Statute
A written law formally passed by the Minnesota Legislature (or another legislative body).
A statute is a law that has been formally written, debated, and passed by a legislative body. In Minnesota, statutes are laws enacted by the Minnesota Legislature and signed by the governor. Once passed, statutes are compiled into the official collection known as Minnesota Statutes.
How statutes work:
- Organization: Minnesota Statutes are organized by chapter and section. For example, Chapter 518 covers marriage dissolution (divorce), and section 518.17 addresses child custody factors.
- Citation format: A typical citation looks like “Minn. Stat. section 609.52” – this refers to Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 609, section 52 (the theft statute).
- Updated by session laws: Each year, the Legislature may pass new laws that add, change, or repeal existing statutes. These changes take effect at a specified date.
- Interpreted by courts: When the meaning of a statute is unclear or disputed, courts interpret it through case law.
Statutes are different from other types of law:
- Court rules govern how courts operate and are adopted by the judiciary.
- Case law is made by judges through their written decisions.
- Administrative rules are created by government agencies to implement statutes.
Example: If you want to know the legal blood alcohol limit for driving in Minnesota, you would look at Minnesota Statutes section 169A.20, which defines the offense of driving while impaired.
When you might see this term
When looking up the actual text of a law, such as Minnesota Statutes section 518.17 (child custody factors).