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Employment law · 50-state reference

Non-Compete Laws by State (2026)

There is no federal ban. Whether your non-compete is worth anything depends on one thing — the state whose law governs it. Pick yours below.

Jurizmo Reviewed Current as of September 2026 Find my state

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Shading shows how far each state's law goes. Pick your state below or open it from the map — the nine smallest jurisdictions have their own tiles to the right of it.

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Alabama — Enforceable if reasonableAlaska — Judge-made rules onlyArizona — Allowed; broadcast exemptColorado — Banned below $130KFlorida — Strongest enforcement nationwideGeorgia — Enforceable if narrowly draftedIndiana — Allowed; physicians exemptKansas — Allowed; 2025 law favors employersMaine — Void below ~$64K; clinicians exemptMinnesota — Void for all employeesNorth Carolina — Enforceable; no judicial rewritingNorth Dakota — Void by statuteOklahoma — Effectively bannedPennsylvania — Enforceable if reasonable; health care restrictedSouth Dakota — Enforceable up to two years; health care exemptTexas — Generally enforceable with limitsWyoming — Void by default; executive carve-outMissouri — Enforceable; non-solicits favoredWest Virginia — Physicians capped; others reasonablenessIllinois — Void below $75KNew Mexico — Clinicians exempt; others boundArkansas — Permissive; physicians exemptCalifornia — Void and unlawfulHawaii — Void in tech, allowed elsewhereIowa — Common law; courts narrowKentucky — Allowed; consideration requiredMichigan — Enforceable; courts narrow, not voidMississippi — Enforceable if reasonableMontana — Disfavored but enforceableNew York — No ban yet; Senate-passedOhio — Broadly enforceableOregon — Void below roughly $120KTennessee — Void below $70K; presumptions above itUtah — One-year ceiling; health care bannedVirginia — Void for low-wage, overtime-eligible, clinical and no-cause exitsWashington — Void below ~$127K now; all void June 30, 2027Wisconsin — Enforceable if reasonable; no rewritingNebraska — Courts rarely enforceSouth Carolina — Enforceable if reasonable; no judicial rewriteIdaho — Key employees, 18 monthsNevada — Void for hourly workersLouisiana — Valid only if statute-perfectVTVermont — Common law only; reform stalledNHNew Hampshire — Several statutory carve-outsMAMassachusetts — Exempt staff only; must be paid forRIRhode Island — Void for low-wage and nonexempt workersCTConnecticut — Reasonableness plus carve-outsNJNew Jersey — Enforceable; ban reintroducedDEDelaware — Physician ban, court-drivenMDMaryland — Void below ~$47K; clinician capsDCDistrict of Columbia — Banned below $162KORVAMTTNGAARSCLANYINALWIMISDCANCWYMOKYMSTXUTAKMNMEWAOHOKNDIDNVNMAZKSIACOPAILFLWVNEHI

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Banned statewide 5Ban starts 2027 1Pay-threshold ban 12Occupation limits 20Reasonableness test 13

Non-compete laws by state: all 50 states and DC

Every row opens that state's page — thresholds, notice duties, 2024–2026 legislation, live bills, leading cases and the statute itself.

