Statutes Explained: Plain-English Guides to Major US Laws

When a court filing, a news story, or a form cites a statute by number, the number alone tells you almost nothing. These guides translate the most-searched statute citations into plain English: what each law actually says, how courts have applied it, and what it means for you in practice.

Every explainer on this page is grounded in recordinglaw.com's own legal record. Each page carries the official statutory text we hold on file, live citation statistics from our index of more than 10 million court decisions, the leading cases that shaped the statute, and cross-references to the related laws it works alongside.

Federal Statutes

42 U.S.C. § 1983 - Civil Rights Lawsuits. The statute behind most lawsuits against police officers and state and local officials for constitutional violations: who can be sued, qualified immunity, and what a claim takes.

18 U.S.C. § 922 - Federal Gun Law. The federal firearm statute: the nine prohibited-person categories, background checks, straw purchases, and the fast-moving Second Amendment challenges reshaping it.

18 U.S.C. § 2511 - The Federal Wiretap Act's Core Section. The one-party-consent rule for recording calls and conversations, the exceptions, and the criminal and civil penalties for illegal interception.

5 U.S.C. § 552 - FOIA. The Freedom of Information Act: how to request federal records, the nine exemptions, deadlines, fees, and appeals.

15 U.S.C. § 1681 - The Fair Credit Reporting Act. Credit reports, background checks, the seven-year rule, disputes, and what a consumer can recover when a company breaks the rules.

11 U.S.C. § 362 - The Bankruptcy Automatic Stay. The instant protection that stops collections, foreclosures, and lawsuits the moment a bankruptcy case is filed, and its limits for repeat filers.

47 U.S.C. § 227 - The TCPA. The federal robocall and spam-text law, including the 500 dollar per-violation private right of action.

45 C.F.R. § 164.512 - HIPAA Disclosures Without Authorization. When health providers may share medical records without patient permission: law enforcement, courts, public health, and more.

State Statutes

California Penal Code § 632 - Eavesdropping and Recording. California's two-party consent rule for confidential conversations, its penalties, and the civil lawsuits it powers.

Ohio Revised Code § 149.43 - Ohio Public Records. Ohio's public records act: what is public, the exemptions, and the two enforcement paths when an office refuses.

Look Up Any Law We Track

These guides cover the statutes people search most, but the underlying legal record is far larger. Search the full statute library to find the text of state and federal laws across all 50 states.

Disclaimer

These guides provide general legal information about the statutes they cover, verified against primary sources on the dates noted on each page. They are not legal advice and do not create an attorney-client relationship. For advice about a specific situation, consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction.

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Last updated: August 12, 2026.