Although several states allow people under the age of 18 to get an abortion without parental involvement, many require one or more parents or legal guardians to be notified beforehand, provide written consent, or both.

If your state has parental involvement laws, you could get a judicial bypass, which is where you get a judge’s permission to have an abortion.

Some states allow healthcare professionals to waive parental involvement requirements, although in limited circumstances.

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, which is when a fetus has developed enough to live outside the uterus without medical support. 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.

Some states require parental consent and parental notification. Some states will waive parental consent but not parental notification.

And almost all states limit how far along a pregnancy can be at the time of termination (which we discuss here).

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

Anyone under the age of 18 can receive an abortion without informing or involving a parent, legal guardian, or other caregiver in the following states:

  • Alaska
  • California
  • Connecticut
  • District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.)
  • Hawaii
  • Illinois
  • Maine
  • Minnesota
  • Nevada
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • Vermont
  • Washington

The following state requires people under the age of 15 to have the written permission of one parent or legal guardian for all medical care, including abortion services:

  • Oregon

The following state requires people under the age of 16 to have the written permission of one parent or legal guardian:

  • Massachusetts

The following state requires people under the age of 17 to have the written permission of one parent, grandparent, legal guardian, or other adult relative:

  • South Carolina

The following states require people under the age of 18 to have the written permission of one parent or legal guardian:

  • Florida (your parent or guardian must also provide government-issued identification)
  • North Carolina (alternatively, a grandparent or adult sibling that you live with can fulfill this requirement)
  • Ohio
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • Utah
  • Wyoming

The following states require people under the age of 18 to have the notarized written permission, which requires a government-issued identification, of one parent or legal guardian:

  • Arizona
  • Indiana
  • Michigan
  • Nebraska
  • Virginia (alternatively, a grandparent or adult sibling that you live with can fulfill this requirement)

The following state requires people under the age of 18 to have the notarized written permission, which requires a government-issued identification, of two parents or legal guardians unless sole custody is granted to only one parent or guardian:

  • Kansas
Exemptions

Many states allow people under the age of 18 who are legally emancipated to consent to medical care, including abortion, without the involvement of a parent, legal guardian, or judge.

People under the age of 18 are considered emancipated if they:

  • are legally married
  • are legally divorced
  • enlist in the military
  • go to court and receive judicial declaration of emancipation

Some states require a healthcare professional to notify a parent or legal guardian in writing before you can receive abortion services.

For people under the age of 16, the following state requires a parent, grandparent, legal guardian, or mental health professional to be notified 24 hours before your abortion:

  • Delaware

For people under the age of 16, the following state requires a parent or legal guardian to be notified 48 hours before your abortion:

  • Montana

For people under the age of 18, the following state requires a parent or legal guardian to be notified 24 hours before your abortion:

  • Georgia (your parent or guardian must also provide government-issued identification)
  • Utah
  • Virginia (alternatively, a grandparent or adult sibling that you live with can fulfill this requirement)

For people under the age of 18, the following state requires a parent or legal guardian to be notified 48 hours before your abortion:

  • Colorado (alternatively, a grandparent, adult aunt, or adult uncle that you live with can fulfill this requirement)
  • Florida
  • Iowa (alternatively, a grandparent can fulfill this requirement)
  • New Hampshire
  • Wyoming

For people under the age of 18, the following state requires a parent or legal guardian to be notified at some point before your abortion:

  • Maryland

A healthcare professional can waive the parent or legal guardian notification or consent requirement in the following states:

  • Delaware
  • Maryland
  • South Carolina
  • Wisconsin

However, they can only do so in certain circumstances. For example:

  • You have been abused or neglected by your parent(s) or guardian(s)
  • You need an abortion as a matter of medical emergency

Many states allow you to obtain a judicial bypass, which is where a judge gives you permission to have an abortion without parental involvement.

This includes:

  • Arizona
  • Colorado
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Indiana, though notification is still required unless the judge believes it would be harmful to you
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • New Hampshire
  • North Carolina
  • Ohio
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • Utah, though notification is still required
  • Virginia
  • Wyoming

If you need help obtaining a judicial bypass, call the Repro Legal Helpline at 844-868-2812 or fill out a secure form on their website. Another organization, called Jane’s Due Process, may also be able to help.

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

  • Alabama
  • Arkansas
  • Idaho
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • North Dakota
  • Oklahoma
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • West Virginia

Exceptions vary by state and may include:

  • To save your life
  • To prevent serious risk to your physical health
  • If the fetus isn’t expected to survive the pregnancy
  • If the pregnancy is a result of rape
  • If the pregnancy is a result of incest

If you qualify for an exception, you’re still subject to that state’s parental involvement laws, gestational periods, and other restrictions.

Some states, such as Wisconsin, no longer have a brick-and-mortar location to provide abortion services.

We recommend checking out the resources at the end of this article to learn more about what is and isn’t available in your state.

If you want to have an abortion, you can find a supportive healthcare professional through AbortionFinder.org. Alternatively, you can call your nearest Planned Parenthood health center.

It’s best to reach out for help as soon as possible, as abortion is a time-sensitive process.

Avoid going to a crisis pregnancy center. Although they may look like regular health clinics, these are antiabortion clinics that often share disinformation and don’t inform you about your options. Often, crisis pregnancy centers don’t protect your privacy.

It’s not always easy to recognize a crisis pregnancy center. If you’re considering going to a clinic, search the name and address in the Crisis Pregnancy Center Map to verify whether they’re legitimate or not.

An organization may be a crisis pregnancy center if they:

  • don’t offer contraception or abortion and won’t refer you to a clinic that does
  • say they’ll only refer you to an abortion provider if you come in for an appointment
  • promise financial support if you continue the pregnancy
  • use stigmatizing language around birth control, sex, or abortion
  • claim that abortion is dangerous
  • use religious language to discuss your pregnancy

If you can’t access abortion in your state, and if you can’t travel to another state to access abortion, you could try telemedicine services.

Telemedicine is a safe way to access medical abortion. If you opt for a telemedicine abortion, you’ll be able to purchase medical abortion pills and manage your abortion at home.

It’s worth noting that telemedicine abortions are not legal in every state.

Plan C can help you find and access telemedicine abortion providers. You may need access to a debit or credit card.

You could also try the following telemedicine abortion providers:

  • Aid Access (everywhere)
  • carafem (Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia)
  • Choix (California, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, New Mexico, Virginia)
  • Forward Midwifery (California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, D.C.)
  • Hey Jane (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Virginia, Washington)

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.