hardbound volume was printed.
If you find your section in the pocket part or supplemental pamphlet, read for changes made to the section since the hardbound volume was published. After you check the pocket part or supplemental pamphlet, look for pamphlets at the end of the code called “Advance Sheets” or “Advanced Legislative Service.” These pamphlets are published monthly to show any changes made since the pocket parts to each code volume were published. If your section number is not in the pocket part, this means that the information you found in the hardbound volume is accurate and up-to-date.
Online - Generally, online codes let you search by keyword or browse by topic. With a citation, enter it in the search box. Without one, try keywords. To browse, pick the article, then title, then subtitle to view the list of sections.
Federal Statutes
Federal statutes are published in the United States Code (U.S.C.), The U.S.C. is broken down into broad subject divisions called titles. While these titles are organized by subject, the titles of the United States Code are numbered, instead of named.
The United States Code (U.S.C.) is available in print and online:
Print - Federal Laws are collected in three different print editions:
- United States Code (official version, published by the Government Printing Office)
- United States Code Service (published by LexisNexis)
- United States Code Annotated (published by Westlaw)
The annotated versions include notes and case references.
Online - You can find the United States Code online through the Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives' website. Other websites also provide free versions of the United States Code. However, it is generally not a good idea to rely completely on free web versions because they are not necessarily accurate or completely up-to-date. Check each website for information about updates.
Citation - A citation will help you find a specific statute.
A citation to the United States Code might look something like this: 42 U.S.C. § 1381. This symbol, §, means "section."
- The first number is the "Title" (i.e., Title 42) [42 U.S.C. § 1381].
- The second number is the "Section" (i.e., § 1381) [42 U.S.C. § 1381].
No Citation? - If you don’t have a citation, you can search by keywords, law name, or public law number. The Library of Congress has a detailed guide to finding federal statutes, both online and in print.