Bans on best-practice medical care represent one of the most extreme and coordinated political attacks on transgender people in recent years. These bills target transgender youth by blocking their access to best-practice medical care, care that is backed by years of rigorous research and endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and other leading health authorities. These bills not only display a fundamental lack of understanding of transgender children, but they also ban access to medical care often by criminalizing either the doctors or even the parents of transgender youth seeking to provide best-practice medical care for their children. For more on these efforts, including how these attacks have become more extreme over time, read MAP’s 2023 spotlight report.

Click the above tab "Youth Care Bans & Shield Laws" to see the landscape of shield laws protecting access to medical care, relative to bans on medical care for transgender youth.
State bans medically necessary medication and surgical care for transgender youth, though ban may not be in effect (see note)
(26 states + 1 territory)
State bans medically necessary surgical care for transgender youth
(1 state)
State does not ban medically necessary care for transgender youth
(23 states + 4 territories + D.C.)
State ban makes it a felony crime to provide certain forms of medically necessary care for transgender youth
State ban makes it a felony crime to provide certain forms of medically necessary care for transgender youth
(6 states + 1 territory)
Court ruling is currently blocking enforcement of state's healthcare ban
Court ruling is currently blocking enforcement of state's healthcare ban
(2 states)

*Notes (and see the “Citations” tab or click “Citations & More Information” below the map legend for more information about every state): 
Arizona banned surgical care for transgender minors in 2022, but in 2023 a new governor issued an executive order with “shield” style protections for transgender health care that is still legal in the state. Go to the transgender healthcare “shield” Equality Map to learn more about these laws.
Multiple states have “grandfather” clauses, “weaning off” clauses, or limited exceptions for some transgender youth and/or for some types of medication. Click “Citations” to read more detail about each bill or to access the law’s language directly.

There are at least 17 lawsuits challenging different states’ bans on best practice medical care for transgender youth. Click “Citations & More Information” beneath the map legend for more information about these lawsuits.

Bans Permanently Blocked
The following laws are permanently blocked from being enforced, though appeals may be ongoing. Transgender youth should still be able to access care legally.
-Montana: In May 2025, a judge blocked the state’s ban, ruling it unconstitutional, though the state may yet appeal. The 2025 block builds on an earlier temporary block issued in September 2023.

Bans Temporarily Blocked (In Full or In Part)
The following laws are at least partially blocked from being enforced, though these court cases are still ongoing. Transgender youth should still be able to access care legally to the extent each of these blocks allow.
Kansas: In May 2026, a judge temporarily blocked the state’s ban, ruling it likely unconstitutional, though the court case is still ongoing
.

Bans Not Yet in Effect (In full or In Part)
-None at this time, thought Montana and Kansas are blocked as noted above.

Recommended citation:
Movement Advancement Project. 2026. “Equality Maps: Bans on Best Practice Medical Care for Transgender Youth.” https://mapresearch.org/equality-map/bans-on-best-practice-medical-care-for-transgender-youth/. Data as of June 12, 2026.

Percent of Transgender Youth Covered by Laws

*Note: These percentages reflect estimates of the transgender youth (ages 13-17) population living in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Estimates of transgender youth in the U.S. territories or under age 13 are not available, and so cannot be reflected here. Population estimates are from The Williams Institute.

48%
48% of transgender youth (ages 13-17) live in states that ban medically necessary medication and surgical care for transgender youth
2%
2% of transgender youth (ages 13-17) live in states that ban medically necessary surgical care for transgender youth
50%
50% of transgender youth (ages 13-17) live in states that do not ban medically necessary care for transgender youth

Bans on best-practice medical care represent one of the most extreme and coordinated political attacks on transgender people in recent years. These bills target transgender youth by blocking their access to best-practice medical care, care that is backed by years of rigorous research and endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and other leading health authorities. These bills not only display a fundamental lack of understanding of transgender children, but they also ban access to medical care often by criminalizing either the doctors or even the parents of transgender youth seeking to provide best-practice medicine for children in their care. For more on these efforts, including how these attacks have become more extreme over time, read MAP’s 2023 spotlight report.

