Where can I find a public law?

Congress.gov

The full text of public and private laws published by GPO are available on Congress.gov from 1951 (82nd Congress) to the present.

GovInfo.gov

U.S. public laws and private laws beginning with the 104th Congress (1995-96) can be found on the GPO's GovInfo. Browse public laws within a particular Congress, or search by date or citation.

Subscription Online Resources

The entire Statutes at Large series from 1789 to the present is available electronically on two subscription databases, HeinOnline and ProQuest Congressional, both of which are available onsite at the Library of Congress.

Print Copies

The United States Statutes at Large is the official printed source for public and private laws.  It is available in print at the Law Library of Congress, and at Federal Depository Libraries.

Volumes 1-64 (1789-1950) of the Statutes at Large are available online through the Law Library of Congress. Volumes 65 and forward (1951 to the present) are available on GPO's GovInfo.

For more information about federal statutes, visit the Law Library's research guide, Federal Statutes: A Beginner’s Guide.

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Last Updated: Sep 27, 2023
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