All 50 states have laws requiring certain vaccines for children. But most people are familiar with the fact that exemptions to these requirements exist. All states allow some type of exemptions for medical reasons, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, which has compiled each state’s laws on the subject.
Besides medical reasons, exemptions to vaccination requirements fall into two general categories: religious exemptions and philosophical ones for those who find vaccines a violation of their personal or moral beliefs.
What exemptions does you state allow?
Alabama
• Religious exemption
Alaska
• Religious exemption
Arizona
• Religious exemption
• Philosophical exemption
Arkansas
• Religious exemption
• Philosophical exemption
California
• Religious exemption*
• Philosophical exemption
Colorado
• Religious exemption
• Philosophical exemption
Connecticut
• Religious exemption
Delaware
• Religious exemption
Florida
• Religious exemption
Georgia
• Religious exemption
Hawaii
• Religious exemption
Idaho
• Religious exemption
• Philosophical exemption
Illinois
• Religious exemption
Indiana
• Religious exemption
Iowa
• Religious exemption
Kansas
• Religious exemption
Kentucky
• Religious exemption
Louisiana
• Religious exemption*
• Philosophical exemption
Maine
• Religious exemption
• Philosophical exemption
Maryland
• Religious exemption
Massachusetts
• Religious exemption
Michigan
• Religious exemption
• Philosophical exemption
Minnesota
• Religious exemption*
• Philosophical exemption
Mississippi
• No religious or philosophical exemptions
Missouri
• Religious exemption
• Philosophical exemption*
*The philosophical exemption in Missouri only applies to day care, preschool and nursery school.
Montana
• Religious exemption
Nebraska
• Religious exemption
Nevada
• Religious exemption
New Hampshire
• Religious exemption
New Jersey
• Religious exemption
New Mexico
• Religious exemption
New York
• Religious exemption
North Carolina
• Religious exemption
North Dakota
• Religious exemption
• Philosophical exemption
Ohio
• Religious exemption
• Philosophical exemption
Oklahoma
• Religious exemption
• Philosophical exemption
Oregon
• Religious exemption
• Philosophical exemption
Pennsylvania
• Religious exemption
• Philosophical exemption
Rhode Island
• Religious exemption
South Carolina
• Religious exemption
South Dakota
• Religious exemption
Tennessee
• Religious exemption
Texas
• Religious exemption
• Philosophical exemption
Utah
• Religious exemption
• Philosophical exemption
Vermont
• Religious exemption
• Philosophical exemption
Virginia
• Religious exemption
Washington, D.C.
• Religious exemption
Washington state
• Religious exemption
• Philosophical exemption
West Virginia
• No religious or philosophical exemptions
Wisconsin
• Religious exemption
• Philosophical exemption
Wyoming
• Religious exemption
**The existing statute in California, Minnesota and Louisiana does not explicitly recognize a religious exemption. But the nonmedical exemption may encompass religious beliefs.
This list is adapted from the National Conference on State Legislatures, which cites the Immunization Action Coalition, an immunization advocacy group, for the data.