New York Resources

This State Guide provides an in-depth look at sources of law in New York.

Statutes

Consolidated Laws

Currently in-force laws of a public, general, and permanent nature are compiled into code by subject areas for easier access. In New York state, the subject compiled code is called the Consolidated Laws of New York. The Consolidated Laws of New York were first published in 1909. The number of Consolidated Laws has expanded from 61 in 1909 to over 90 today. Unlike the federal government and other state governments, New York state does not publish a current official version of its code. A free web version of the laws, New York State Consolidated Laws, is available on the State Assembly website, but it is not certified as containing the official text of the Consolidated Laws. There are two annotated versions of the Consolidated Laws by commercial publishers: McKinney's Consolidated Laws of New York Annotated and New York Consolidated Laws Service.

Where to find Consolidated Laws

New York Consolidated Laws Service (Lexis) (N.Y. Law (Consol.))
Database
Print

In print, each volume has a distinct subject title and chapter number.

McKinney's Consolidated Law of New York Annotated (West) (N.Y. Law (McKinney))
Database
Print

In print, each volume has a distinct subject title and chapter number.

Microform
New York Consolidated Laws Unannotated: Incl. consolidated laws, unconsolidated laws, court acts, assembly & senate rules
Databases
State Website

Unconsolidated Laws

Some laws, such as court acts, the New York City Charter and Administrative Code, and other special laws, are not part of the Consolidated Laws. These are called Unconsolidated Laws.

Where to find Unconsolidated Laws

New York Consolidated Laws Service (Lexis) (N.Y. Law (Consol.))
Database
Print

Select unconsolidated laws are available in Unconsolidated Laws volumes, Volume 41A/B.

McKinney's Consolidated Law of New York Annotated (West) (N.Y. Law (McKinney))
Database
Print

Select unconsolidated laws available in Book 65 (multi-volumes), shelved at the end of the set.

Microform
Other Unconsolidated Law Resources

Historical Statutes

Research Guides

New York City Administrative Code

The Administrative Code for New York City is the codified city laws. Similar to the state code, it is compiled by subject and consists of 30 titles.

City Code Research Guide

Statutory Research Tutorial

Includes videos covering topics "What are Statutes and Where to Find Them," "Anatomy of a Code," "Finding Statutes Online," "Finding Statutes Using Print," and "Updating and Currency."