Here's where abortions are now banned or severely restricted
Abortion is currently illegal or heavily restricted in at least 15 states following the Supreme Court's historic decision in June to overturn Roe v. Wade. At least seven other states have laws in place that pave the way to ban or severely restrict access to abortion.
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State laws shown here include those with near-total bans on abortion as well as states with bans after the detection of fetal cardiac activity, or roughly at six weeks gestational age.
Some of these laws are currently blocked by courts while legal challenges make their way through the courts. Some states have older laws on the books that leave the current legal status of abortion unclear.
Several additional states not depicted here have pre-viability gestational age restrictions, ranging from 15 to 22 weeks.
Here are more details on the current legal status of abortion in U.S. states.
Ban in effect
Alabama — A near-total ban on abortion is in effect. On June 24, a U.S. district court lifted an injunction on the state's 2019 law banning abortion. (Last updated July 23)
Arkansas — A near-total ban on abortion is in effect. On June 24, the state's attorney general implemented a trigger law originally passed in 2019 which bans abortion. (Last updated July 23)
Georgia — A law banning abortions after roughly six weeks went into effect July 20. The ban was lifted by a Fulton County judge Nov. 15, then reinstated by the state supreme court Nov. 23. (Last updated Nov. 23)
Idaho — A near-total ban on abortions passed in 2020 is in effect, with some exceptions. A federal lawsuit challenging the ban is in progress. (Last updated Jan. 12, 2023)
Kentucky — Kentucky's near-total abortion ban went into effect on June 24. An additional state law bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. Both bans were blocked by the courts June 30, then reinstated Aug. 1. A lawsuit arguing the bans violate the state constitution continues. On Nov. 8, voters turned down an initiative that would have blocked a state constitutional right to an abortion. (Last updated Nov. 9)
Louisiana — A near-total ban is in effect. On June 24, Louisiana's 2006 trigger ban went into effect. It was blocked by the courts at least twice. A lawsuit challenging the law continues. On Aug. 12, the Louisiana Supreme Court rejected an appeal filed by plaintiffs in the case, allowing the state's ban to remain in effect. (Last updated Aug. 6)
Mississippi — The state's near-total ban on abortion was enacted in 2007 and went into effect on July 7. Mississippi's bid to ban abortion after 15 weeks was at the center of the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on June 24. (Last updated July 23)
Missouri — A near-total ban on abortion has been in effect since June 24. (Last updated July 23)
Oklahoma — A near-total ban on abortion went into effect June 24. A law that went into effect on Aug. 25 makes performing an abortion a felony. (Last updated August 25)
South Dakota — A near-total ban on abortion took effect on June 24. On July 1, the governor also signed a ban on telemedicine abortions. (Last updated July 23)
Tennessee — A near-total ban on abortion took effect Aug. 25. (Last updated Aug. 25)
Texas — A near-total ban on abortion passed in 2021 went into effect Aug. 25. The trigger law also increases the civil and criminal penalties for performing abortions. (Last updated Aug. 25)
West Virginia — West Virginia passed legislation on Sept. 13 banning abortion with few exceptions. The ban took effect Sept. 16, after Gov. Jim Justice signed it into law. (Last updated Sept. 16)
Wisconsin — A pre-Roe abortion ban from 173 years ago is under dispute. The state's attorney general has said he does not plan to enforce it, and filed a lawsuit challenging the ban. Abortion care is largely unavailable. (Last updated August 26)
Wyoming — A law banning all abortions was enacted in March, 2023. The law is expected to be challenged in court, alongside an earlier, near-total ban currently delayed by court order. A separate law bans medication abortion as of July 1, 2023. (Last updated Mar. 20, 2023)
Ban on hold
Arizona — On Oct. 7, the Arizona Court of Appeals blocked a near-total abortion ban from 1901 that went into effect on Sept. 23. Arizona also has a law in effect banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. (Last updated Oct. 11)
Indiana — Indiana passed legislation Aug. 5 banning abortion with few exceptions. The ban took effect Sept. 15, but a judge blocked it Sept. 22. A lawsuit arguing the new law violates the state constitution was filed Aug. 30. Another lawsuit was filed Sept. 8 arguing the law violates Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act. (Last updated Sept. 22)
Iowa — A six-week abortion ban from 2018 was blocked by the courts. Iowa's governor has asked the state courts to lift the injunction against the law. Iowa also has a law in effect banning abortion at 22 weeks or later. (Last updated Aug. 12)
North Dakota — A near-total ban was planned to take effect Aug. 26, but a judge blocked it pending litigation. The law is a trigger ban passed in 2007. The state's only abortion clinic has sued, arguing the ban violates the state constitution. (Last updated Aug. 26)
Ohio — A ban on abortion at roughly six weeks was blocked Sept. 14 by a judge's temporary restraining order, followed by a preliminary injunction Oct. 7. The lawsuit filed by the Ohio ACLU and reproductive health clinics to permanently overturn the ban continues. (Last updated Oct. 12)
Utah — A near-total ban is blocked by the courts and abortion is currently legal, with restrictions. A law banning abortion after 18 weeks is in effect. (Last updated July 23)
Note: This map and story relies on research from the Center for Reproductive Rights, the Guttmacher Institute, and news reports from the Associated Press and local news outlets.
