U.S. Covid-19 travel restrictions state by state

By Megan Marples and Forrest Brown, CNN

Editor’s note: This story was current at the time of last publication on December 7 and will be updated periodically. However, you should still check with the official state websites before you commit to travel plans.

With cases of Covid-19 reaching new heights in the United States, some states are having to adapt rapidly with their rules and regulations, especially in recent weeks.

If you wish to travel to another state, it is important to be updated on the latest statewide regulations. While some US states have no restrictions on travel, all their sites have important Covid-19 safety information, including possible face mask mandates in public settings. States without travel restrictions might still have mask mandates.

This list is alphabetical and includes links where you should get more information and updates before you head out:

Alabama

As of December 7, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Alabama. However, visitors should be aware of the state’s mask mandate effective through December 11. You can check here for updates.

Alaska

Alaska’s latest travel protocols have been in effect since August 11. Visitors from other states must do one of the following:

— Submit a travel declaration and self-isolation plan online and arrive with proof of a negative Covid-19 test.
— Follow a plan that your employer filed with the state if you come for work.
— Buy a $250 Covid-19 test when you arrive and self-quarantine at your own expense until you get the results.

Alaska residents also have protocols they must follow for travel. According to the CDC, “people in quarantine should stay home, separate themselves from others, monitor their health, and follow directions from their state or local health department.” Leaving your home state to enter a state with a mandatory quarantine means you need one place to stay and to stay put. Check here for Alaska details and updates.

Arizona

As of December 7, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Arizona. Check here for updates.

Arkansas

As of December 7, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Arkansas. Check here for updates.

California

NEW: As of December 7, most of the state of California is under a mandatory stay-at-home order, with many tourism-related businesses closed, including bars and museums.

Travelers to California are directed to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival and avoid nonessential travel, which includes tourism.

Check here for Covid-19 updates and possible local restrictions.

Colorado

As of December 7, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Colorado though nonessential travel is not recommended. Check here for updates.

Connecticut

Any traveler coming from a state that has a positive case rate of 10 out of 100,000 people or a 10% or higher test positivity rate must self-quarantine for 14 days. The traveler must have spent more than 24 hours in said state for the rule to apply. Everyone also needs to complete a travel health form.

Visitors can opt out of the 14-day quarantine in limited cases if they can provide proof that they have had a negative Covid-19 test in the past 72 hours. There were 46 states plus Guam and Puerto Rico on the 10% or higher positivity list as of November 30. The list is updated each Tuesday. Check here for updates and details.

Delaware

As of December 7, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Delaware. Check here for updates.

Florida

As of December 7, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Florida. Check here for updates.

Georgia

As of December 7, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Georgia. Check here for updates.

Hawaii

Travelers who arrive with an FDA-approved nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) taken no earlier than 72 hours before their flight, performed using a nasal swab, and who can also show proof of negative test results from a CLIA certified laboratory can avoid the state’s 14-day quarantine. This includes anyone 5 or older.

The Hawaiian island of Kauai has temporarily opted out of the state’s pre-travel testing program.

Check here for important additional details.

Idaho

As of December 7, there are no statewide travel restrictions in Idaho. Check here for updates.

Illinois

As of December 7, there are no statewide restrictions, but visitors heading to Chicago have been placed in three categories — red, orange and yellow. Anyone from a red state must quarantine for 14 days. Anyone from an orange state must have a negative Covid-19 test result no more than 72 hours old or observe the quarantine.

Check here for the list of states and more information before you travel.

Indiana

As of December 7, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Indiana, though a face mask requirement is in effect through December 12. Check here for updates.

Iowa

The state announced enhanced public health measures on November 17. “All travelers to Iowa age two or older are required to wear a mask or other face covering when in indoor spaces open to the public or in state government buildings, in circumstances when it is not possible to remain six feet away from others outside their household for more than 15 minutes.” Check here for updates.

Kansas

While mostly open, Kansas has some unusually specific 14-day quarantine requirements that often change. (For instance, people who visited the tiny European nation of Andorra between October 21 and November 17.) Check here for updates and more details.

Kentucky

Visitors from states with a coronavirus testing positivity rate of 15% or more on Johns Hopkins University’s website should quarantine for 14 days. Check the list before you travel as it’s growing with the recent rise in US cases. Check here for updates from Kentucky.

Louisiana

As of December 7, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Louisiana. Check here for updates.

Maine

Travelers must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival or sign a form stating they’ve received a negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours. You may also get tested upon arriving in Maine but must quarantine while awaiting results. Residents of New Hampshire and Vermont are exempt from quarantining or having a negative test. Check here for updates.

Maryland

As of December 7, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Maryland, though the state does require face coverings for all people over the age of five. Check here for details.

