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.
2,985 laws of the 1950s
Constitution of 1874
County Court of Philadelphia law - amend - number of judges
Act 501 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Liquor Code - amend - fixed sales price
Act 502 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Penal Code - amend - prohibiting delivery of liquor or malt and brewed beverages by minors
Act 503 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Liquor Code - amend - licensee cashing or handling of public assistance checks prohibited
Act 504 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Pennsylvania Soldiers' Orphans School adjacent tract acquisition law
Act 505 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Public School Code of 1949 - amend - speech and hearing rehabilitation centers, appropriation
Act 506 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Drug addicts admission or commitment law
Act 507 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Warren State Hospital contiguous tract acquisition law
Act 508 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Harrisburg State Hospital adjacent or contiguous tracts acquisition law
Act 509 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Shippensburg State Teachers College adjacent tract acquisition law
Act 510 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Hazleton State Hospital additional tracts acquisition law
Act 511 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
State Highway and Bridge Authority Act - amend - examination of accounts and books
Act 512 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
State Public School Building Authority Act - amend - examination of accounts and books
Act 513 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
First Class Township Code - amend - advertising notice of land subdivision ordinances
Act 514 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Public School Employes' Retirement Law - amend - time of election, eligibility of certain additional persons who have withdrawn from and returned to school service
Act 515 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
General County Law - amend - minimum retirement allowance, maximum retirement allowance
Act 516 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Pharmacy practice law - amend - prescription defined, State board meetings, examination, qualification of applicants for examination and registration, retail sales
Act 517 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Fire and Panic Act - amend - licensing of projectionists, Class I buildings, ways of egress
Act 518 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Public School Code of 1949 - amend - cafeterias
Act 519 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Vehicle code of 1929 - amend - vehicles and trailers loaded with logs
Act 520 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
State Highway Law - amend - second class township supervisor duties relating to vacation of public roads
Act 521 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Funeral Director Law
Act 522 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Second Class Township Code - amend - property owner protests against exercise of zoning powers
Act 523 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Mine inspectors compensation law - amend - salary
Act 524 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
State Tax Equalization Board Law - amend - salary
Act 525 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Administrative Code of 1929 - amend - Department of Welfare contracts for utilities at State institutions, payment
Act 526 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
State Employes' Retirement Law - amend - classification of county health department employees, original member time of election, transfer
Act 527 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Private trade school law - amend - agent, representation, annual license, student attendance records
Act 528 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Municipal Claim and Tax Lien Law - amend - third class city municipal authority
Act 529 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Second Class Township Code - amend - special school police
Act 530 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Public School Code of 1949 - amend - day care training centers for training mentally handicapped children
Act 531 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Thaddeus Stevens Industrial and Reform School of Pennsylvania law - amend - instruction, admissions, nonresident tuition charges
Act 532 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
General State Authority Act of 1949 - amend - examination of accounts and books
Act 533 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Anthracite coal mine law - amend - roof bolts, other practical working devices
Act 534 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Vehicle code of 1929 - amend - designation of thru highways and stop intersections in second class townships
Act 535 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Public School Code of 1949 - amend - funding civilian manpower programs
Act 536 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Pharmacy law of 1925 - amend - registered apprentices
Act 537 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Private personal care home or hospital regulation law - amend - disqualification of person refused license to work in licensed private facility
Act 538 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Pennsylvania Election Code - amend - return board
Act 539 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Pennsylvania Election Code - amend - primary election date
Act 540 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Public School Code of 1949 - amend - temporary emergency provisions
Act 541 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Administrative Code of 1929 - amend - utility service contracts
Act 542 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Coal mine electrical inspection law - amend - salary
Act 543 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Public School Code of 1949 - amend - tax duplicate additions and revisions
Act 544 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Administrative Code of 1929 - amend - Pennsylvania Securities Commission member salaries
Act 545 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Title validation law of 1951
Act 546 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Pennsylvania Turnpike Gettysburg Extension Act
Act 547 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Public School Employes' Retirement Law - amend - classification
Act 548 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Unlicensed entity injunction proceedings law - amend - activities during period of revocation or period after violation by licensee
Act 549 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Fuel Use Tax Act
Act 550 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Vehicle code of 1929 - amend - railway grade crossings
Act 551 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Municipal sewer system rentals and charges law - amend - third class cities
Act 552 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Municipal sewer system rentals and charges law - amend - contracts with authorities organized by third class cities
