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 Statutes may be amended (changed) or repealed (eliminated) by the legislature or Congress or declared unconstitutional (and thus unenforceable) by a court.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 Oklahoma, as in other states, statutes are laws that have been enacted by the state legislature or the United States Congress. These statutes address a broad range of legal issues and serve as a fundamental source of law, alongside case law and administrative regulations. Oklahoma courts interpret these statutes by seeking their clear and plain meaning. When a statute is ambiguous, courts may look into legislative intent to ascertain what the lawmakers aimed to achieve when they passed the law. Oklahoma has various codes that compile related statutes, such as the Oklahoma Penal Code, which deals with criminal offenses, or the Oklahoma Family Code, which addresses legal matters related to family law. Statutes can be modified or repealed by legislative action and may also be struck down by the courts if found to be unconstitutional. This process ensures that statutory law can evolve over time to reflect changes in societal values and legal principles.