Are abortion pills banned in the US?
Mifepristone and other abortion pills are banned in 13 states, with few exceptions. They are legal in 37 states and Washington, DC.
Medicated abortions were 53% of all abortions nationally in 2022, the most recent data available. As of May 2026, 13 states have near-total bans on mifepristone and 37 states and Washington, DC legally allow it.
Mifepristone is typically used to induce a medical abortion during early pregnancy (70 days or less since the first day of a patient’s last menstrual period) and treat early miscarriages.
Abortion medication is legal in 37 states and Washington, DC, with restrictions in 16 states.
Status of abortion medication by state, May 2026
Which states allow the abortion pill?
While abortion medication is legal in 37 states and Washington, DC, drug access varies by state. For example, a non-physician health care provider like a medical assistant or nurse practitioner can prescribe it in 22 states and Washington, DC.
Another 16 states allow it, but only when prescribed by a doctor. Several of these 16 states require additional steps, such as counseling, a waiting period and/or an ultrasound, along with other limits, such as time limits of gestation or facility regulations specific to abortion providers.
For example, both Florida and Georgia require a physician to prescribe a medicated abortion, and limit access to the first six weeks of pregnancy (or the period before a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is typically the first six weeks). In Florida, medication must be administered in-person after a 24-hour waiting period and an ultrasound. In Georgia, physicians can administer via virtual visit, but only after an in-person examination and an ultrasound.
All states that allow mifepristone prescriptions must meet FDA requirements. This includes ensuring that the drug is prescribed by a health care provider that meets certain qualifications and is certified under the Mifepristone Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy Program
When do most abortions occur?
In the 47 states that reported abortion method data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2022, 53.3% of reported abortions were early medical abortions, meaning the medical abortion occurred at a gestational age of nine weeks or earlier. That’s up from a share of 22.2% of reported abortions in 2013.
Abortion pill access and the Supreme Court
In May 2026, the Supreme Court issued a stay while it considers Louisiana v. FDA, a case in which the state of Louisiana sued the Food and Drug Administration on its approval of allowing healthcare providers to administer abortion medication through virtual visits and by mail. Louisiana argued that the FDA violated state sovereignty by undermining abortion restrictions and creating unnecessary costs to the state. Other parties, including pharmaceutical manufacturers and states with laws legalizing virtual abortion care, filed counter motions and briefs.
On June 13, 2024, in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, the Supreme Court unanimously reversed a lower court decision suspending the FDA’s approval of mifepristone and the FDA’s approval to distribute the drug via telemedicine. The ruling allowed healthcare providers to continue distributing the medication virtually.
Where does this data come from?
Where does this data come from?
Data in this article comes from official state and local government sources that include legislation, judicial rulings, a state attorney general, health department or similar.
The CDC reported abortion statistics from 1972 to 2022. This includes data on total abortions, gestational age of pregnancy, method, demographic characteristics of pregnant women who have received legal abortions (such as age, race, and marital status), state residence and other characteristics.
States and other areas (including Washington, DC, and New York City) report data voluntarily. In 2022, data came from 47 reporting areas. Some statistics had fewer reporting areas included due to reporting criteria. Data on the method of abortion excludes five reporting areas (California, Illinois, Maryland, New Hampshire, and New Jersey) that did not report, did not report by method type, or did not meet reporting standards. Areas reporting by method type with unknown gestational age or gestational age reported that differed from the CDC were excluded.
The Government Accountability Office noted that the CDC announced in May 2025 that the future of abortion data collection is uncertain given ongoing realignment efforts at the agency.
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