Tracking Abortion Laws Across the Country
Where abortion bans are in effect
Full ban
Six weeks
12 weeks
18 weeks
Ala.
Ark.
Fla.
Ga.
Idaho
Ind.
Iowa
Ky.
La.
Miss.
Neb.
N.C.
Okla.
S.C.
S.D.
Tenn.
Texas
Utah
W.Va.
Latest updates
- The Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down an 1849 abortion ban on Wednesday, ending years of legal uncertainty on whether the ban could be enforced. In 2023, a state judge had ruled that the law did not apply to abortion.
- A constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights in Montana, passed by voters last year, went into effect on July 1.
Nineteen states ban abortion or restrict the procedure earlier in pregnancy than the standard set by Roe v. Wade, which governed reproductive rights for nearly half a century until the Supreme Court overturned the decision in 2022.
In some states, the fight over abortion access is still taking place in courtrooms, where advocates have sued to block bans and restrictions. Other states have moved to expand access to abortion by adopting constitutional amendments or adding legal protections.
The New York Times is tracking abortion laws in each state after the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which ended the constitutional right to an abortion.
Where abortion is legal
Abortion is broadly legal in 31 states and Washington, D.C. In Wyoming, the procedure remains legal for now as courts determine whether separate laws banning most abortions can take effect.
More than half of the states where abortion is legal limit the procedure to around fetal “viability,” the point at which a fetus could survive outside the uterus, or around 24 weeks of pregnancy.
Where abortion is legal
Legal
Ban blocked
Alaska
Ariz.
Calif.
Colo.
Conn.
Del.
Hawaii
Ill.
Kan.
Maine
Md.
Mass.
Mich.
Minn.
Mo.
Mont.
Nev.
N.H.
N.J.
N.M.
N.Y.
N.D.
Ohio
Ore.
Pa.
R.I.
Vt.
Va.
Wash.
Wis.
Wyo.
Where laws protect providers and patients
Dozens of states have added protections since the Dobbs decision in an effort to preserve or expand access to abortion. Many have passed abortion shield laws, which provide legal protections for both patients and providers in states where abortion is legal.
Eight states have gone even further by enacting telemedicine shield laws, which aim to protect doctors and others who prescribe and send abortion pills in the mail to patients located in states with bans.
States with abortion shield laws
Shield law or order
Additional protections for telemedicine
Ariz.
Calif.
Colo.
Conn.
Del.
Hawaii
Ill.
Maine
Md.
Mass.
Mich.
Minn.
Nev.
N.J.
N.M.
N.Y.
N.C.
Ore.
Pa.
R.I.
Vt.
Wash.
State details
More details on the current status of abortion in each state are below.
| State | Status of abortion | Legal until | More details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ala. Alabama | Banned | — | Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. |
| Ark. Arkansas | Banned | — | Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. |
| Idaho Idaho | Banned | — | Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. In March, the Trump administration dropped a Biden-era lawsuit that claimed the state’s ban violated a federal law requiring emergency care for any patient. Idaho’s largest health system has sued the state to protect doctors who perform an abortion in an emergency. |
| Ind. Indiana | Banned | — | Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. In 2023, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled that the state Constitution does not include a right to abortion except in dire situations. A separate challenge to the ban by residents who argue that it violates their religious rights is ongoing. |
| Ky. Kentucky | Banned | — | Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. In 2022, voters rejected a ballot measure that would have amended the state Constitution to say it did not contain the right to an abortion. |
| La. Louisiana | Banned | — | Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. |
| Miss. Mississippi | Banned | — | Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. |
| Okla. Oklahoma | Banned | — | Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. |
| S.D. South Dakota | Banned | — | Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. In 2024, voters rejected a ballot measure that would have prohibited regulation of abortion in the first trimester. |
| Tenn. Tennessee | Banned | — | Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. |
| Texas Texas | Banned | — | Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. Private citizens can sue abortion providers and those who assist patients who are seeking an abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy. |
| W.Va. West Virginia | Banned | — | Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. |
| Fla. Florida | Gestational limit | 6 weeks | Abortion is banned after about six weeks of pregnancy. In 2024, a majority of voters supported a ballot measure that would have enshrined the right to abortion in the state Constitution, but it fell short of the 60 percent needed to win. |
| Ga. Georgia | Gestational limit | 6 weeks | Abortion is banned after about six weeks of pregnancy while the Georgia Supreme Court considers an appeal to a lower court decision that ruled the ban violated the state Constitution. |
| Iowa Iowa | Gestational limit | 6 weeks | Abortion is banned after about six weeks of pregnancy. The Iowa Supreme Court found that the state Constitution does not protect a right to abortion. |
| S.C. South Carolina | Gestational limit | 6 weeks | Abortion is banned after about six weeks of pregnancy. The South Carolina Supreme Court upheld the ban in 2023, finding that the state Constitution’s privacy protections do not extend to abortion. |
| Neb. Nebraska | Gestational limit | 12 weeks | Abortion is banned after 12 weeks of pregnancy. In 2024, a majority of voters supported a ballot measure to enshrine the state’s abortion ban in the state Constitution. Support for an opposing measure to protect abortion fell short. |
| N.C. North Carolina | Gestational limit | 12 weeks | Abortion is banned after 12 weeks of pregnancy. An executive order shields those seeking or providing abortions in North Carolina from laws in other states. |
| Utah Utah | Gestational limit | 18 weeks | Abortion is banned after 18 weeks of pregnancy. The Utah Supreme Court upheld a block on a near-total ban while a challenge to the law proceeds in a lower court. |
| Wyo. Wyoming | Ban blocked | Viability | Two laws banning most abortions and a separate ban on abortion pills have been blocked by courts. |
