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.
951 laws of the 1800s
Constitution of 1790
A further Supplement to the Act entitled an Act for laying out, making and keeping in repair, the public roads and highways within this commonwealth, and for laying out private roads.
Act 76 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act to authorize and direct the Governor to incorporate a company for erecting a permanent bridge over the river Schuylkill, at or near Pawling's Ford, in the counties of Montgomery and Chester.
Act 77 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act concerning contempts of court.
Act 78 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act to repeal an act, entitled "An act establishing an auction store in the borough of Lancaster."
Act 79 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An act authorizing William Lane and Thomas Davis, to build a bridge across the Raystown Branch of Juniata, near the mouth of Yellow Creek.
Act 80 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act granting to certain patentees in Luzerne county further time to record their patents.
Act 81 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
A Supplement to an act entitled "An Act to authorize the Governor to incorporate a company for making an artificial road from the Philadelphia and Lancaster turnpike road in Lancaster county, at or near the Gap Tavern, to the line of the state of Delaware
Act 82 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act to encourage and facilitate the completion of the Frankford and Bristol, and the Bustleton and Smithfield turnpike roads.
Act 83 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act for the relief of William McKibben and George Long.
Act 84 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act to authorize the Governor to incorporate a company for erecting a permanent bridge over the river Susquehanna, at or near Harrisburg, in the county of Dauphin.
Act 85 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act granting an annuity to John Craig.
Act 86 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act for the relief of John Vanlear.
Act 87 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
A Supplement to the act entitled an act to provide for the erection of a house for the employment and support of the poor in the county of Cumberland.
Act 88 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An act granting an annuity to Robert Varnor.
Act 89 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act for the relief of James Seals and Samuel Israel.
Act 90 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act to repeal so much of an act passed April fourth, one thousand eight hundred and seven, as directs the township assessors, to select and return jurors, and also allowing preemptory challenges in certain cases.
Act 91 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act to dissolve the marriage of Peter Rickenbach and Ann his wife.
Act 92 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act empowering certain trustees therein named, to convey three tracts or pieces of land, situate in Williams township in the county of Northampton, and to appropriate the monies arising from the sale thereof, for the purposes therein mentioned.
Act 93 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act to extend the powers of the Gettysburg and Petersburg turnpike company, and to enable the Governor to incorporate a company to make an artificial road from a point near Gallagher's Saw-mill, to the Borough of Chambersburg.
Act 94 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act authorizing the Governor to subscribe for one hundred shares of stock of "The Downingtown, Ephrata and Harrisburg turnpike road."
Act 95 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act granting an annuity to Samuel Brady.
Act 96 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act to afford immediate relief to Michael Lynch, a soldier in the revolutionary war, and to grant him an annuity.
Act 97 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act to authorize Samuel Ray, junior, to erect a toll bridge over French Creek, opposite Buck-street, in the town of Franklin.
Act 98 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act establishing in part and authorizing commissioners to lay out a state road from Pittsburg, through Beaver-town to the western boundary of the state.
Act 99 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act to establish an academy in the borough of Harrisburgh, in the county of Dauphin.
Act 100 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act further to extend the jurisdiction of the aldermen and justices of the peace of this commonwealth.
Act 101 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act for the further establishment and regulation of Election districts.
Act 102 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act changing the terms for holding the courts in the circuit of the sixth district, it being supplementary to an act, entitled "An act to alter the Judiciary System of this Commonwealth."
Act 103 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act supplementary to an act, entitled "An act to alter and amend the several laws of this commonwealth relative to domestic attachments."
Act 104 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act authorizing a Review of the State Road leading from Beaver-town, in the County of Beaver, to Waterford in the County of Erie.
Act 105 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act to continue in force an act entitled "An act to provide for the payment of certain balances of purchase money yet due, and remaining charged on lands which have been patented on warrants which have been obtained since surveys were originally made,
Act 106 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act granting an annuity to Hugh Quay.
Act 107 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act relative to certain proceedings in the case of the prize sloop Active.
Act 108 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act granting an annuity to George Blakely.
Act 109 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
A Supplement to and repealing part of an act, entitled "An act to encourage the patenting of lands and for other purposes."
Act 110 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act to validate and confirm the proceedings of certain Justices of the Peace in the counties of Beaver, Butler, Crawford, Erie, Mercer, Venango and Warren, in cases therein mentioned.
Act 111 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act to authorize the Governor to appoint commissioners for the purpose of laying out a State road from the Southern turnpike road in the county of Somerset or Westmoreland, to intersect the United States turnpike road from Cumberland to Wheelen in the
Act 112 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act to alter and amend an act entitled, "An act directing the mode of selling unseated land for taxes."
Act 113 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act to provide for the education of the poor gratis.
Act 114 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
A further supplement to an act, entitled "An act for the regulation of the militia of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."
Act 115 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
An Act making appropriations to defray certain expences of government, and for other purposes.
Act 116 of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
Resolution, That the secretary of the commonwealth shall distribute the laws of the United States, passed during the second session of the ninth congress, the property of this commonwealth, and the succeeding volumes of the laws of congress, which may
Resolution of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
Resolution - That the Governor be, and he hereby is required to direct the attorney-general to appear in behalf of the state, in case an application should be made to the
Resolution of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
Resolution - Embargo - The situation of the United States in relation to foreign powers is eminently critical, and calls for all their energies
Resolution of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
Resolution - That the secretary of the commonwealth, on his receiving the eighth volume of the laws of Pennsylvania, now printing by John Bioren, shall deliver six copies for the use of the senate, and twelve copies for the use of the house of
Resolution of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
Resolution - That the secretary of the commonwealth, be, and he is hereby directed to procure forty copies of Carey and Bioren's edition of the laws of this commonwealth, for the purpose of supplying the members of the present legislature, who have not
Resolution of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
Resolution - That the secretary of the commonwealth is hereby directed to procure thirty-nine copies of the minutes of the convention, including the minutes of the committee of the whole, that framed the present constitution, provided the same can be
Resolution of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
Resolution - That our senators in Congress be instructed and our representatives requested; and they are hereby so instructed and requested to use their influence to procure the passing a law establishing weights and measures.
Resolution of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
Resolution - That it shall be the duty of the secretary of the commonwealth, to forward to the prothonotaries of the several counties, a copy of the laws passed during the present session of the legislature, and likewise a copy of the laws passed at the
Resolution of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
Resolution - the Governor in a communication to the Legislature, has represented that the supreme court of the United States, has ordered a preemptory mandamus to be issued in the suit of Gideon Olmstead and other, versus Elizabeth Sergeant and Esther
Resolution of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
Resolution, That the secretary of the commonwealth shall distribute the remaining number of the digest of the laws in the German language, now in his office, and shall transmit the same at the time the laws and journals of the present session are sent to
Resolution of 1809 · 1809 · Original text
By decade
Constitution of 18741874–1967
Constitution of 17761776–1789
- 1780s 567
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.