Which US states require paid sick leave? This table lists every statewide mandate with the statute, accrual rate, and annual cap, and names the states with no state-level law.
Last updated:
21 jurisdictions (20 states plus Washington, D.C.) have a statewide mandate for paid sick leave or general-purpose paid leave. The most common model is 1 hour accrued per 30 hours worked, capped at 40 hours per year. Colorado, New Mexico, and Michigan go higher, while Illinois, Maine, and Nevada grant the time for any purpose. There is no general federal paid-sick-leave law. The remaining 30 states have no statewide mandate for private employers: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming. Several of them still have city or county ordinances.
| State | Law | Accrual rate | Annual cap | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | Ballot Measure 1 (2024) | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 40 hours/year (small employers) or 56 hours/year | In effect since July 2025. |
| Arizona | Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 24 hours/year (small employers) or 40 hours/year | |
| California | Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | Use of 40 hours / 5 days per year (accrual cap 80 hours) | Many cities (e.g. San Francisco, Los Angeles) set higher local minimums. |
| Colorado | Healthy Families and Workplaces Act | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 48 hours/year | |
| Connecticut | Paid Sick Leave Law (expanded 2025) | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 40 hours/year | Expansion phases in coverage for nearly all employers through 2027. |
| Washington, D.C. | Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act | 1 hour per 37 to 87 hours worked (tiered by employer size) | 3 to 7 days/year (tiered by employer size) | |
| Illinois | Paid Leave for All Workers Act | 1 hour per 40 hours worked | 40 hours/year | Any-purpose paid leave, not limited to sickness. Chicago and Cook County have separate ordinances. |
| Maine | Earned Paid Leave Law | 1 hour per 40 hours worked | 40 hours/year | Any-purpose paid leave, not limited to sickness. |
| Maryland | Healthy Working Families Act | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 40 hours accrued/year (64-hour balance cap) | |
| Massachusetts | Earned Sick Time Law | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 40 hours/year | |
| Michigan | Earned Sick Time Act | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 40 hours/year (small employers) or 72 hours/year | Reinstated by court ruling; in effect since February 2025. |
| Minnesota | Earned Sick and Safe Time | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 48 hours accrued/year (80-hour balance cap) | |
| Nebraska | Healthy Families and Workplaces Act | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 40 hours/year (small employers) or 56 hours/year | In effect since October 2025. |
| Nevada | Paid Leave Law (SB 312) | 0.01923 hours per hour worked | About 40 hours/year | Any-purpose paid leave for employers with 50+ employees. |
| New Jersey | Earned Sick Leave Law | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 40 hours/year | |
| New Mexico | Healthy Workplaces Act | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 64 hours/year | |
| New York | Paid Sick Leave Law | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 40 hours/year (under 100 employees) or 56 hours/year | New York City and Westchester County have their own ordinances. |
| Oregon | Paid Sick Time Law | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 40 hours/year | |
| Rhode Island | Healthy and Safe Families and Workplaces Act | 1 hour per 35 hours worked | 40 hours/year | |
| Vermont | Earned Sick Time Law | 1 hour per 52 hours worked | 40 hours/year | |
| Washington | Paid Sick Leave Law (Initiative 1433) | 1 hour per 40 hours worked | No annual usage cap; unused hours up to 40 carry over | Seattle and Tacoma add local requirements. |
General information only, not legal advice. Statewide mandates are summarized and change over time; several cities and counties add their own ordinances. Confirm with your state labor agency and employment counsel before relying on this table.
No. The federal FMLA provides only unpaid, job-protected leave for qualifying reasons. Paid sick leave is regulated by states and, in places, by cities.
The standard more favorable to the employee applies. Cities like San Francisco, Chicago, and New York City go beyond their state's law.
As of the last-updated date shown, as general information. Several mandates are recent (Michigan, Nebraska, Alaska), and Missouri repealed its 2025 mandate. Confirm with the state labor agency before acting on it.