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Hate Crime Laws: Data Collection

Consistent, accurate data collection about hate crimes is vital for understanding the scope of violence, trends over time, and what measures are effective (or ineffective) in combatting hate crime. Importantly, data collection requirements can include more or fewer categories (e.g., sexual orientation) than the state’s main hate crime law, and data collection requirements can exist even in states without a hate crime law (e.g., Indiana). The map below shows both what states require hate crimes data collection, and of those states, which specifically require data collection about hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
State requires hate crime data collection, including for crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity
(17 states + D.C.)
State requires hate crime data collection, including for crimes based on sexual orientation
(8 states)
State requires hate crime data collection, but does not mention crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity
(5 states)
State does not require hate crime data collection
(20 states + 5 territories)
State requires hate crime data collection, but relies only on voluntary reporting from law enforcement agencies, meaning data collection may be limited
State requires hate crime data collection, but relies only on voluntary reporting from law enforcement agencies, meaning data collection may be limited
(4 states + D.C.)
Citations & More Information

*Note: Indiana does not have a hate crime law, but it does require data collection about hate crimes, including based on sexual orientation. Kentucky’s hate crime law includes hate crimes based on sexual orientation, but it does not require data collection about hate crimes based on sexual orientation. Utah’s hate crime law includes hate crimes based on both sexual orientation and gender identity, but it does not require data collection about hate crimes based on either category.

The FBI asks all jurisdictions (e.g., law enforcement agencies and local, county, state governments) to provide data about hate crimes based on all categories included in federal hate crime law, even if federal law is more inclusive than state law. However, very few law enforcement agencies report hate crime data directly to the FBI at all, and governments may only collect or report on categories that their state law requires.

Read MAP’s report Policy Spotlight: Hate Crime Laws (July 2021) for more analysis of the many dimensions of state hate crime laws, the complex patchwork across states, the limitations of hate crime laws, and the potential opportunities for expanding social and policy responses to hate violence.

 

Recommended citation:
Movement Advancement Project. 2026. “Equality Maps: Hate Crime Laws.” https://mapresearch.org/equality-map/hate-crime-laws/. Data as of June 12, 2026.

Percent of Adult LGBTQ Population Covered by Laws

*Note: These percentages reflect estimates of the LGBTQ adult population living in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Estimates of the LGBTQ adult population in the five inhabited U.S. territories are not available, and so cannot be reflected here.

50%
50% of LGBTQ population lives in states that require hate crime data collection, including about crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity
24%
24% of LGBTQ population lives in states that require hate crime data collection, including about crimes based on sexual orientation only
7%
7% of LGBTQ population lives in states that require hate crime data collection, but not about crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity
19%
19% of LGBTQ population lives in states that do not require hate crime data collection