Laws of Minnesota is an annual compilation and is often referred to as the "session laws." It contains all the acts of the Legislature as passed in each year's legislative session. Laws of a permanent nature are subsequently incorporated into Minnesota Statutes; those are coded laws. Laws of Minnesota also includes uncoded laws, including appropriations, proposed constitutional amendments, local laws, and effective date sections.

On the Minnesota Legislative Web Site, individual new laws are added as they are enacted. After each session, the new laws are proofread, indexed, and published as a compilation in print and online.

In each session law, strikeouts indicate language deleted from an existing law, and underline indicates new language. Section numbers in brackets [26.12] indicate the preliminary coding for new sections that will be included in the next edition of Minnesota Statutes.

Effective Dates

Specific effective dates are found within the relevant section, or at the end of the article containing the section, or at the end of the chapter. If a specific effective date is not provided, each act, except one making appropriations, will take effect on August 1 following its final enactment. Bills containing an item of appropriation take effect on July 1, unless otherwise specified. Each act takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day it becomes effective, unless a different time is specified in the act (see Minnesota Statute 645.02). A special law which requires approval of a local government unit becomes effective on the day following the day the certificate of approval is filed with the Minnesota Secretary of State, unless a specific later date is specified in the act. Unless otherwise provided in a special law, the law is deemed to be disapproved if the certificate of approval is not filed before the first day of the next regular session of the legislature. (See Minnesota Statutes, section 645.021 to 645.024).

Official Versions of the Laws of Minnesota

Two versions of Laws of Minnesota published by the Revisor of Statutes are official publications:

1. The first official version consists of the printed and bound paper edition of Laws of Minnesota published annually by the Revisor's office. (See, Minnesota Statutes, sections 3C.06, 3C.11, and 3C.13.)
2. The second official version consists of the online, authenticated PDFs of Minnesota Session Laws, which have been designated as official records by the Revisor of Statutes under Minnesota Statutes, 3E.04, subdivision 2.

Online versions of Minnesota session laws are available at www.revisor.mn.gov/laws. To authenticate a PDF of a session law, click on the "authenticate" link located on the upper right side of a session law web page, and follow the prompts.

To Learn More

See Statutes, Laws, and Rules from the "Frequently Asked Questions About the Minnesota Legislature" page.