Note, Arizona is included in the counts for multiple legend entries, for ease of counting each type of category/entry. Click the above tab "Youth Care Bans Only" to see only bans on medical care for transgender youth.
Court ruling is currently blocking enforcement of state's healthcare ban
Court ruling is currently blocking enforcement of state's healthcare ban
(2 states)
State bans medically necessary medication and surgical care for transgender youth, though ban may not be in effect (see note)
(26 states + 1 territory)
State bans medically necessary surgical care for transgender youth
(1 state)
State neither bans nor has "shield" law for medical care for transgender youth
(6 states + 4 territories)
State bans surgical care for transgender youth but has "shield" executive order protecting access to non-surgical care
(1 state)
State has "shield" executive order protecting access to medical care for transgender people
(3 states)
State has "shield" law protecting access to medical care for transgender people (see this map for more information)
(15 states + D.C.)
State ban makes it a felony crime to provide certain forms of medically necessary care for transgender youth
State ban makes it a felony crime to provide certain forms of medically necessary care for transgender youth
(6 states + 1 territory)

*Notes (and see the “Citations” tab or click “Citations & More Information” below the map legend for more information about every state): 
Arizona banned surgical care for transgender minors in 2022, but in 2023 a new governor issued an executive order with “shield” style protections for transgender health care that is still legal in the state. Go to the transgender healthcare “shield” Equality Map to learn more about these laws.
Multiple states have “grandfather” clauses, “weaning off” clauses, or limited exceptions for some transgender youth and/or for some types of medication. Click “Citations” to read more detail about each bill or to access the law’s language directly.

For information about the lawsuits challenging states’ bans on medical care for transgender youth, click “Citations & More Information” beneath the map legend.

Bans Permanently Blocked
The following laws are permanently blocked from being enforced, though appeals may be ongoing. Transgender youth should still be able to access care legally.
-Montana: In May 2025, a judge blocked the state’s ban, ruling it unconstitutional, though the state may yet appeal. The 2025 block builds on an earlier temporary block issued in September 2023.

Bans Temporarily Blocked (In Full or In Part)
The following laws are at least partially blocked from being enforced, though these court cases are still ongoing. Transgender youth should still be able to access care legally to the extent each of these blocks allow.
Kansas: In May 2026, a judge temporarily blocked the state’s ban, ruling it likely unconstitutional, though the court case is still ongoing.

Bans Not Yet in Effect (In Full or In Part)
-None at this time, though Montana and Kansas are blocked as noted above.

 

Recommended citation:
Movement Advancement Project. 2026. “Equality Maps: Bans on Best Practice Medical Care for Transgender Youth.” https://mapresearch.org/equality-map/bans-on-best-practice-medical-care-for-transgender-youth/. Data as of June 12, 2026.

Percent of Transgender Youth Covered by Laws

*Note: These percentages reflect estimates of the transgender youth (ages 13-17) population living in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Estimates of transgender youth in the U.S. territories or under age 13 are not available, and so cannot be reflected here. Population estimates are from The Williams Institute.

48%
48% of transgender youth (ages 13-17) live in states that ban medically necessary medication and surgical care for transgender youth
2%
2% of transgender youth (ages 13-17) live in states that ban medically necessary surgical care for transgender youth
50%
50% of transgender youth (ages 13-17) live in states that do not ban medically necessary care for transgender youth

key

Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
State Bans on Medical Care for Transgender Youth
Citation
Alabama
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
Alaska
American Samoa
Arizona
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
Arkansas
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
Georgia
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
Guam
Hawaii
Idaho
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
Illinois
Indiana
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
Iowa
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
Kansas
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
Kentucky
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
Louisiana
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
Missouri
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
Montana
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
Nebraska
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
Nevada
New Hampshire
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
North Dakota
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
Northern Mariana Islands
Ohio
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
Oklahoma
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
South Dakota
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
Tennessee
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
Texas
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
U.S. Virgin Islands
Utah
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Bans best practice medical care for transgender youth