The laminins are a large family of extracellular matrix proteins that can profoundly influence development, differentiation and disease progression. The biological effects of the laminins are mediated by surface receptors that link laminin matrices to intracellular signalling pathways. Several classes of receptors, including integrins and other molecules, may cooperate to provide the specificity apparent in the diverse array of laminin-mediated phenomena. This review assesses our current understanding of laminin receptors and discusses how such receptors could recognize structural differences among the laminins and relay these differences to the cell.