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51 of 51 jurisdictions
Pay threshold Maximum term Statute
AlabamaEnforceable if reasonableOccupation limits8None2 years (presumed)Ala. Code §§ 8-1-190 through 8-1…
AlaskaJudge-made rules onlyReasonableness test6NoneNo statutory capNo non-compete statute
ArizonaAllowed; broadcast exemptOccupation limits18NoneNo statutory capAriz. Rev. Stat. § 23-494…
ArkansasPermissive; physicians exemptOccupation limits12None2 years (presumed)Ark. Code § 4-75-101…
CaliforniaVoid and unlawfulBanned statewide95None (full ban)Void — no term allowedCal. Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 16600…
ColoradoBanned below $130KPay-threshold ban75$130,014No statutory capC.R.S. § 8-2-113
ConnecticutReasonableness plus carve-outsOccupation limits22NoneNo general capConn. Gen. Stat. § 20-14p…
DelawarePhysician ban, court-drivenOccupation limits18NoneNo general capDel. Code Ann. tit. 6, § 2707…
District of ColumbiaBanned below $162KPay-threshold ban66$162,164365 days capD.C. Code §§ 32-581.01 through 3…
FloridaStrongest enforcement nationwideReasonableness test3None4 years cap (CHOICE Act)Fla. Stat. s. 542.335…
GeorgiaEnforceable if narrowly draftedReasonableness test12None2 years (presumed)O.C.G.A. ss. 13-8-50 to 13-8-59…
HawaiiVoid in tech, allowed elsewhereOccupation limits18NoneNo statutory capHaw. Rev. Stat. § 480-4(d)
IdahoKey employees, 18 monthsReasonableness test14None18 months (presumed)Idaho Code ss. 44-2701 to 44-2704
IllinoisVoid below $75KPay-threshold ban57$75,000No statutory cap820 ILCS 90/1
IndianaAllowed; physicians exemptOccupation limits18NoneNo statutory capInd. Code ss. 25-22.5-5.5-1 to -…
IowaCommon law; courts narrowOccupation limits6NoneNo statutory capCommon law
KansasAllowed; 2025 law favors employersReasonableness test5NoneNo statutory capK.S.A. 50-163…
KentuckyAllowed; consideration requiredReasonableness test8NoneNo statutory capCommon law
LouisianaValid only if statute-perfectOccupation limits20None2 years capLa. R.S. 23:921
MaineVoid below ~$64K; clinicians exemptPay-threshold ban50$63,840No statutory cap26 M.R.S. § 599-A
MarylandVoid below ~$47K; clinician capsPay-threshold ban42$46,800No general capMd. Code Ann., Lab. & Empl. § 3-…
MassachusettsExempt staff only; must be paid forPay-threshold ban55FLSA-exempt only12 months capMass. Gen. Laws ch. 149, § 24L
MichiganEnforceable; courts narrow, not voidReasonableness test10NoneNo statutory capMCL 445.774a…
MinnesotaVoid for all employeesBanned statewide90None (full ban)Void — no term allowedMinn. Stat. § 181.988
MississippiEnforceable if reasonableReasonableness test8NoneNo statutory capNo statute
MissouriEnforceable; non-solicits favoredReasonableness test10NoneNo statutory capMo. Rev. Stat. § 431.202…
MontanaDisfavored but enforceableOccupation limits38NoneNo general capMont. Code Ann. § 28-2-703…
NebraskaCourts rarely enforceOccupation limits34NoneNo statutory capNo general noncompete statute
NevadaVoid for hourly workersPay-threshold ban32Hourly workers exemptNo statutory capNev. Rev. Stat. § 613.195
New HampshireSeveral statutory carve-outsPay-threshold ban28$30,160No statutory capN.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 275:70…
New JerseyEnforceable; ban reintroducedOccupation limits10NoneNo statutory capNo general statute
New MexicoClinicians exempt; others boundOccupation limits20NoneNo statutory capN.M. Stat. Ann. §§ 24A-4-1 to 24…
New YorkNo ban yet; Senate-passedOccupation limits10NoneNo statutory capNo general statute
North CarolinaEnforceable; no judicial rewritingReasonableness test8NoneNo statutory capN.C. Gen. Stat. § 75-4…
North DakotaVoid by statuteBanned statewide78None (full ban)Void — no term allowedN.D. Cent. Code § 9-08-06
OhioBroadly enforceableReasonableness test4NoneNo statutory capNo statute
OklahomaEffectively bannedBanned statewide73NoneVoid — no term allowed15 Okla. Stat. § 217 with the em…
OregonVoid below roughly $120KPay-threshold ban68$119,54112 months capOr. Rev. Stat. § 653.295…
PennsylvaniaEnforceable if reasonable; health care restrictedOccupation limits25NoneNo statutory capNo general non-compete statute
Rhode IslandVoid for low-wage and nonexempt workersPay-threshold ban36$39,900No statutory capR.I. Gen. Laws §§ 28-59-1 to 28-…
South CarolinaEnforceable if reasonable; no judicial rewriteReasonableness test9NoneNo statutory capNo non-compete statute
South DakotaEnforceable up to two years; health care exemptOccupation limits14None2 years capS.D. Codified Laws § 53-9-11
TennesseeVoid below $70K; presumptions above itPay-threshold ban34$70,0002 years (presumed)Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 50-1-210 and…
TexasGenerally enforceable with limitsOccupation limits14NoneNo general capTex. Bus. & Com. Code §§ 15.50-1…
UtahOne-year ceiling; health care bannedOccupation limits34None1 year capUtah Code § 34-51-201, Utah Code…
VermontCommon law only; reform stalledOccupation limits14NoneNo statutory capNo general statute (26 V.S.A. § 281(c))
VirginiaVoid for low-wage, overtime-eligible, clinical and no-cause exitsPay-threshold ban65$78,364No statutory capVa. Code § 40.1-28.7:8
WashingtonVoid below ~$127K now; all void June 30, 2027Ban starts 202784$126,85918 months (presumed)Wash. Rev. Code ch. 49.62, amend…
West VirginiaPhysicians capped; others reasonablenessOccupation limits16None1 year (physicians)W. Va. Code § 47-11E-2…
WisconsinEnforceable if reasonable; no rewritingReasonableness test11NoneNo statutory capWis. Stat. § 103.465
WyomingVoid by default; executive carve-outBanned statewide66NoneNo statutory capWyo. Stat. § 1-23-108…
Restriction levelMinimalLightModerateHeavyNear-total ban

