Are non-competes legal in my state?
It depends on the state's statute and its courts. Choose your state above for what the statute says, with its citation and the date this page last checked it.
Non-compete law, state by state
What each state's statute says about non-competes: outright bans, pay floors, duration limits, notice and exceptions. Every row cites the primary text and the date it was last verified. Clauseworthy is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.
- SourcePrimary statutes and session laws
- DatedEach row shows when it was verified
- CoverageAll fifty states and DC
Every state on file
| State | What the statute does | Employee pay floor | Confidence | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Allowed if reasonable | None | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| Alaska | Allowed if reasonable | None | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| Arizona | Allowed if reasonable | None | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| Arkansas | Allowed if reasonable | None | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| California | Void for employees | None | High | 2026-10-14 |
| Colorado | Allowed above a pay floor | $130,014 a year (2026) | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| Connecticut | Allowed if reasonable | None | High | 2026-10-14 |
| Delaware | Allowed if reasonable | None | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| District of Columbia | Allowed above a pay floor | $162,164 a year (2026) | High | 2026-10-14 |
| Florida | Allowed if reasonable | A test with no single figure | High | 2026-10-14 |
| Georgia | Allowed if reasonable | None | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| Hawaii | Allowed if reasonable | None | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| Idaho | Allowed if reasonable | A test with no single figure | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| Illinois | Allowed above a pay floor | $75,000 a year (2026) | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| Indiana | Allowed if reasonable | None | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| Iowa | Allowed if reasonable | None | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| Kansas | Allowed if reasonable | None | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| Kentucky | Allowed if reasonable | None | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| Louisiana | Void, with listed exceptions | None | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| Maine | Allowed above a pay floor | $63,840 a year (2026) | High | 2026-10-14 |
| Maryland | Allowed above a pay floor | $22.50 an hour (2026) | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| Massachusetts | Allowed within statutory limits | None | High | 2026-10-14 |
| Michigan | Allowed if reasonable | None | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| Minnesota | Void for employees | None | High | 2026-10-14 |
| Mississippi | Allowed if reasonable | None | Low · primary text not read; kept out of search | 2026-10-14 |
| Missouri | Allowed if reasonable | None | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| Montana | Allowed within statutory limits | None | High | 2026-10-14 |
| Nebraska | Allowed if reasonable | None | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| Nevada | Allowed within statutory limits | None | High | 2026-10-14 |
| New Hampshire | Allowed above a pay floor | $14.50 an hour (2026) | High | 2026-10-14 |
| New Jersey | Allowed if reasonable | None | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| New Mexico | Allowed if reasonable | None | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| New York | Allowed if reasonable | None | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| North Carolina | Allowed if reasonable | None | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| North Dakota | Void for employees | None | High | 2026-10-14 |
| Ohio | Allowed if reasonable | None | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| Oklahoma | Void for employees | None | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| Oregon | Allowed above a pay floor | $119,541 a year (2026) | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| Pennsylvania | Allowed if reasonable | None | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| Rhode Island | Allowed above a pay floor | $39,900 a year (2026) | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| South Carolina | Allowed if reasonable | None | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| South Dakota | Void, with listed exceptions | None | High | 2026-10-14 |
| Tennessee | Allowed above a pay floor | $70,000 a year (2026) | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| Texas | Allowed if reasonable | None | High | 2026-10-14 |
| Utah | Allowed if reasonable | None | High | 2026-10-14 |
| Vermont | Allowed if reasonable | None | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| Virginia | Allowed above a pay floor | $1,507.01 a week (2026) | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| Washington | Allowed above a pay floor | $126,858.83 a year (2026) | High | 2026-10-14 |
| West Virginia | Allowed if reasonable | None | Medium | 2026-10-14 |
| Wisconsin | Allowed if reasonable | None | High | 2026-10-14 |
| Wyoming | Void, with listed exceptions | None | High | 2026-10-14 |
Confidence: High means the core rule was read in an official source current in 2026; Medium means it was read in an official source but an older copy, or a detail rests on a secondary source; Low means the core rule could not be read in any official source, and that page is kept out of search results until it is.
What this is not.
A statute is the start of the answer, not all of it.
What this does not do
- Courts read these statutes; case law can narrow or widen what the text says.
- It does not say whether a particular agreement can be enforced against a particular person.
- Statutes change. Each page is dated; check the primary source before relying on it.
Questions about non-competes
Did the FTC ban non-competes?
No federal ban is in force. The FTC's 2024 rule was set aside by a federal court and removed from the Code of Federal Regulations in February 2026; the federal note above has the details and sources.
Is a non-solicitation clause the same thing?
No. Many statutes define a non-compete so that non-solicitation and confidentiality clauses fall outside it. Each state page says what its statute does with them.