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 Statutes may be amended (changed) or repealed (eliminated) by the legislature or Congress or declared unconstitutional (and thus unenforceable) by a court.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 Michigan, as in all states, statutes are laws that have been enacted by the state legislature or the United States Congress. These laws encompass a broad range of legal subjects and are a fundamental source of legal authority. Michigan courts interpret these statutes when resolving legal disputes by applying the law to the specific facts of each case. When a statute's language is clear and unambiguous, courts will generally apply the statute according to its plain meaning. However, if a statute is ambiguous, Michigan courts may look into legislative history and intent to interpret the law. Michigan's statutes are organized into compiled laws known as the Michigan Compiled Laws (MCL), which are divided into various codes addressing different areas of law, such as the penal code for criminal laws, the family code for family law matters, and the code of civil procedure for rules governing civil court proceedings. Statutes can be modified or repealed by the legislature, and they can also be struck down by the courts if found to be unconstitutional.