Statutes are laws passed by state legislatures (state laws) and by the United States Congress (federal laws). Statutes are one of the primary sources of law in the United States (sometimes referred to as statutory law) and cover a wide variety of legal topics. Courts often rely on statutes to resolve legal disputes (lawsuits) by applying the relevant statutes to the particular set of factual circumstances underlying the dispute.

Courts generally seek the clear and plain meaning of a statute, and if the court finds a statute ambiguous or “ambiguous on its face” (looking only at the words as written) the court may attempt to determine what the legislature intended in enacting the statute—known as legislative intent.

Related statutes are sometimes compiled in groups and referred to as codes—such as the penal code, the family code, or the code of civil procedure. Statutes may be amended (changed) or repealed (eliminated) by the legislature or Congress or declared unconstitutional (and thus unenforceable) by a court.

In Iowa, as in all states, statutes are laws enacted by the state legislature and are a fundamental source of legal authority alongside federal laws passed by the United States Congress. These statutes encompass a broad range of legal areas and are essential for resolving disputes in courts. Iowa courts interpret statutes by seeking their clear and plain meaning. When a statute is ambiguous, courts may look into legislative intent to ascertain what the Iowa legislature aimed to achieve when passing the law. Iowa has various codes that compile related statutes, such as the Iowa Code, which includes the penal code, family code, and code of civil procedure, among others. These codes are organized to facilitate legal research and application. Statutes in Iowa can be amended or repealed by the state legislature and, like federal statutes, can be declared unconstitutional by the judiciary if they violate the U.S. Constitution or the Iowa Constitution.