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The 1776 Philadelphia ConstitutionThe laws of the land, set down plainly — and put to the people, one provision at a time.

The Pennsylvania Register

Every law Pennsylvania has passed

55,382 acts of the General Assembly, from William Penn’s first assembly in 1682 to 2026. Until 1874 much of the Assembly’s work was “special” legislation for a single person, company or town: a divorce, a road, a tavern license. That year’s constitution barred local and special laws on most subjects, and the yearly count fell; lately it is about 150.

Not yet complete · The state has not yet digitized its session laws act by act for most years between 1851 and 1949. We filled what we could from scans of the printed volumes: every year from 1851 to 1875 and most sessions from 1877 to 1907. A computer read those titles, so they can contain misspellings, and a few acts in each year were missed. Most years from 1909 to 1949 are still thin (marked below). Every other year is complete, from 1682 through 1850 and from 1950 to today.

Clear

163 laws of the 1690s

Province of Pennsylvania

  1. About appeals to the provincial courts

    Ch. 88 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 192 · 1693 · Original text

  2. About forms of writs

    Ch. 89 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 194 · 1693 · Original text

  3. Against persons judging in their own cause

    Ch. 90 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 195 · 1693 · Original text

  4. Against abusing of magistrates

    Ch. 91 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 195 · 1693 · Original text

  5. Against immoderate fines

    Ch. 92 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 196 · 1693 · Original text

  6. About bailing prisoners

    Ch. 93 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 196 · 1693 · Original text

  7. About the manner of giving evidence and against such as lie in conversation

    Ch. 94 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 196 · 1693 · Original text

  8. About appraisers

    Ch. 95 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 197 · 1693 · Original text

  9. About marriages

    Ch. 96 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 198 · 1693 · Original text

  10. Concerning the growth and produce of the country to be current pay

    Ch. 97 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 199 · 1693 · Original text

  11. About assize of bread

    Ch. 98 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 199 · 1693 · Original text

  12. About testates and intestates estates

    Ch. 99 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 201 · 1693 · Original text

  13. About killing of wolves

    Ch. 100 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 203 · 1693 · Original text

  14. About building bridges

    Ch. 101 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 203 · 1693 · Original text

  15. About county levies

    Ch. 102 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 204 · 1693 · Original text

  16. About wears

    Ch. 103 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 205 · 1693 · Original text

  17. Against hogs going at large in Philadelphia or New Castle towns

    Ch. 104 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 206 · 1693 · Original text

  18. About officers fees

    Ch. 105 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 207 · 1693 · Original text

  19. About ferries

    Ch. 106 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 209 · 1693 · Original text

  20. About the custom of the country to servants

    Ch. 107 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 210 · 1693 · Original text

  21. About recording deeds, etc.

    Ch. 108 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 210 · 1693 · Original text

  22. Against cutting timber trees

    Ch. 109 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 211 · 1693 · Original text

  23. About education of youth

    Ch. 110 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 211 · 1693 · Original text

  24. About rates of money

    Ch. 111 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 212 · 1693 · Original text

  25. Granting to King Wm and Queen Mary the rate of 1 penny per pound upon the clear value of all the real and personal estates and 6 shillings per head upon such as are not otherwise rated by this act to be employed by the governor of this province

    Ch. 112 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 213 · 1693 · Original text

  26. About factors and their employers

    Ch. 113 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 217 · 1693 · Original text

  27. About casks and packing meat for transportation

    Ch. 114 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 218 · 1693 · Original text

  28. About trading with Indians

    Ch. 115 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 219 · 1693 · Original text

  29. About whalers

    Ch. 116 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 220 · 1693 · Original text

  30. Regulating weights and measures

    Ch. 117 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 221 · 1694 · Original text

  31. About tobacco: hogsheads

    Ch. 118 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 222 · 1694 · Original text

  32. About importation of tobacco by land from Maryland

    Ch. 119 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 223 · 1694 · Original text

  33. Against usury

    Ch. 120 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 223 · 1694 · Original text

  34. About taking land in execution for debts, etc.

    Ch. 121 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 224 · 1694 · Original text

  35. About sale of intestates lands by the widow or administrator

    Ch. 122 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 225 · 1694 · Original text

  36. Raising the rate of 1 penny per pound and 6 shillings per head upon such as are not otherwise rated thereby to be employed by the governor for the time being as is hereinafter limited and appointed

