Tribal Laws/Codes

The National Indian Law Library (NILL) of the Native American Rights Fund is a law library devoted to federal Indian and tribal law. NILL maintains an extensive collection of Indian law resources including nearly 200 tribal codes. NILL also assists people with their Indian law-related research needs. NILL lists tribal codes on the Tribal Law Gateway. The Tribal Law Gateway also allows you to search for Tribal Law Materials by Tribe.
The Native American Constitution and Law Digitization Project is a joint project of the University of Oklahoma Law School, the National Indian Law Library (NILL) of the Native American Rights Fund, and Native American tribes. The Project provides access to Constitutions, Tribal Codes, and other legal documents.

TLPI Tribal Legal Code Development Series

Tribal Law and Policy Institute (TLPI) has an extensive Tribal Legal Code Development Series including the following.

Laws Implementing TLOA Enhanced Sentencing and VAWA Enhanced Jurisdiction is designed to provide guidance for Native nations interested in implementing enhanced sentencing under the Tribal Law and Order Act and/or the special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction under the 2013 Violence Against Women Act (Updated 2016).
Sexual Assault and Stalking Laws is designed to assist Native nations interested in developing or revising victim-centered laws on sexual assault and stalking. This resource includes sample language and exercise questions designed to guide discussion on what laws will best reflect tribal values. Originally published in 2008, this resource was revised and updated to reflect innovations in tribal law and new federal requirements (updated 2017).
Domestic Violence Laws is designed to offer suggestions on how tribal domestic violence laws can be drafted in a way that provides safety and support for the survivors of domestic violence (updated 2015)
Juvenile Delinquency and Status Offense Laws is designed to assist Native nations in drafting or revising their juvenile statutes as part of the development or reform of their juvenile justice system. Topics covered range from criminal offenses, to non-delinquency proceedings to integrating culture and tradition (2015).
Civil Dependency and Related Laws is designed to assist Native nations in drafting or revising their civil dependency laws as part of the development or reform of their child welfare system. Topics covered range from incorporating custom and tradition, to child-in-need-of-assistance proceedings to foster care in Native nations (2017).
Laws on Crimes Against Children is designed to provide a process for enacting a culturally-appropriate criminal code that address the victimization of tribal children. This resource attempts to balance the goals of protecting the sacredness of children while also assuring due process protections for the accused (2008).

Sample or Model Codes

The following sample or model codes were not developed for any specific Indian Nation, but were intended to be used by tribal governments as a starting point which is to be built upon, modified and adapted according to the needs and customs of each individual Indian Nation. The majority of these sample codes provide options and commentaries for tribes to consider in evaluating and adapting the code to meet their specific needs.

Model Tribal Sex Offender Registration Code(2017) was developed by the SMART Office, with the assistance of a national panel of experts, to assist tribal jurisdictions implement SORNA. We recommend that any Model Code, including this final version, be utilized as a guide and that each jurisdiction adapt and customize to their laws and practices.
Sample Tribal Judicial Codeis a sample judicial code developed by the Tanana Chiefs Conference. It is intended for Alaska Native tribes, and covers tribal court structure, court procedures, court of appeals, and youth courts.
Model Indian Juvenile Code(2016) was recently developed by the University of Washington Center for Indigenous Research & Justice. The model code was originally developed pursuant to Congressional mandate in 1986, and updated pursuant to an interagency memorandum of agreement between the Department of Interior, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Health and Human Services.
Model Tribal Domestic Violence Full Faith and Credit Ordinance(2000) was developed by the Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse (MINCAVA). The chapter is aimed towards ensuring domestic violence protection orders issued by other jurisdictions are honored and enforced the tribal court and tribal law enforcement.

Additional Resources

Code Development: Process and Structure by American Indian Development Associates provides tribal juvenile code writers and developers an overview of issues to consider in the code development process.

Tribal Legal Code Project (1999) was developed by the Tribal Law and Policy Institute for the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Native American Programs (ONAP) including a comprehensive revised Tribal Housing Code along with expanded tribal legal resource materials – such as zoning, land use and planning, building, commercial, corporations, environmental review, and probate codes - that could be used to facilitate housing and community development in Indian country.

Tribal Laws/Codes

Other Resources for Tribal Law/Codes

TLPI Tribal Legal Code Development Series

Sample or Model Codes

Additional Resources

Tribal Law and Policy Institute (TLPI) Links

TLPI Websites

TLPI Publications By Subject

TLPI Publications By Series

Native Law Blogs