Restriction level is a 0–100 index — statutory ban, income protection, duration cap, notice duties, penalties and reform momentum. It ranks jurisdictions against each other; it does not predict the outcome of any one agreement.

Is there a federal non-compete ban in 2026?

No, and there never was one in force. The FTC approved a nationwide ban on 23 April 2024; two weeks before it was due to bite, Ryan LLC v. FTC set it aside nationwide. The Commission dropped its appeals on 5 September 2025 and deleted 16 CFR Part 910 from the Code of Federal Regulations on 12 February 2026. The NLRB route closed too — GC Memo 23-08 was rescinded in February 2025 — and the Workforce Mobility Act sits in committee.

The agency did not lose interest, only the rulemaking. It now sues employer by employer under Section 5, with consent orders against Gateway Services (November 2025), Adamas Amenity Services (February 2026) and Rollins/Orkin (June 2026, 18,000+ employees). Broad low-wage covenants draw fire; narrow executive and sale-of-business terms do not.

So every question about your own agreement is a question of state law. That is what the map and the table above answer.

Drafting the agreement, not just researching it?

Jurizmo's employment templates are built to be edited state by state — service contracts, offer letters and confidentiality terms you can adapt to the rules on this page.

How this reference was built

Every jurisdiction was read against its own code or session laws, then cross-checked against 2025–2026 client alerts from national employment practices. Where a statute is unindexed or a bill's fate was unresolved, the entry says so instead of guessing; bills that died at sine die are recorded as dead, not “pending”.

Sources
  1. Federal Trade Commission, Non-Compete Clause Rule (23 April 2024) and notice acceding to vacatur (5 September 2025); Federal Register removal of 16 CFR Part 910 (12 February 2026)
  2. Ryan LLC v. FTC, N.D. Tex. (20 August 2024); Properties of the Villages v. FTC, M.D. Fla. (14 August 2024)
  3. FTC consent orders: Gateway Services (November 2025), Adamas Amenity Services (February 2026), Rollins Inc. (June 2026)
  4. NLRB General Counsel Memoranda 23-08 and 25-05
  5. US Government Accountability Office, GAO-23-103785 (May 2023)
  6. Starr, Prescott & Bishara, “Noncompete Agreements in the U.S. Labor Force”, Journal of Law and Economics (2021)
  7. State codes and session laws for all 50 states and DC — linked on each state page
  8. Littler, Ogletree Deakins, Seyfarth Shaw, Fisher Phillips, Foley & Lardner and Epstein Becker Green client alerts, 2024–2026
  9. Washington State Register 25-20-099; Virginia DOLI threshold notice (6 January 2026); DC DOES indexed threshold notice for 2026

This page is general legal information published by Jurizmo and is not legal advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and may not reflect amendments enacted after the review date above. Consult a licensed attorney in the relevant state before acting on any agreement.