Displayed below are all factor results grouped by category for all 50 states. Grading scales start at zero and go from worst to best
| State | State | A1 | A1 Does state law allow some or all municipalities to enact municipal charters and codes? | A2 | A2 Does state law permit municipalities to enact provisions that regulate the same or similar conduct as state laws? | A3 | A3 Does state law create, or permit municipalities to create, municipal courts? | A4 | A4 What does state law grant municipal courts jurisdiction over? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Alabama | 1 | 1 - no | 1 | 1 - state law silent | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - all municipal code prosecutions |
| Alaska | Alaska | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - no | 3 | 3 - no municipal court system |
| Arizona | Arizona | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - all municipal code prosecutions and some state cases, such as certain state law misdemeanors |
| Arkansas | Arkansas | 1 | 1 - no | 1 | 1 - state law silent | 1 | 1 - no | 3 | 3 - no municipal court system |
| California | California | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - state law silent | 1 | 1 - no | 3 | 3 - no municipal court system |
| Colorado | Colorado | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - all municipal code prosecutions |
| Connecticut | Connecticut | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - no | 3 | 3 - no municipal court system |
| Delaware | Delaware | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - state law silent | 0 | 0 - yes | 2 | 2 - some but not all municipal code prosecutions |
| Florida | Florida | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - no | 3 | 3 - no municipal court system |
| Georgia | Georgia | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - all municipal code prosecutions and some state cases, such as certain state law misdemeanors |
| Hawaii | Hawaii | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - no | 3 | 3 - no municipal court system |
| Idaho | Idaho | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - no | 3 | 3 - no municipal court system |
| Illinois | Illinois | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - no | 3 | 3 - no municipal court system |
| Indiana | Indiana | 0 | 0 - yes | 2 | 2 - no | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - all municipal code prosecutions and some state cases, such as certain state law misdemeanors |
| Iowa | Iowa | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - no | 3 | 3 - no municipal court system |
| Kansas | Kansas | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - all municipal code prosecutions and some state cases, such as certain state law misdemeanors |
| Kentucky | Kentucky | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - no | 3 | 3 - no municipal court system |
| Louisiana | Louisiana | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - all municipal code prosecutions and some state cases, such as certain state law misdemeanors |
| Maine | Maine | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - state law silent | 1 | 1 - no | 3 | 3 - no municipal court system |
| Maryland | Maryland | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - state law silent | 1 | 1 - no | 3 | 3 - no municipal court system |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - state law silent | 1 | 1 - no | 3 | 3 - no municipal court system |
| Michigan | Michigan | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - state law silent | 1 | 1 - no | 3 | 3 - no municipal court system |
| Minnesota | Minnesota | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - state law silent | 1 | 1 - no | 3 | 3 - no municipal court system |
| Mississippi | Mississippi | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - state law silent | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - all municipal code prosecutions and some state cases, such as certain state law misdemeanors |
| Missouri | Missouri | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - all municipal code prosecutions |
| Montana | Montana | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - all municipal code prosecutions |
| Nebraska | Nebraska | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - state law silent | 1 | 1 - no | 3 | 3 - no municipal court system |
| Nevada | Nevada | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - all municipal code prosecutions and some state cases, such as certain state law misdemeanors |
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - state law silent | 1 | 1 - no | 3 | 3 - no municipal court system |
| New Jersey | New Jersey | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - state law silent | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - all municipal code prosecutions and some state cases, such as certain state law misdemeanors |
| New Mexico | New Mexico | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - state law silent | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - all municipal code prosecutions |
| New York | New York | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - all municipal code prosecutions and some state cases, such as certain state law misdemeanors |
| North Carolina | North Carolina | 1 | 1 - no | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - no | 3 | 3 - no municipal court system |
| North Dakota | North Dakota | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - state law silent | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - all municipal code prosecutions and some state cases, such as certain state law misdemeanors |
| Ohio | Ohio | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - state law silent | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - all municipal code prosecutions and some state cases, such as certain state law misdemeanors |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - state law silent | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - all municipal code prosecutions |
| Oregon | Oregon | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - state law silent | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - all municipal code prosecutions and some state cases, such as certain state law misdemeanors |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - state law silent | 1 | 1 - no | 3 | 3 - no municipal court system |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island | 0 | 0 - yes | 2 | 2 - no | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - all municipal code prosecutions and some state cases, such as certain state law misdemeanors |
| South Carolina | South Carolina | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - state law silent | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - all municipal code prosecutions and some state cases, such as certain state law misdemeanors |
| South Dakota | South Dakota | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - no | 3 | 3 - no municipal court system |
| Tennessee | Tennessee | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - all municipal code prosecutions |
| Texas | Texas | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - state law silent | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - all municipal code prosecutions and some state cases, such as certain state law misdemeanors |
| Utah | Utah | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - state law silent | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - all municipal code prosecutions and some state cases, such as certain state law misdemeanors |
| Vermont | Vermont | 1 | 1 - no | 1 | 1 - state law silent | 1 | 1 - no | 3 | 3 - no municipal court system |
| Virginia | Virginia | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - no | 3 | 3 - no municipal court system |
| Washington | Washington | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - state law silent | 0 | 0 - yes | 0 | 0 - all municipal code prosecutions and some state cases, such as certain state law misdemeanors |
| West Virginia | West Virginia | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - state law silent | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - all municipal code prosecutions |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - state law silent | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - all municipal code prosecutions |
| Wyoming | Wyoming | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - state law silent | 0 | 0 - yes | 1 | 1 - all municipal code prosecutions |
Tally |
A1 Totals0 - yes: 46 1 - no: 4 |
A2 Totals0 - yes: 21 1 - state law silent: 27 2 - no: 2 |
A3 Totals0 - yes: 28 1 - no: 22 |
A4 Totals0 - all municipal code prosecutions and some state cases, such as certain state law misdemeanors: 17 1 - all municipal code prosecutions: 10 2 - some but not all municipal code prosecutions: 1 3 - no municipal court system: 22 |
Global Notes
State law, as used here, encompasses a state’s constitution and statutes. It does not include case law, regulations or other potential sources of law.
Factor coding is based on states’ regulations of municipalities (i.e., cities, towns and villages, but not counties), which may not reflect local ordinances, policies or practices.
Coding reflects broad categorizations of complex state laws. For a fuller and more nuanced picture of the legal landscape, see the “Justification” tab in the Data and Codebook available for download on this page.