Every state has an official print version of its code of laws. States usually also provide free versions of their current state codes on the Internet. Most are unofficial and un-annotated.
Several sites on the free web provide links to all state legislatures online, each of which provides access to their respective state codes. A few examples are Cornell University’s Legal Information Institute’s Listing by Jurisdiction and FindLaw’s U.S. Codes and Statutes page.
Westlaw and Lexis provide annotated versions of all state codes and 50-state surveys comparing state statutes for selected topics.
Below are examples of state codes, other than South Carolina, that our library subscribes to in print:
The state code for Georgia is called the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, or O.C.G.A. It was originally published by Michie but is now published by LexisNexis. However, some individual volumes still exist under the original Michie publication. The current version of the Georgia Code is the Code of 1981. Similar to the South Carolina Code, individual volumes are updated as necessary.
The O.C.G.A. consists of 53 titles, a General Index, Short Title Index, and Table of Contents. Updates exist as pocketparts and soft-cover supplements.
The official form of the O.C.G.A. is the print version of the Code as published by LexisNexis (or Michie). A free unannotated version of the Code can be found online through a special public version of Lexis. Fully annotated versions can also be accessed through Lexis and Westlaw.
North Carolina statutory law is codified in the North Carolina General Statutes Annotated. The official code is the print version published by LexisNexis in soft-cover volumes every other year.
The North Carolina General Statutes consists of 168 main chapters plus a General Index, Short Title Index, and Table of Contents. It is not updated with pocketparts or supplements per individual volume. Instead, all updates are published in two softbound interim supplement volumes that sit at the end of the regular statutory volumes.
A free unannotated and unofficial version of the North Carolina General Statutes can be found on the North Carolina General Assembly website. Annotated versions can also be accessed from Lexis and Westlaw.
Statutory law in Virginia is codified in the Code of Virginia. It is published by Michie, a subsidiary of LexisNexis. The current version of the Virginia Code is the 1950 Code. Similar to the South Carolina Code, individual volumes are updated as necessary.
The Code of Virginia consists of 67 titles, a General Index, Table of Contents, U.S. and Virginia constitutions, state compacts, and legal ethics opinions. Updates exist in pocketparts and soft-cover supplements.
The official form of the Code of Virginia is the print version of the Code as published by Michie (LexisNexis). A free unannotated version of the Code can be found online through the Virginia General Assembly website. Annotated versions can also be accessed through Lexis and Westlaw.
West Virginia law is collected in the West Virginia Code. The official version of the Code is unannotated. Our library carries the unofficial annotated Michie's West Virginia Code as published by LexisNexis. Keep in mind that all unofficial annotated versions of the Code require special citation rules.
The West Virginia Code consists of 64 chapters. The unofficial, annotated version by LexisNexis also includes a General Index and Table of Contents. Updates to the print versions of the Code exist in pocketparts and soft-cover supplements. A free unannotated version of the Code can be found online on the West Virginia Legislature's website. Annotated versions can also be accessed from Lexis and Westlaw.
The "official" compilation of the "Laws of Maryland," commonly referred to as the "Session Laws," are enacted at each session of the Maryland General Assembly. Although the "Laws of Maryland" (Session Laws) are the official laws of the state, the un-annotated online version of the Maryland Code, available on the General Assembly of Maryland's website, and the annotated versions by LexisNexis and West are recognized as evidence of the law. Therefore, The Bluebook allows you to cite to either Michie's Annotated Code of Maryland (LexisNexis) or West's Annotated Code of Maryland, designating the publisher with the year in the citation. These annotated versions can also be accessed through Lexis and Westlaw.
The full set of Michie's Annotated Code of Maryland consists of 51 volumes plus current cumulative supplements and a comprehensive index.