As of August 25, 2022
State Laws and Policies

An Overview of Abortion Laws

Background

Since the Supreme Court handed down its 1973 decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, states have constructed a lattice work of abortion law, codifying, regulating and limiting whether, when and under what circumstances a person may obtain an abortion. The following table highlights the major provisions of these state laws.  More detailed information can be found by selecting the table column headings in blue. Except where noted, the laws are in effect, although they may not always be enforced.

Visit our state legislation tracker for policy activity on all sexual and reproductive health topics.

Highlights

  • Physician and Hospital Requirements: 32 states require an abortion to be performed by a licensed physician. 19 states require an abortion to be performed in a hospital after a specified point in the pregnancy, and 17 states require the involvement of a second physician after a specified point.
  • Gestational Limits: 43 states prohibit abortions after a specified point in pregnancy, with some exceptions provided. The allowable circumstances are generally when an abortion is necessary to protect the patient's life or health. 
  • “Partial-Birth” Abortion: 21 states have laws in effect that prohibit “partial-birth” abortion. 3 of these laws apply only to postviability abortions.
  • Public Funding: 16 states use their own funds to pay for all or most medically necessary abortions for Medicaid enrollees in the state. 33 states and the District of Columbia prohibit the use of state funds except in those cases when federal funds are available: where the patient's life is in danger or the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. In defiance of federal requirements, South Dakota limits funding to cases of life endangerment only.
  • Coverage by Private Insurance: 12 states restrict coverage of abortion in private insurance plans, most often limiting coverage only to when the patient's life would be endangered if the pregnancy were carried to term. Most states allow the purchase of additional abortion coverage at an additional cost.
  • Refusal: 45 states allow individual health care providers to refuse to participate in an abortion. 42 states allow institutions to refuse to perform abortions, 16 of which limit refusal to private or religious institutions.
  • State-Mandated Counseling: 17 states mandate that individuals be given counseling before an abortion that includes information on at least one of the following: the purported link between abortion and breast cancer (5 states), the ability of a fetus to feel pain (12 states) or long-term mental health consequences for the patient (8 states).
  • Waiting Periods: 24 states require a person seeking an abortion to wait a specified period of time, usually 24 hours, between when they receive counseling and the procedure is performed. 12 of these states have laws that effectively require the patient make two separate trips to the clinic to obtain the procedure.
  • Parental Involvement: 36 states require some type of parental involvement in a minor’s decision to have an abortion. 27 states require one or both parents to consent to the procedure, while 9 require that one or both parents be notified.

For more information

Topic

United States

Geography

Related Content

Overview of State Abortion Law (page 1 of 2)

STATE

MUST BE PERFORMED BY A LICENSED PHYSICIAN

MUST BE PERFORMED IN A HOSPITAL IF AT:

 

SECOND PHYSICIAN MUST PARTICIPATE IF AT:

PROHIBITED EXCEPT IN CASES OF LIFE OR HEALTH ENDANGERMENT IF AT:

"PARTIAL-BIRTH" ABORTION BANNED

PUBLIC FUNDING OF ABORTION

PRIVATE INSURANCE COVERAGE LIMITED

Funds All or Most Medically Necessary Abortions

Funds Limited  to Life Endangerment, Rape and Incest

AL

X

Viability

Viability

0 weeks

▼

 

X

 

AK

X

 

 

 

▼

X

 

 

AZ

X

Viability

Viability

Viability

X

 

 ϴ 

X

AR

X

 

Viability

0 weeks‡

X

 

X

 

CA

 

 

 

Viability

 

X

 

 

CO

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

CT

 

Viability

 

Viability

 

X

 

 

DE

 

 

 

ViabilityΩ​

 

 

X

 

DC

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

FL

X

Viability

15 weeks

24 weeks

▼

 

X

 

GA

X

 

 

6 weeks*

Postviability

 

X

 

HI

 

 

 

Viability

 

X

 

 

ID

X

Viability

3rd trimester

0 weeks†

▼

 

X

X

IL

Xξ

 

 

Viability

 

X

 

 

IN

X

20 weeks

20 weeks

20 weeks*

X

 

X*

X

IA

X

 

 

20 weeks*

▼

 

X

 

KS

X

 

Viability

20 weeks*

X

 

X

X

KY

X

2nd trimester

 

0 weeks‡

▼

 

X

X

LA

X

 

Viability

0 weeks‡,Ω

X

 

X

 

ME

 

 

 

Viability

 

 X

 

 

MD

 

 

 

ViabilityΩ

 

X

 

 

MA

​

 

 

24 weeksΩ

 

X

 

 

MI

X

 

 

Viability‡​

X

 

X

 X

MN

 

 

20 weeks

Viability

 

X

 

 

MS

XФ​

 

 

0 weeks†

X

 

XΩ

 

MO

X

Viability

Viability

0 weeks*,‡

X

 

X

X

MT

 

 

Viability

Viability*

Postviability

X

 

 

NE

X

 

 

20 weeks*

▼

 

X

X

NV

X

24 weeks

 

24 weeks

 

 

X

 

NH

 

 

 

 

X

 

X

 

NJ

 

14 weeks

 

 

▼

X

 

 

NM

Xξ​

 

 

 

Postviability

X

 

 

NY

 

 

 

ViabilityΩ

 

X

 

 

NC

X

20 weeks

 

20 weeks*

 

 

X

 

ND

X

 

 

20 weeks*

X

 

