Problem setting. The article reveals the peculiarities of the development of budget law in the Russian Empire in the context of budgetary and legal reform in the period from 1860 to 1890. It has significant historical and legal significance, as today it remains the focus of many researchers who study various aspects of contemporary life from a historical, legal, political and even political point of view. The purpose of the article is to analyze the peculiarities of the development of budget law in the Russian Empire in the conditions of budgetary and legal reform in the period from 1860 to 1890. Article’s main body. It is emphasized that Ukraine is currently facing a new challenge for further modernization of the financial system, so the analysis and experience of financial system reform carried out in the Russian Empire in the second half of the XIX – early XX century is very relevant. In the process of studying the legal regulation of budgetary relations in the Russian Empire, the results of the reform developed four principles to be met by the budget: (a) unity of the budget, (b) completeness of the budget, (c) reality (truthfulness) of the budget, (d) publicity of the budget. The content of the budget reform of 1862 is most clearly revealed through the analysis of the legal consolidation of these principles. The unity of the budget consists both in a unified procedure for drawing up the budget and in a single budget document. In fact, it is a question of existence of one budget in which all incomes and expenses of the state are reflected. Conclusions. It is noted that as a result of the reform of legal regulation of budgetary relations in the state there is such a branch of law as budget law, a set of laws that determine the procedure for drawing up, reviewing, approving and implementing the budget. In addition, the procedure for drawing up, reviewing and approving the budget, the range of authorized persons involved in each of these stages is determined. Keywords: budget law, budget reform, development of budget law, Russian Empire.