    Ch. 123 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 226 · 1696 · Original text

  37. Raising county levies

    Ch. 124 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 230 · 1696 · Original text

  38. Preventing of hogs, etc. running at large in the town of Chester

    Ch. 125 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 234 · 1696 · Original text

  39. Preventing of accidents that may happen by fire in the towns of Philadelphia and New Castle

    Ch. 126 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 235 · 1696 · Original text

  40. Ratifying and confirming the acts and proceedings of the assembly in 1696

    Ch. 127 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 236 · 1697 · Original text

  41. Encouragement and support of the post office

    Ch. 128 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 237 · 1697 · Original text

  42. Speedy collection of the arrears of the assessment laid in 1696

    Ch. 129 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 238 · 1697 · Original text

  43. About testate and intestates estates

    Ch. 130 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 240 · 1697 · Original text

  44. Against swine running at large in the county of Bucks, etc.

    Ch. 131 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 243 · 1697 · Original text

  45. About married women having children in the absence of their husbands

    Ch. 132 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 243 · 1697 · Original text

  46. Against swearing

    Ch. 133 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 244 · 1697 · Original text

  47. Enabling the justices of the peace for the county of Chester to sell the old court-house at Chester towards paying of some of the said county debts

    Ch. 134 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 245 · 1697 · Original text

  48. Confirming the laws of this government

    Ch. 135 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 246 · 1698 · Original text

  49. Preventing frauds and regulating abuses in trade within this province of Pennsilvania and counties annexed

    Ch. 136 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 246 · 1698 · Original text

  50. Continuation of an act entitled the law for the speedy collecting the arrearages of the assessment laid in 1696

    Ch. 137 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 254 · 1698 · Original text

  51. Supplemental to the laws against robbing and stealing

    Ch. 138 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 254 · 1698 · Original text

  52. Encourage bringing in of money to promote trade and make payments more easy within this province and territories

    Ch. 139 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 256 · 1698 · Original text

  53. Regulating streets and water courses in the cities and towns of this government

    Ch. 140 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 257 · 1698 · Original text

  54. Concerning elections of representatives in council and assembly

    Ch. 141 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 259 · 1699 · Original text

  55. Continuation of an act entitled the law for the speedy collecting the arrearages of the assessment laid in the year 1696

    Ch. 142 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 261 · 1699 · Original text

  56. Raising the rate of 1 penny per pound and 6 shillings per head for the support of the government and the payment of the debts and defraying the necessary charges thereof

    Ch. 143 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 261 · 1699 · Original text

  57. Regulating bread flour and tobacco casks to a certain gauge the better to enforce a law made in the year 1693 entitled the law about casks and packing meat for transportation

    Ch. 144 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 265 · 1699 · Original text

  58. Against pirates and privateers

    Ch. 145 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 267 · 1699 · Original text

  59. Empowering the justices in each county to lay out and confirm all roads except Kings highways or public roads

    Ch. 146 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 269 · 1699 · Original text

  60. Regulating ordinarys

    Ch. 147 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 270 · 1699 · Original text

  61. Appointing an officer to rectify and stamp all money weights

    Ch. 148 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 271 · 1699 · Original text

  62. Prevent the running of stone horses at large

    Ch. 149 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 272 · 1699 · Original text

  63. About attachments and summons

    Ch. 150 · 1 Pa. Stat. at Large 273 · 1699 · Original text

By decade

Constitution of 19681968–today

Constitution of 18741874–1967

Constitution of 18381838–1873

Constitution of 17901790–1837

Constitution of 17761776–1789

Province of Pennsylvania1682–1775

1682–1801: the Statutes at Large of Pennsylvania. 1802–1974: the Pamphlet Laws (Laws of the General Assembly). Both from the scans published by the Pennsylvania Legislative Reference Bureau, which link to each original page. 1975 onward: the General Assembly’s own record of legislation enacted, which adds approval dates and bill numbers. Years the Bureau hasn’t indexed act by act come from the annual Laws of the General Assembly as scanned by the Internet Archive and Google Books: we split each volume into acts by their approval lines, and each one links to its scanned page. Before 1975 each year’s appropriation acts were scanned as one bundle, so they aren’t listed one by one. Proposed constitutional amendments, vetoed bills and reorganization plans are left out. Subject lines are the Bureau’s and the General Assembly’s, not the laws’ full titles.