X

X

OH

X

20 weeks

20 weeks

6 weeks*

X

 

X

 

OK

X

2nd trimester

Viability

0 weeks‡

X

 

X

X

OR

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

 

PA

X

Viability

Viability

24 weeks*

 

 

X

 

RI

 Xξ​ 

 

 

Viability

▼

 

X

 

SC

X

3rd trimester

3rd trimester

22 weeks*

X

 

X

 

SD

X

24 weeks

 

0 weeks‡

X

 

Life Only

 

TN

X

Viability 

Viability 

0 weeks*

X

 

X

 

TX

X

 

 

0 weeks‡*

 X

 

X

 X 

UT

X

 

 

18 weeks‡,†,Ω

X

 

X*

X

VT

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

 

VA

 

2nd trimester

Viability

3rd trimester

X

 

XΩ​

 

WA

 

 

 

Viability

 

X

 

 

WV

 

 

 

20 weeks*

▼

 

X* ,Ω​

 

WI

X

Viability

 

20 weeks*

▼

 

X*

 

WY

X

 

 

Viability

 

 

X

 

TOTAL

32

19

17

43

21

16

33+DC

12

▼ Permanently enjoined; law not in effect.
*   Exception in case of threat to the patient's physical health.
†   Exception in case of rape or incest.
‡   Exception in case of life endangerment only. A 2016 New York Attorney General opinion determined that the state’s law conflicts with U.S. Supreme Court rulings on abortion, and that abortion care is permissible under the U.S. Constitution to protect a pregnant person's health, or when the fetus is not viable.
Ω  Exception in case of fetal abnormality.
ϴ  Despite a court order, the state Medicaid program does not pay for medically necessary abortions.
ξ   Only applies to surgical abortion. In New Mexico, some but not all advanced practice clinicians may provide medication abortion.
Ф  Law limits abortion provision to OB/GYNs.
€ A court has temporarily blocked enforcement of a Mississippi law that would have banned abortion at 15 weeks after the patient’s last menstrual period.

 

 

Overview of State Abortion Law (page 2 of 2)

STATE

PROVIDERS MAY REFUSE TO PARTICIPATE

MANDATED COUNSELING INCLUDES INFORMATION ON:

WAITING PERIOD (in Hours) AFTER COUNSELING

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT REQUIRED FOR MINORS

 

Individual

Institution

Breast Cancer

Link

Fetal Pain

Negative Psychological Effects

AL

 

 

 

 

 

48

Consent

AK

X

Private

X

X

 

 

▼

AZ

X

X

 

 

 

24

Consent

AR

X

X

 

XФ​

 

72

Consent

CA

X

Religious

 

 

 

 

▼

CO

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notice

CT

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

DE

X

X

 

 

 

 

Noticeξ​

DC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FL

X

X

 

 

 

▼

Consent and Notice

GA

X

X

 

X

 

24

Notice

HI

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

ID

X

X

 

 

 

24

Consent

IL

X

Private

 

 

 

 

 

IN

X

Private

 

X

 

18

Consent

IA

X

Private

 

 

 

 §

Notice

KS

X

X

X

X

X

24

Consent

KY

X

X

 

 

 

24

Consent

LA

X

X

 

X

X

24

Consent

ME

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

MD

X

X

 

 

 

 

Noticeξ​

MA

X

X

 

 

 

 

Consentβ​

MI

X

X

 

 

X

24

Consent

MN

X

Private

 

​

 

 

 

MS

X

X

X

 

 

24

Consentþ​

MO

X

X

 

XФ​

 

72

Consent

MT

X

Private

 

 

 

▼

Noticeβ​

NE

X

X

 

 

X

24

Consent

NV

X

Private

 

 

 

 

▼

NH

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notice

NJ

X

Private

 

 

 

 

▼

NM

X

X

 

 

 

 

▼

NY

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

NC

X

X

 

 

X

72

Consent

ND

X

X

 

 

 

24

Consentþ​

OH

X

X

 

 

 

24

Consent

OK

X

Private

X

XФ​

 

72

Consent and Notice

OR

X

Private

 

 

 

 

 

PA

X

Private

 

 

 

24

Consent

RI

X

 

 

 

 

 

Consent

SC

X

Private

 

 

 

24

Consent

SD

X

X

 

X

X

72◊

Notice

TN

X

X

 

 

 

▼

Consent

TX

X

Private

X

X

X

24

Consent and Notice

UT

X

Private

 

XФ​

 

72◊​

Consent and Notice

VT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VA

X

X

 

 

 

 

Consent and Notice

WA

X

X

 

 

 

 

 

WV

 

 

 

 

X

24

Noticeξ​

WI

X

X

 

X 

 

24

Consentξ​

WY

X

Private

 

 

 

 

Consent and Notice

TOTAL

45

42

5

12

8

24

36
▼ Permanently enjoined; law not in effect. 
§   Enforcement temporarily enjoined by court order; policy not in effect.
Ф  Fetal pain information is given only to patients with a pregnancy at or after 20 weeks' gestation; in Missouri, patients at 22 weeks' gestation.
þ   Both parents must consent to the abortion.
ξ   Specified health professionals may waive parental involvement in certain circumstances.
◊   In South Dakota, the waiting period excludes weekends or annual holidays and in Utah the waiting period is waived in cases of rape, incest, fetal defect or if the patient is younger than 15.
β  Parental involvement required for minors under the age of 16.