Abortion restrictions in the United States are constantly changing, with a record amount of legislation introduced in the past year to preserve or limit access to abortion services.

In June 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which is the ruling that gave people the federal right to an abortion before fetal viability. Because of this, abortion is illegal in many states.

In states where abortion is legal, restrictions and rules vary greatly. The information in this article was accurate and up to date at the time of publication, but it’s possible the information has changed since.

To learn more about your legal rights, you can message the Repro Legal Helpline via a secure online form or call 844-868-2812.

How to use this guide

We recommend searching this article for your state, as well as any state you’re considering traveling to.

To do this, find the Control key (the Command key on a Mac) and press it down. While holding that key down, also press the F key.

Locating all mentions of your state will help you familiarize yourself with any and all applicable restrictions.

The following states have banned abortion for people of all ages with very limited exceptions:

  • Alabama, unless your life or physical health is at risk or the fetus has a lethal anomaly
  • Arkansas, unless your life is at risk
  • Idaho, unless your life is at risk or the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest
  • Kentucky, unless your life or physical health is at risk
  • Louisiana, unless your life or physical health is at risk or the fetus has a lethal anomaly
  • Mississippi, unless your life is at risk or the pregnancy is a result of rape
  • Missouri, unless your life or physical health is at risk
  • North Dakota, unless your life or physical health is at risk or the pregnancy is a result of rape (up to 6 weeks, 0 days of pregnancy) or incest (up to 6 weeks, 0 days of pregnancy)
  • Oklahoma, unless your life is at risk
  • South Dakota, unless your life is at risk
  • Tennessee, unless your life or physical health is at risk or the fetus has a lethal anomaly
  • Texas, unless your life or physical health is at risk
  • West Virginia, unless your life or physical health is at risk or the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest
  • Wisconsin, unless your life is at risk

Some states, such as Mississippi, no longer have a dedicated clinic that provides surgical abortion services. It’s unclear whether telemedicine abortion is the only option for people who are eligible for an abortion in these circumstances.

Wisconsin is currently debating the legality of an old law — predating the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade — that would ban most abortions. Unless an abortion is necessary to save your life, all services are suspended until a resolution is reached.

Other states have attempted to ban or further restrict access to abortion but have been blocked from doing so. Abortion is still legal in the following states:

  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Ohio
  • South Carolina
  • Wyoming

Several states don’t have bans or limits on abortion based on how far along the pregnancy is. They also don’t have mandated counseling, waiting periods, or ultrasounds.

This includes:

  • Alaska
  • Colorado
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • Oregon
  • Vermont
  • Washington, D.C.

You can get an abortion in Georgia until 5 weeks, 6 days of pregnancy.

After that, you can only get an abortion in Georgia if:

  • your life or physical health are at risk
  • the fetus has a lethal anomaly
  • the pregnancy is a product of rape (up to 20 weeks of pregnancy) or incest (up to 20 weeks of pregnancy)

Other states with so-called “heartbeat bills” have effectively banned all abortions, no matter how early in the pregnancy, with limited exceptions.

The following state only allows abortion until 12 weeks, 0 days of pregnancy:

  • Nebraska, unless your life or physical health is at risk or the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest
  • North Carolina, unless your life or physical health is at risk

The following states only allow abortion until 15 weeks, 6 days of pregnancy:

  • Arizona, unless your life or physical health is at risk
  • Florida, unless your life or physical health is at risk or the fetus has a lethal anomaly

The following state only allows abortion until 18 weeks, 0 days of pregnancy:

  • Utah, unless your life or physical health is at risk or the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest

The following states only allow abortion until 21 weeks, 6 days of pregnancy, unless your life or physical health is at risk:

  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Ohio

The following state only allows abortion until 21 weeks, 6 days of pregnancy, unless your life or physical health is at risk or the fetus has a lethal anomaly:

  • South Carolina

The following state only allows abortion until 23 weeks, 6 days of pregnancy, unless your life, physical health, or mental health is at risk:

  • Massachusetts

The following state only allows abortion until 23 weeks, 6 days of pregnancy, unless your life or physical health is at risk:

  • Pennsylvania

The following state only allows abortion until 23 weeks, 6 days of pregnancy, unless your life or physical health is at risk or the fetus has a lethal anomaly:

  • New Hampshire

The following state only allows abortion until 25 weeks, 6 days of pregnancy, unless your life, physical health, or mental health is at risk:

  • Nevada

The following state only allows abortion until 26 weeks, 6 days of pregnancy, unless your life, physical health, or mental health is at risk:

  • Virginia

Many states allow abortion until “viability,” which occurs when a fetus has developed enough to live outside the uterus without medical support.

