Born near Windsor, North Carolina in 1806, Outlaw attended private schools and academies in Bertie County.
A member of the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1831 to 1834, Outlaw was a delegate to the state constitutional convention of 1835.
In 1844, he was nominated at the Whig National Convention as their candidate for the 29th United States Congress but Outlaw was defeated in the general election.
Outlaw was renominated by the Whigs in 1852 to compete for his seat in the 33rd Congress but was defeated in the general election by his Democratic opponent, Henry Marchmore Shaw.
"[8] Outlaw served as a colonel in the Bertie County regiment of the North Carolina state militia.