State Abortion Laws
Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors | Last reviewed August 24, 2023
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State abortion laws define the methods and circumstances under which a pregnancy may be terminated. Click on a state on the map or select from the list of states below for state-specific abortion laws, including the definitions of legal and illegal abortions, consent/notice requirements, waiting periods, and penalties for violations of abortion laws.
Abortion Laws by State
Select your state below
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington DC
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
| State | Law |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Abortion is illegal in Alabama unless there is a serious health risk to the pregnant woman. |
| Alaska | Abortion is generally legal in Alaska, except that partial birth abortions are legal only if necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman. |
| Arizona | Abortion is legal in Arizona if performed by a physician until the fetus reaches a gestational age of 15 weeks. Thereafter, abortion is legal only to save the life of the pregnant woman. |
| Arkansas | Abortion is illegal in Arkansas unless necessary to save the pregnant woman’s life. |
| California | Abortion is legal in California through viability. Thereafter, abortion is legal if a physician certifies that the pregnancy does not pose a risk to the pregnant woman’s life or health. |
| Colorado | Abortion is legal in Colorado. |
| Connecticut | Abortion is legal in Connecticut through viability. Thereafter, abortion is legal only if necessary to preserve the life or health of the pregnant woman. |
| Delaware | Abortion is legal in Delaware through viability. Thereafter, abortion is legal only if the life of the pregnant woman is at risk or the fetus is not compatible with life outside the womb without extraordinary efforts. |
| District of Columbia | Abortion is legal in the District of Columbia. |
| Florida | Abortion is legal in Florida until the fetus reaches a gestational age of 6 weeks. Thereafter, abortion is legal only if necessary to save the mother’s life, the pregnancy is the result of rape, incest, or human trafficking and the gestational age of the fetus is not more than 15 weeks, or the pregnancy has not progressed to the third trimester and two physicians certify in writing that the fetus has a fatal fetal abnormality. |
| Georgia | Abortion is legal in Georgia until a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which typically occurs when the fetus reaches a gestational age of six weeks. Thereafter, abortion is legal only if the pregnancy has been diagnosed as medically futile. |
| Hawaii | Abortion is legal in Hawaii through viability. Thereafter, abortion is legal only if the fetus cannot survive or the life of the pregnant woman is at risk. |
| Idaho | Abortion is illegal in Idaho unless necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman or in cases of rape or incest that has been reported to law enforcement. |
| Illinois | Abortion is legal in Illinois through viability. Thereafter, abortion is legal only if the life of the pregnant woman is at risk. |
| Indiana | Abortion is illegal in Indiana, except in cases of rape or incest, when there is a lethal fetal anomaly, or when necessary either to save a woman's life or to prevent a serious health risk. |
| Iowa | Abortion is legal in Iowa until a fetal heartbeat is detected, which typically occurs at a fetal gestational age of six weeks. Thereafter, abortion is legal only in cases of medical emergencies or timely reported cases of rape or incest. |
| Kansas | Abortion is legal in Kansas through viability. Thereafter, abortion is legal only if the life of the pregnant woman is at risk. |
| Kentucky | Abortion is illegal in Kentucky. |
| Louisiana | Abortion is illegal in Louisiana, unless necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman or the pregnancy is medically futile. |
| Maine | Abortion is legal in Maine through viability. Thereafter, abortion is legal only to save the pregnant woman’s life. |
| Maryland | Abortion is legal in Maryland through viability. Thereafter, abortion is legal only to save the pregnant woman’s life or if the fetus is affected by a genetic defect or serious deformity or abnormality. |
| Massachusetts | Abortion is legal in Massachusetts until 24 weeks of pregnancy. Thereafter, abortion is legal only to preserve the life of the pregnant woman, or in the case of a lethal fetal abnormality, or if the fetus is incompatible with life outside the uterus without extraordinary efforts. |
| Michigan | Abortion is legal in Michigan through viability. Thereafter, abortion is legal only if necessary to preserve the life of the pregnant woman. |
| Minnesota | Abortion is legal in Minnesota. |
| Mississippi | Abortion is illegal in Mississippi unless the life of the pregnant woman is at risk or in cases of rape or incest. |
| Missouri | Abortion is illegal in Missouri except in the case of a medical emergency. |
| Montana | Abortion is legal in Montana through viability. Thereafter, abortion is legal only if necessary to prevent a serious health risk to the unborn child's mother. |
| Nebraska | Abortion is legal in Nebraska through 12 weeks of pregnancy. Thereafter, abortion is legal only in cases of rape, incest, or medical emergencies. |
| Nevada | Abortion is legal in Nevada through 24 weeks. Thereafter, abortion is legal only if necessary to preserve the life or the health of the pregnant woman. |
| New Hampshire | Abortion is legal in New Hampshire through 24 weeks. Thereafter, abortion is legal only in the case of a medical emergency. |
| New Jersey | Abortion is legal in New Jersey. |
| New Mexico | Abortion is legal in New Mexico. |
| New York | Abortion is legal in New York through 24 weeks. Thereafter, abortion is legal only if the fetus is not compatible with life or if necessary to preserve the pregnant woman’s life or health. |
| North Carolina | Abortion is legal in North Carolina through 12 weeks, through 20 weeks in cases of rape or incest, and through 24 weeks if physicians detect a life-limiting anomaly. Thereafter, abortion is legal only in cases of a medical emergency. |
| North Dakota | Abortion is legal in North Dakota through 22 weeks. Thereafter, abortion is legal only if necessary to protect the life of the pregnant woman. |
| Ohio | Abortion is legal in Ohio until a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which typically occurs at around 6 weeks of pregnancy. Thereafter, abortion is available only when necessary to protect the life of the pregnant woman. |
| Oklahoma | Abortion is illegal in Oklahoma unless the continuation of the pregnancy will endanger the woman's life due to the pregnancy itself or due to a medical condition that the woman is either currently suffering from or likely to suffer from during the pregnancy. |
| Oregon | Abortion is legal in Oregon. |
| Pennsylvania | Abortion is legal in Pennsylvania through 24 weeks. Thereafter, abortion is legal only if necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman. |
| Rhode Island | Abortion is legal in Rhode Island through viability. Thereafter, abortion is legal only if necessary to save the pregnant woman’s life. |
| South Carolina | Abortion is legal until a fetal heartbeat has been detected (typically at 6 weeks), with exceptions for rape or incest during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, medical emergencies, or fatal fetal anomalies. |
| South Dakota | Abortion is illegal in South Dakota unless necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman. |
| Tennessee | Abortion is illegal in Tennessee unless necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman. |
| Texas | Abortion is illegal in Texas unless necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman. |
| Utah | Abortion is legal in Utah until 18 weeks of pregnancy. |
| Vermont | Abortion is legal in Vermont. |
| Virginia | Abortion is legal in Virginia through the second trimester. Thereafter, abortion is legal only if necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman. |
| Washington | Abortion is legal in Washington through viability. Thereafter, abortion is legal only if necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman. |
| West Virginia | Abortion is illegal in West Virginia except in the case of a medical emergency, the fetus is not compatible with life, or in the case of an ectopic pregnancy. In cases of sexual assault, abortion is available up to 8 weeks of pregnancy. |
| Wisconsin | Abortion is illegal in Wisconsin unless necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman. |
| Wyoming | Abortion is illegal in Wyoming except in cases of rape or incest or the pregnant woman is at risk of death or serious harm. |