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State Constitutions: State Constitutional Text

Information on researching state constitutions and their history. Includes a 50-State A to Z list of resources for finding the full text of state constitutions, information on amendment process, pending and historical amendments, artifacts and documents.

Finding the Text of State Constitutions

Official state websites

  • Find links to constitution texts at official state websites in the A to Z pages of this research guide.

Statutory codes

  • Nexis Uni

    • Menu > All Sources > Narrow by Category Statutes and Legislation Narrow by Category Constitutions > Select individual state constitution (Get more information; Get documents; Add to search; or Add to Favorites) or “Add All These as Search Filters.”

  • Westlaw's constitutions are included within individual statutory databases.
  • In Lexis you can choose a file containing only the constitution or a file containing both constitutions and statutes.
  • If you are doing comparative research, you can find 50-state constitutions databases in the following:
    • Nexis Uni: US Legal > State Statutes, Codes & Regulations > Search all State Codes in Advanced Search
    • Westlaw: State Constitutions for all 50 States & D.C. (ST-CONST)
    • Lexis: Combined constitutions of the 50 states, Puerto Rico, & Virgin Islands (STCNST)
  • Bloomberg Law > Getting Started > Statutes & Regulations
  • Research Tip: the text of state constitutions found in the annotated editions of state codes is accompanied by notes of court decisions and citations to attorney general opinions and citations to secondary sources (treatises, law journal articles, ALR and legal encyclopedias).

Constitutions of the United States, National and State (2d ed. 1974-).

  • This seven-volume set provides complete access to American constitutions, including: the U.S. constitution, each of the 50 state constitutions, plus constitutions of 15 U.S. territories.
  • Locations:
    • Law Library Reference  KF4530 .C6 1974 (print is current through 2009).
    • Available online (accessible from the Law Library only).