The code was aimed at daimyo (Japanese feudal lords) and the vassals of Tokugawa Family and originally had thirteen articles, but was revised on the shogun's replacement, and Iemitsu TOKUGAWA, the third shogun, added the system of Sankin-kotai (Daimyo's biennial residence in Edo), the ban on building large ships etc. so they finalised version contained nineteen articles ('Kanei rei' (Kanei code)).
法度は大名、徳川家家臣を対象として、当初は13ヶ条であったが、将軍の交代とともに改訂され、3代将軍の徳川家光が参勤交代の制度や大船建造の禁などの条文を加え、19ヶ条の定型となる（「寛永令」）。