Statute vs Ordinance: What’s the Difference?

The difference at a glance

A statute is a formal law passed by a legislative body at the state or national level. An ordinance is typically a local law or regulation enacted by a municipality or city council.

What does Statute mean?

noun · /ˈstætʃ.uːt/

A written law passed by a legislative body and formally signed into force. Statutes are the primary source of law in most modern states — as opposed to common law, which develops through court decisions.

Statute in a sentence

The statute was clear on the matter, but enforcement varied by jurisdiction — the gap between law and practice.

She spent three years lobbying for a statute that would have changed the legal landscape for caregivers.

What does Ordinance mean?

noun · /ˈɔːr.dɪ.nəns/

A law or regulation enacted by a local authority — a city, municipality, or governing body — as distinct from national legislation. Also: an authoritative order or decree. The ordinance governs the specific, the local, the particular.

Ordinance in a sentence

The city passed an ordinance banning single-use plastics in restaurants.

His business was in violation of three separate ordinances he'd never heard of.

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