Tracking Abortion Bans Across the Country
Full ban
Six weeks
12 weeks
15-18 weeks
Ala.
Ariz.
Ark.
Fla.
Ga.
Idaho
Ind.
Ky.
La.
Miss.
Mo.
Neb.
N.C.
N.D.
Okla.
S.C.
S.D.
Tenn.
Texas
Utah
W.Va.
Twenty-two 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 adding legal protections.
Latest updates
- The Iowa Supreme Court ruled that the state’s six-week abortion ban can soon be enforced while a lawsuit against it proceeds.
- A U.S. Supreme Court ruling will temporarily allow emergency abortions in Idaho when a woman’s health is at risk. Lower courts must still decide whether the state’s abortion ban violates a federal law requiring emergency care for any patient.
- The court earlier upheld access to a widely available abortion pill, rejecting a bid from anti-abortion groups to undo federal approval of the medication.
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
In a few states that have enacted bans or restrictions, abortion remains legal for now as courts determine whether these laws can take effect. Abortion is legal in the rest of the country, and many states have added new protections since Dobbs.
Legal for now
Ban blocked or pending
Mont.
Wyo.
Legal
Legal with new protections
Legal
Alaska
Calif.
Colo.
Conn.
Del.
Hawaii
Ill.
Kan.
Maine
Md.
Mass.
Mich.
Minn.
Nev.
N.H.
N.J.
N.M.
N.Y.
Ohio
Ore.
Pa.
R.I.
Vt.
Va.
Wash.
Wis.
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, and the Idaho Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that there is no constitutional right to an abortion in the state. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling will allow access to emergency abortions while lower courts decide if the state’s ban violates a federal law requiring emergency care for any patient. |
| 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. |
| Mo. Missouri | Banned | — | Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. |
| N.D. North Dakota | 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. Voters will decide in November whether to enact a constitutional amendment that prohibits 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. The Florida Supreme Court ruled in 2024 that the state Constitution’s privacy protections do not extend to abortion. Voters will decide in November whether to enshrine a right to abortion in the state Constitution. |
| Ga. Georgia | Gestational limit | 6 weeks | Abortion is banned after about six weeks of pregnancy. In 2023, the State Supreme Court reversed a lower court’s ruling that the ban was void. The lower court must still weigh whether the ban violates the state’s Constitution. |
| 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. |
| N.C. North Carolina | Gestational limit | 12 weeks | Abortion is banned after 12 weeks of pregnancy. |
| Ariz. Arizona | Gestational limit | 15 weeks | Abortion is banned after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The legislature repealed a law from 1864 that would have placed a near-total ban on abortions. |
| Utah Utah | Gestational limit | 18 weeks | Abortion is banned after 18 weeks of pregnancy. A judge has temporarily blocked a law that would have halted most abortions by requiring the procedure to be performed in hospitals. Another ban on most abortions was indefinitely blocked, and the State Supreme Court is expected to rule on it in 2024. |
| Iowa Iowa | Ban pending | 22 weeks | The Iowa Supreme Court ruled in June that the state’s six-week abortion ban can soon be enforced while a lawsuit against it proceeds. It will take at least 21 days for the case to go back to the district court, during which time abortion will remain legal. |
| Mont. Montana | Ban blocked | Viability | The Montana Supreme Court has ruled that the state Constitution protects the right to an abortion. A ban on the most commonly used procedure in the second trimester and several other restrictions have been blocked by a court. |
| Wyo. Wyoming | Ban blocked | Viability | A judge has temporarily blocked a ban on most abortions and another law that explicitly bans the use of abortion pills. A separate ban on most abortions remains indefinitely blocked. |
| Alaska Alaska | Legal | No limit | The State Supreme Court has recognized a right to “reproductive choice” under the state Constitution. |
| 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. |
| N.H. New Hampshire | Legal | 24 weeks | Abortion is not expressly protected by state law. |
| 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. |
| Va. Virginia | Legal | Viability | Abortion is not expressly protected by state law. |
| Wis. Wisconsin | Legal | 22 weeks | In late 2023, a Wisconsin judge ruled that an 1849 law widely interpreted as a ban did not apply to abortion. The case may come before the State Supreme Court, which has a liberal majority. |
| D.C. Washington, D.C. | Legal with new protections | No limit | Local law protects abortion throughout pregnancy and shields providers and patients from laws in other jurisdictions. |
| Calif. California | Legal with new protections | 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 protects abortion and shields patients and providers from laws in other states. |
| Colo. Colorado | Legal with new protections | No limit | State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing the procedure in Colorado from laws in other states. Voters will decide in November if the state Constitution should provide a right to an abortion. |
| Conn. Connecticut | Legal with new protections | Viability | State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Connecticut from laws in other states. |
| Del. Delaware | Legal with new protections | Viability | State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Delaware from laws in other states. |
| Hawaii Hawaii | Legal with new protections | Viability | State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Hawaii from laws in other states. |
| Ill. Illinois | Legal with new protections | 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. |
| Maine Maine | Legal with new protections | Viability | State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Maine from laws in other states. A 2023 law allows an abortion past the point of fetal viability if a doctor decides it is medically necessary. |
| Md. Maryland | Legal with new protections | Viability | State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Maryland from laws in other states. Voters will decide in November whether the state Constitution should establish a right to reproductive freedom. |
| Mass. Massachusetts | Legal with new protections | 24 weeks | The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has recognized the right to abortion under the state Constitution. A law shields those seeking or providing abortions in Massachusetts from laws in other states, regardless of the patient’s location. |
| Mich. Michigan | Legal with new protections | Viability | 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 with new protections | 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. |
| Nev. Nevada | Legal with new protections | 24 weeks | State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Delaware from laws in other states. |
| N.J. New Jersey | Legal with new protections | 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 with new protections | No limit | State law shields those seeking or providing abortions in New Mexico from laws in other states. |
| N.Y. New York | Legal with new protections | Viability | State law protects abortion and shields patients and providers from laws in other states. Voters will decide in November whether there should be equal protection for reproductive health care and autonomy under the state’s bill of rights. |
| Ore. Oregon | Legal with new protections | 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 with new protections | 24 weeks | An executive order shields those seeking or providing abortions in Pennsylvania from laws in other states. |
| R.I. Rhode Island | Legal with new protections | Viability | State law protects abortion and an executive order shields those seeking or providing abortions in Rhode Island from laws in other states. |
| Vt. Vermont | Legal with new protections | 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, including those using medication abortion. |
| Wash. Washington | Legal with new protections | Viability | State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Washington from laws in other states. |