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Interactive Map: Abortion Bans and Penalties

— Here's where abortion bans have gone into effect and where doctors face prison time

Last Updated September 19, 2022
Ƶ MedicalToday

Since the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned Roe on June 24, Ƶ has updated its interactive map to show where abortion bans have gone into effect. The map still details the penalties providers face in each state.

Below the map are additional details on the abortion bans. We will update this list and the interactive map as new information becomes available.

Alabama: As of June 24, a U.S. District Court judge granted an emergency motion to dissolve a preliminary injunction on the "" -- which prohibits all abortions -- meaning that it is now enforceable. Only abortions to prevent a serious health risk to the pregnant person are allowed, and there are no exceptions for rape and incest.

Arkansas: As of June 24, Arkansas is enforcing which prohibits all abortions, except to save the life of the pregnant person. Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson wrote in a that he would be telling the Arkansas Department of Health "to enforce the law and to conduct the necessary inspections and notifications to assure that any abortion provider is in compliance with the law and understands the penalties that are provided therein." There are no exceptions for rape or incest.

Georgia: Georgia had passed a "heartbeat" or 6-week ban in 2019, and a district court blocked it with an injunction. The state appealed, and a U.S. appeals court stayed the decision until the Dobbs opinion was issued. Georgia's attorney general asked a federal appeals court to let the ban take effect, and on July 20, the court to vacate the injunction.

Kentucky: On June 24, Kentucky's went into effect, prohibiting all abortions except to save the life of the pregnant person or prevent a serious impairment. There are no exceptions for rape and incest. However, on June 30, a Kentucky state court granted a , blocking both the total ban and a six-week ban after a legal challenge from the ACLU and Planned Parenthood. On August 2, an appeals court judge reinstated the ban, making abortion illegal again.

Mississippi: As of July 7, Mississippi's trigger ban is now in effect, despite attempts to put a temporary block on it. It prohibits all abortions, except to preserve the life of the pregnant person and pregnancy by rape, if a police report was filed.

Missouri: As of June 24, Missouri's . It prohibits all abortions, except "in cases of medical emergency" for the pregnant person, meaning death or a irreversible impairment to a major bodily function. There are no exceptions for rape and incest.

North Carolina: As of August 17, abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy are banned in North Carolina, with exceptions for medical emergencies. A U.S. district court judge in the state placed on the ban in 2019, stating that it is now constitutional following the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Ohio: As of June 24, abortions in Ohio after 6 weeks are illegal. A federal court judge dissolved an injunction of a that's been in place since 2019. The Ohio Supreme Court denied abortion clinics' emergency request to block the law on July 1. There are no exceptions for rape or incest.

Oklahoma: As of June 24, Oklahoma is enforcing its , which prohibits all abortions, except to save the life of the pregnant person. Private right of action laws mean anyone can sue an abortion provider or anyone who helps the pregnant person obtain an abortion. There are no exceptions for rape or incest.

South Carolina: As of June 27, South Carolina's went into effect. It prohibits any abortions specifically once the fetus has "a detectable fetal heartbeat." Cardiac activity is usually observed around 6 weeks, though doctors say the term . The state's attorney general moved to lift the injunction on the ban and a federal judge ruled that the law could take effect immediately. There are exceptions for when a pregnant person's life is in danger, and for rape and incest.

South Dakota: As of June 24, South Dakota is enforcing its , which prohibits all abortions, except to save the life of the pregnant person. There are no exceptions for rape or incest.

Tennessee: As of June 28, Tennessee has banned all abortions , except in cases of severe impairment or death of the pregnant person. A federal appeals court a preliminary injuction on a 6-week ban passed in 2020. Tennessee also has a trigger ban that's set to take effect 30 days after the Supreme Court overturned Roe. There are no exceptions for rape and incest.

Texas: Abortion was almost completely banned in September 2021, with a 6-week cutoff, but the state's trigger ban enacts a law , except in case of a life-threatening emergency for the pregnant person. The about 30 days after a formal judgement by the Supreme Court (as opposed to the released "opinion"). On July 1, the state's Supreme Court ruled that Texas's pre-Roe ban from 1925 can take effect, banning all abortions. There are no exceptions for rape and incest.

West Virginia: West Virginia had an unenforced , which had no exceptions for rape and incest. A circuit court judge blocked the ban on July 18. The state legislature introduced a total ban, HB 302, which passed on September 14 and was signed into law on September 16. The ban has very limited exceptions for medical emergencies and abortions in the case of rape and incest: an adult victim must get the abortion within 8 weeks, and a child victim within 14 weeks.

Wisconsin: Wisconsin had a pre-Roe ban from 1849, and is expected to enforce it again. Though Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers is and says he won't enforce it, local officials and courts could, according to . Evers and Wisconsin's Attorney General have filed a lawsuit to ask state courts to re-evaluate the 19th century law. The ban would prohibit all abortions, except to save the life of the pregnant person. There are no exceptions for rape or incest.

Contested Trigger Bans

The following states have trigger bans that are temporarily blocked following legal challenges:

Louisiana: Louisiana's went into effect on June 24, but was subsequently blocked by a temporary restraining order after one of the state's three abortion clinics sued. On July 7, the Louisiana Supreme Court voted to deny the immediate enforcement of the ban, but on July 8, a District Court judge ruled that she could not extend the restraining order on the ban because it was filed in the wrong court, which put the ban back into effect. But on July 12, another judge blocked the ban a second time with a temporary restraining order until at least July 18. The ban prohibits all abortions except when necessary to prevent death or a serious impairment to the pregnant person. There are no exceptions for rape and incest.

Utah: The state's went into effect but was blocked by a temporary restraining order following a legal challenge from Utah's Planned Parenthood and the ACLU of Utah. It prohibits all abortions, except to prevent the death or "substantial and irreverible impairment" of the pregnant person. There are also narrow exceptions for performing abortions in the event of severe birth defects, rape, or incest.

  • author['full_name']

    Sophie Putka is an enterprise and investigative writer for Ƶ. Her work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Discover, Business Insider, Inverse, Cannabis Wire, and more. She joined Ƶ in August of 2021.

  • Amanda D'Ambrosio is a reporter on Ƶ’s enterprise & investigative team. She covers obstetrics-gynecology and other clinical news, and writes features about the U.S. healthcare system.