This typically occurs between 24 and 26 weeks of pregnancy, but it can vary from pregnancy to pregnancy.

The following state only allows abortion until fetal viability, unless your life is at risk:

  • Rhode Island

The following states only allow abortion until fetal viability, unless your life or physical health is at risk:

  • Maine
  • Michigan
  • Montana

The following states only allow abortion until fetal viability, unless your life, physical health, or mental health is at risk:

  • California
  • Connecticut
  • Hawaii
  • Illinois
  • Minnesota
  • New York
  • Washington
  • Wyoming

The following states only allow abortion until fetal viability, unless your life, physical health, or mental health is at risk or the fetus has a lethal anomaly:

  • Delaware
  • Maryland

Many states require people under the age of 18 to have some degree of parental involvement when seeking abortion services.

The following states require the consent of one or two parents or legal guardians:

  • Arizona
  • Indiana
  • Kansas
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Nebraska
  • North Carolina
  • Ohio
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • South Carolina
  • Rhode Island

The following states require the notification of one or two parents or legal guardians:

  • Colorado
  • Delaware
  • Georgia
  • Iowa
  • Maryland
  • Montana
  • New Hampshire

The following states require the consent and notification of one or two parents or legal guardians:

  • Florida
  • Utah
  • Virginia
  • Wyoming

These requirements can be waved in some circumstances. Learn more about the parental involvement laws in your state here.

Many states require that you undergo counseling designed to discourage you from having an abortion before you can receive abortion services.

Healthcare professionals are often required to provide false information about fetal pain, breast cancer risk, or negative psychological effects.

An in-person appointment is usually required, and there’s usually a lengthy waiting period afterward. The waiting period may be waived if your health is at risk, but this isn’t a guarantee.

The following state requires at least 18 hours to pass between the time of counseling and the time of your abortion appointment:

  • Indiana

The following states require at least 24 hours to pass between the time of counseling and the time of your abortion appointment:

  • Arizona
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Michigan
  • Nebraska
  • Ohio
  • Pennsylvania
  • South Carolina
  • Wisconsin

The following states require at least 72 hours to pass between the time of counseling and the time of your abortion appointment:

  • North Carolina
  • Utah

Several states require that you receive an ultrasound — usually during in-person counseling — before you can have an abortion.

Although an ultrasound can help your clinician figure out how far along the pregnancy is, this requirement is often coupled with tactics designed to make you change your mind about abortion.

The following states require clinicians to perform an ultrasound, show you the image, and verbally describe the image:

  • Arkansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Wisconsin

The following states require clinicians to perform an ultrasound and offer you the opportunity to view the image:

  • Alabama
  • Arizona
  • Florida
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Mississippi
  • Ohio

The following states require clinicians to perform an ultrasound but do not require that they offer you the opportunity to view the image:

  • North Carolina
  • Oklahoma

The following states do not require clinicians to perform an ultrasound but do require that they present the option to receive an ultrasound to you:

  • Missouri
  • North Dakota
  • South Dakota
  • Utah
  • Wyoming

The following states do not require clinicians to perform an ultrasound but do require that they offer you the opportunity to view the image if one is performed:

  • Georgia
  • Idaho
  • Michigan
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • New Hampshire
  • South Carolina
  • Utah
  • West Virginia

Arizona has explicitly banned the mailing of abortion pills. Montana has attempted to follow suit, but the ban has been temporarily blocked by a court order and isn’t in effect.

Some states have restrictions, such as the need for in-person counseling, that effectively prohibit the use of telehealth or telemedicine for medication abortion:

  • Indiana
  • Nebraska
  • North Carolina
  • South Carolina

Kansas, Montana, and Ohio have also attempted to enact restrictions on accessing medication abortion without an in-person visit with a physician. These restrictions have been temporarily blocked by court orders and aren’t in effect.

You have many different options for support, no matter where you live. For example:


Tess Catlett is a sex and relationships editor at Healthline, covering all things sticky, scary, and sweet. Find her unpacking her inherited trauma and crying over Harry Styles on Twitter.