Massachusetts

All visitors and residents must complete a travel form before arriving in Massachusetts unless they are arriving from a state designated by the Department of Public Health as low risk. As of November 30, those were Hawaii and Maine.

Travelers must “quarantine for 14 days or produce a negative Covid-19 test result that has been administered up to 72 hours prior to your arrival in Massachusetts.” Those waiting on test results need to quarantine until they receive their negative results. Failure to comply with these directives may result in a $500 fine. Check here for updates.

Michigan

As of December 7, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Michigan. Check here for updates.

Minnesota

Minnesota is under a four week stay-at-home order through December 18. “Incoming visitors and residents that travel out-of-state are asked to quarantine for 14 days upon entry (or reentry) to Minnesota.” Check here for updates.

Mississippi

As of December 7, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Mississippi. Check here for updates.

Missouri

As of December 7, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Missouri. Check here for updates.

Montana

As of December 7, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Montana. Travel restrictions might vary at Native American reservations. Check here for updates.

Nebraska

As of December 7, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Nebraska. Check here for updates.

Nevada

As of December 7, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Nevada, though new temporary capacity limits and restrictions on gatherings went into effect on November 24. Check here for updates.

New Hampshire

Those traveling from outside other New England states (Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island) who are visiting for “an extended period of time” are asked to self-quarantine for two weeks. Check here for updates.

New Jersey

New Jersey is discouraging all nonessential travel. “Travelers and residents returning from any US state or territory beyond the immediate region (New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware) should self-quarantine at their home, hotel, or other temporary lodging for 14 days.”

The self-quarantine is voluntary, but compliance is expected. The state government is also asking travelers to fill out a voluntary survey regarding information about where they are traveling and their destination.

Check here for updates.

New Mexico

People traveling from out-of-state are required to self-quarantine for 14 days or the length of their stay in New Mexico, whichever is shorter. The state issues a weekly list of exemptions, updated each Wednesday. On November 30, the only exemption was Hawaii. Check here for updates.

New York

Current guidelines allow travelers to New York to “test out” of the mandatory 14-day quarantine. Travelers from states that are contiguous with New York will continue to be exempt from the travel advisory. Covered travelers must continue to fill out the Traveler Health Form. Check for important details here.

North Carolina

As of December 7, there were no statewide travel restrictions in North Carolina. However, the state urges visitors to check local destinations with possible restrictions before traveling. Check here for updates.

North Dakota

As of December 7, there were no statewide travel restrictions in North Dakota. Be aware that on November 30, North Dakota had the highest number of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the country at 10,400 per 100,000. Check here for updates.

Ohio

Travelers visiting Ohio from states reporting positive testing rates of 15% or more must self-quarantine for 14 days. This list updates each Wednesday. Check here for updates.

Oklahoma

As of December 7, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Oklahoma. Check here for updates.

Oregon

NEW: As of December 7, there are 25 Oregon counties classified as “Extreme High Risk” for Covid-19 with many tourism-related businesses closed. People arriving in Oregon from other states or countries, including returning Oregon residents, are encouraged to self-quarantine for 14 days after arrival.

Check here for updates and details.

Pennsylvania

Travelers over the age of 11 arriving in Pennsylvania are currently required to quarantine for 14 days or provide a negative Covid-19 test result. Check here for updates.

Rhode Island

Those traveling to Rhode Island from a state that has a positive testing rate of 5% or more must quarantine for 14 days. Travelers can opt out of the quarantine if they can provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of their arrival. You can check that updated list of states here.

Those waiting on test results must self-quarantine until a negative test result arrives. However, the state still recommends quarantining for 14 days as opposed to relying on a negative test result. Check here for updates and details.

South Carolina

As of December 7, there were no statewide travel restrictions in South Carolina. Check here for updates.

South Dakota

As of December 7, there were no statewide travel restrictions in South Dakota. Some routes through Native American lands might be closed. Check here for updates.

Tennessee

As of December 7, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Tennessee. Check here for updates.

Texas

As of December 7, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Texas. The state urges people to wear a mask, saying “an itty-bitty piece of cloth goes a long way towards keeping yourself and others healthy.” Check here for updates.

Utah

As of December 7, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Utah, though there is a statewide mask mandate. Check here for updates.

Vermont

Vermont has a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival for nonessential travel. You have the option of taking a Covid-19 PCR test on day 7 of the quarantine and ending the quarantine early with a negative reading. Check here for updates.

Virginia

As of December 7, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Virginia. Check here for updates.

Washington, DC

Travel requirements apply to anyone traveling to the District from a state with more than 10 cases per 100,000 people. Visitors are asked to get tested 72 hours or less before coming to DC. If you’re there for more than three days, you’re asked to get tested again. Check here for updates and important details.

Washington state