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 Statutes may be amended (changed) or repealed (eliminated) by the legislature or Congress or declared unconstitutional (and thus unenforceable) by a court.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 Montana, as in other states, statutes are laws that have been enacted by the state legislature or by the United States Congress. These laws encompass a broad range of legal subjects and are a fundamental source of legal authority. When resolving legal disputes, Montana courts interpret and apply these statutes to the facts of each case. The courts strive to discern the clear and plain meaning of the statutory language. If a statute is found to be ambiguous, the courts may look into legislative history and other interpretive aids to ascertain the legislative intent behind the statute. Montana has organized its statutes into various codes, such as the Montana Code Annotated, which includes titles like the penal code, family code, and code of civil procedure. These statutes can be modified or repealed by the Montana Legislature and, similarly, federal statutes can be changed or nullified by Congress. Additionally, statutes can be struck down by the judiciary if deemed unconstitutional, rendering them unenforceable.