| Ariz. Arizona | Legal | Viability | Voters enshrined abortion protections in the state Constitution in 2024. State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Arizona from laws in other states. |
| Alaska Alaska | Legal | No limit | The State Supreme Court has recognized a right to “reproductive choice” under the state Constitution. |
| Calif. California | Legal | Viability | The California Supreme Court has recognized a right to abortion and voters explicitly enshrined abortion protections in the state Constitution in 2022. State law shields those seeking or providing abortions in California from laws in other states, regardless of the patient’s location. |
| Colo. Colorado | Legal | No limit | Voters enshrined abortion protections in the state Constitution in 2024. State law shields those seeking or providing abortions in Colorado from laws in other states, regardless of the patient’s location. |
| Conn. Connecticut | Legal | Viability | State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Connecticut from laws in other states. |
| Del. Delaware | Legal | Viability | State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Delaware from laws in other states. |
| Hawaii Hawaii | Legal | Viability | State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Hawaii from laws in other states. |
| Ill. Illinois | Legal | Viability | The State Supreme Court has recognized abortion protections under the state Constitution. State law protects the procedure and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Illinois from laws in other states. |
| Kan. Kansas | Legal | 22 weeks | The State Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that a pregnant woman’s right to personal autonomy is protected in the state Constitution, and in 2022, Kansans rejected a ballot measure that would have removed the right to abortion from the state Constitution. |
| Maine Maine | Legal | Viability | A law shields those seeking or providing abortions in Maine from laws in other states, regardless of the patient’s location. A 2023 law allows an abortion past the point of fetal viability if a doctor decides it is medically necessary. |
| Md. Maryland | Legal | No limit | Voters enshrined abortion protections in the state Constitution in 2024. State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Maryland from laws in other states. |
| Mass. Massachusetts | Legal | Viability | The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has recognized the right to abortion under the state Constitution. State law shields those seeking or providing abortions in Massachusetts from laws in other states, regardless of the patient’s location. |
| Mich. Michigan | Legal | No limit | Voters enshrined abortion protections in the state Constitution in 2022. State law protects abortion and an executive order shields those seeking or providing abortions in Michigan from laws in other states. |
| Minn. Minnesota | Legal | No limit | The State Supreme Court has recognized the right to abortion under the state Constitution. State law protects a right to reproductive care and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Minnesota from laws in other states. |
| Mo. Missouri | Legal | Viability | Voters enshrined abortion protections in the state Constitution in 2024. |
| Mont. Montana | Legal | Viability | Voters enshrined abortion protections in the state Constitution in 2024. Several restrictions were permanently blocked by the state Supreme Court. |
| Nev. Nevada | Legal | Viability | Voters supported a ballot measure to enshrine abortion protections in the state Constitution in 2024, but the measure must pass again in the next general election before it can take effect. State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Nevada from laws in other states. |
| N.H. New Hampshire | Legal | 24 weeks | Abortion is not expressly protected by state law. |
| N.J. New Jersey | Legal | No limit | The New Jersey Supreme Court has recognized the right to abortion under the state Constitution. State law protects abortion throughout pregnancy and shields those seeking or providing abortions in New Jersey from laws in other states. |
| N.M. New Mexico | Legal | No limit | State law shields those seeking or providing abortions in New Mexico from laws in other states. |
| N.Y. New York | Legal | Viability | Voters enshrined equal rights protections, including those for reproductive health care and autonomy, in the state’s bill of rights in 2024. State law shields those seeking or providing abortions in New York from laws in other states, regardless of the patient’s location. |
| N.D. North Dakota | Legal | Viability | Abortion is legal in North Dakota, after a judge ruled in September that a near-total ban was unconstitutional. The attorney general is pursuing an appeal of the ruling. |
| Ohio Ohio | Legal | 22 weeks | Voters enshrined abortion protections in the state Constitution in 2023. Courts are still deciding how the amendment affects existing abortion restrictions, such as waiting periods and consent requirements. |
| Ore. Oregon | Legal | No limit | State law protects abortion throughout pregnancy and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Oregon from laws in other states. |
| Pa. Pennsylvania | Legal | 24 weeks | An executive order shields those seeking or providing abortions in Pennsylvania from laws in other states. |
| R.I. Rhode Island | Legal | Viability | State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Rhode Island from laws in other states, regardless of the patient's location. |
| Vt. Vermont | Legal | No limit | Voters enshrined abortion protections in the state Constitution in 2022. State law protects abortion throughout pregnancy and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Vermont from laws in other states, regardless of the patient's location. |
| Va. Virginia | Legal | Viability | Abortion is legal but is not expressly protected by state law. |
| Wash. Washington | Legal | Viability | State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Washington from laws in other states, regardless of the patient's location. |
| D.C. Washington, D.C. | Legal | No limit | Local law protects abortion throughout pregnancy and shields providers and patients from laws in other jurisdictions. |
| Wis. Wisconsin | Legal | 22 weeks | Abortion is legal in Wisconsin. In July 2025, the state Supreme Court struck down an 1849 ban, ending years of legal uncertainty in the state. |