This legal research guide provides information on both official and unofficial codified laws, session laws, statutory revisions, and the constitutions.
Official codifications are compilations of the laws in force, arranged in a systematic way, and approved by the Texas Legislature. These state-approved codifications first began to be published in 1856. Request at the front desk.
The legislature authorized the revision of the statutes and eventually adopted two codes—Penal and Criminal Procedure. Often cited as "O.C." These two codes were the first official codified statutes produced by the legislature.
The State Law Library provides free public access to digitized copies of historical Texas statutes from 1879 through 1984.
1925-current — Vernon’s Texas Statutes Annotated
Often referred to as “Vernon’s black statutes”, so named for its black binding and original publisher. Vernon published the Texas statutes for 40 years before being absorbed by the West Publishing Company in 1969, but the statutes are still known by this nickname.
1936-1974 — Vernon’s Centennial editions
Unannotated recompilations sometimes called the “red statutes”— also derived from the color of the binding. Only the 1936 and 1948 editions republish all articles in force. Accompanying supplements provide updates for the interim years.
1974-current — West’s Texas Statutes and Codes
Unannotated recompilations. For the period 1974-1984, only the 1974 and 1984 editions are full recompilations, with supplementary volumes providing updates for the interim years. From 1985 to present, the volumes are published every two years.