Act 553 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Chiropractic Registration Act of 1951 - amend - licensure without examination, license surrender and cancellation
Act 554 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Second Class Township Code - amend - sewer systems constructed by municipal authorities, connection and use by property owners who have failed or neglected to make connection, enforcement
Act 555 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Commodities sale law - amend - cubic foot, therm, liquefied petroleum gas
Act 556 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Banking Code - amend - limited investment in shares of other banking institutions
Act 557 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Tractor Code - amend - licensure under Vehicle Code, equipment
Act 558 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Osteopathic and surgical practice law - amend - osteopath annual registration deadline, fee
Act 559 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Public school employes' retirement system supplement law - amend - military service credit for qualified school employees
Act 560 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Auxiliary police law
Act 561 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Public School Code of 1949 - amend - penalty for employing full-time substitute teacher where vacancy has existed for more than one year
Act 562 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
First Class Township Code - amend - annual tax for fire apparatus purchase and maintenance
Act 563 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Game Law - amend - racoon protections removed upon notice in counties with rabies infestations
Act 564 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Compulsory arbitrations law - amend - pleadings, applicability
Act 565 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Game Law - amend - antlerless deer license and tag fees, issuance by county treasurers
Act 566 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Municipal Claim and Tax Lien Law - amend - controller stamp or facsimile signature in second class counties
Act 567 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Liquid Fuels Tax Act - amend - tractors, machinery, partial reimbursement, penalty, appropriation
Act 568 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Public School Code of 1949 - amend - special school watchmen
Act 569 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Third Class City Code - amend - compensation of recreation board officers and employees
Act 570 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Dog Law of 1921 - amend - Commonwealth payment, proof of claim for registered animal
Act 571 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
General County Law - amend - agricultural extension work appropriation
Act 572 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Intangible Personal Property Tax Law - amend - valuation of taxable shares in regulated investment company
Act 573 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Water supplier suspending service for nonpayment law - amend - third class city municipal authority, pulic utilities exemption
Act 574 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
City of Philadelphia consolidation supplement law - repealing city's right of eminent domain in adjoining counties for water supply
Act 575 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Act - amend - tractor type vehicles, accident report contents prescribed by Secretary of Revenue, disposition of fines
Act 576 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Susquehanna River toll bridge authorization law
Act 577 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Beauty Culture Law - amend - treatments given outside of shops, free educational demonstrations on Sundays
Act 578 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
General County Law - amend - second class county jail and workhouse employee disability and worker's compensation benefits
Act 579 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Department of Public Welfare revolving fund law - amend - State Council for the Blind procurement and rental fees, business enterprises regulation and supervision, Federal grant acceptance
Act 580 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Mental Health Act of 1951 - amend - psychiatrist, psychologist, institution licensure, penalty, license fee, governmental public institutions, nonprofit institutions, early treatment of mental illness, Pennhurst, emergency detention, commitment, discharge
Act 581 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Gubernatorial oath of office administration law
Act 582 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Hamburg State tuberculosis sanatorium memorial chapel construction and supervision law
Act 583 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Dog Law of 1921 - amend - Commonwealth payments for registered and unregistered cattle
Act 584 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Public School Code of 1949 - amend - associate superintendent in third class district
Act 585 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Borough of Warren Burgess and Town Council Second Avenue conveyance authorization law
Act 586 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
State employes' retirement code of 1923 - amend - membership retention, transfer to service under public school employees' retirement
Act 587 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
County treasurer deed defective acknowledgment validation law
Act 588 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Penal Code - amend - admission of children to motion picture theatres
Act 589 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Reference and Arbitration Law - amend - arbitration, fees
Act 590 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Liquor Code - amend - prohibitions against grant of distributor license and importing distributor license, stock ownership residency requirements in certain cases
Act 591 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Plumbers licensure law - amend - third class city plumbing inspector
Act 592 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Local additional tax enabling and collection law - amend - distressed school districts
Act 593 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Fourth to Eighth Class County Assessment Law - amend - uniform permanent records, chief assessor duties
Act 594 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Real Estate Tax Sale Law - amend - collection, distribution, sales, costs, deeds
Act 595 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Third Class City Code - amend - service increments
Act 596 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Anthracite mine safety law - amend - blasting, prop puller
Act 597 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Real Estate Brokers License Act of 1929 - amend - limited licensure
Act 598 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
Second Class City Employe Pension Law - amend - minimum and maximum pensions of certain fund members
Act 599 of 1951 · 1951 · Original text
State College Faculty Compensation Law
Act 600 of 1951 · 1951 · 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.