US Abortion Restrictions Nationwide - Live Tracking.
Updated Jan. 8, 2025 at 07:56a.m. E.T.
Nineteen states have implemented bans on abortion or have imposed restrictions on the procedure earlier in pregnancy than what was established by Roe v. Wade, which upheld reproductive rights for nearly 50 years until the Supreme Court reversed that ruling in 2022.
Recent developments
- A judge in Missouri invalidated the state's abortion ban following the enactment of a constitutional amendment that safeguards the procedure. However, clinics have not yet resumed abortion services due to a stringent licensure requirement that remains in place.
- Meanwhile, clinics in Arizona have started offering abortions again up to the point of fetal viability after voters added abortion protections to the state Constitution last November.
The battle for abortion access continues in some states, with advocates actively pursuing legal action to challenge bans and restrictions. Conversely, other states are working to enhance access to abortion by introducing additional legal protections. The New York Times is monitoring abortion legislation across the states in the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which eliminated the constitutional right to an abortion.
Where abortion is legal
In areas where abortion is permitted, certain states have implemented bans or restrictions, but for the time being, abortion remains legal as courts assess the validity of these laws. Across much of the country, abortion is generally legal, and several states have introduced additional protections following the Dobbs decision. Many states impose limits on abortion based on fetal "viability," which is the stage when a fetus can potentially survive outside the womb, typically around 24 weeks of pregnancy.
State details
More details on the current status of abortion in each state are below.
| State | Status of Abortion | Legal Until | More Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Banned | — | Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. |
| Arkansas | Banned | — | Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. |
| Idaho | Banned | — | Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. The Idaho Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that there is no constitutional right to an abortion. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling allows emergency abortions. |
| Indiana | Banned | — | Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. The Indiana Supreme Court ruled that the state Constitution does not include a right to abortion except in dire situations. |
| 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. |
| Louisiana | Banned | — | Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. |
| Mississippi | Banned | — | Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. |
| Oklahoma | Banned | — | Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. |
| 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. |
| Tennessee | Banned | — | Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. |
| 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. |
| West Virginia | Banned | — | Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances. |
| Florida | Gestational limit | 6 weeks | Abortion is banned after about six weeks of pregnancy. |
| 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 | 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. |
| 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. |
| Nebraska | Gestational limit | 12 weeks | Abortion is banned after 12 weeks of pregnancy. In 2024, voters supported a ballot measure to enshrine the state’s abortion ban in the state Constitution. |
| North Carolina | Gestational limit | 12 weeks | Abortion is banned after 12 weeks of pregnancy. |
| 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. |
| Montana | Ban blocked | Viability | Voters enshrined abortion protections in the state Constitution in 2024, which will take effect in 2025. Several restrictions have been blocked by a court. |
| 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. |
| Arizona | Legal | Viability | Voters enshrined abortion protections in the state Constitution in 2024. The state will not enforce an existing 15-week abortion ban while litigation against it proceeds. |
| Alaska | Legal | No limit | The State Supreme Court has recognized a right to "reproductive choice" under the state Constitution. |
| California | Legal | Viability | The California Supreme Court has recognized a right to abortion. Voters explicitly enshrined abortion protections in the state Constitution in 2022. |
| Colorado | Legal | No limit | Voters enshrined abortion protections in the state Constitution in 2024. State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing the procedure in Colorado. |
| Connecticut | Legal | Viability | State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Connecticut from laws in other states. |
| Delaware | Legal | Viability | State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Delaware from laws in other states. |
| Hawaii | Legal | Viability | State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Hawaii from laws in other states. |
| 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. |
| 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. In 2022, Kansans rejected a ballot measure that would have removed the right to abortion. |
| Maine | Legal | 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. |
| 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. |
| Massachusetts | Legal | Viability | 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Missouri | Legal | Viability | Voters enshrined abortion protections in the state Constitution in 2024. A judge blocked the state’s abortion ban, but clinics have not resumed services due to a restrictive licensure requirement. |
| 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. |
| New Hampshire | Legal | 24 weeks | Abortion is not expressly protected by state law. |
| 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. |
| New Mexico | Legal | No limit | State law shields those seeking or providing abortions in New Mexico from laws in other states. |
| 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. |
| North Dakota | Legal | Viability | Abortion is legal after a judge ruled in 2023 that a near-total ban was unconstitutional. The attorney general is pursuing an appeal of the ruling. |
| 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. |
| Oregon | Legal | No limit | State law protects abortion throughout pregnancy and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Oregon from laws in other states. |
| Pennsylvania | Legal | 24 weeks | An executive order shields those seeking or providing abortions in Pennsylvania from laws in other states. |
| Rhode Island | Legal | Viability | State law protects abortion and an executive order shields those seeking or providing abortions in Rhode Island from laws in other states. |
| 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. |
| Virginia | Legal | Viability | Abortion is not expressly protected by state law. |
| Washington | Legal | Viability | State law protects abortion and shields those seeking or providing abortions in Washington from laws in other states. |
| Washington, D.C. | Legal | No limit | Local law protects abortion throughout pregnancy and shields providers and patients from laws in other jurisdictions. |
| 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 State Supreme Court, which has a liberal majority, will consider that case. |
