us surrogacy law map by state

Why a surrogacy legal map?

Both as a surrogate or intended parent, you need to pay attention to the laws of the state where the surrogate lives to plan ahead the  surrogacy journey.

As a surrogate, you may want to find out:

If surrogacy is legal in your state, if you can legally receive a compensation for it, what sort of surrogacy contracts are allowed and at what stage of the process, etc. 

As a parent, you may want to find out:

Which state your surrogate may come from for the surrogacy to be legal (your state of residence doesn’t influence the process), what sort of surrogacy contracts are allowed and at what stage of the process your parenthood will be recognized, what specific terms apply for international parents, same sex parents,  etc. 

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Jeffrey Hu | Director
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Ashley Mareko | Surrogate Program Director
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Danielle Guaderrama | Case Manager
Contact: danielle@surrogatefirst.com","Representative Office
Tiffani Salter | Intake Manager
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Max Leboutellier | Intended Parent Manager
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Alaska

There are no statutes or published case law surrogacy laws permitting or prohibiting surrogacy in Alaska so it is considered legal.
Surrogacy professionals have created a solid process that guides intended parents and surrogates throughout their journeys; one that protects the rights of all parties involved. ","US-AL" : "

Alabama

There are no surrogacy laws in Alabama; however that doesn't mean that you can’t successfully complete a surrogacy journey in this state.
Courts are typically favorable to gestational surrogacy arrangements.
Although the following guide can give you a better understanding of the general rules and regulations of surrogacy in Alabama, it is not meant to be used as legal advice.
It is important to consult with an experienced attorney to guide you through your unique journey. ","US-AR" : "

Arkansas

Gestational surrogacy is expressly permitted by statute, pursuant to Arkansas Code § 9-10-201.
The Arkansas Code permits surrogacy, establishing that the surrogate is not presumed to be the legal parent of a child born via surrogacy.
Gestational surrogacy is further supported by Arkansas case law. ","US-AZ" : "

Arizona

Arizona expressly prohibits surrogacy under Arizona Revised Statute § 25-218 which states that no person may enter into or assist in creating a surrogacy contract, making surrogacy contracts unenforceable.
The statute further establishes a rebuttable presumption that the surrogate is the legal mother and her husband, if any, is the legal father.
However, couples and individuals now routinely petition Arizona courts for an order declaring them the legal parents of a child born through a surrogate. ","US-CA" : "

California

California Family Law Sections 7960 – 7962 (2013) outlines the surrogacy laws in California;
these laws are some of the most straightforward in the United States making it one of the
easiest places to become a parent through surrogacy. Click to read more.
","US-CO" : "

Colorado

Colorado does not have statutory law or published case law that prohibits surrogacy but Colorado courts are typically favorable toward surrogacy. ","US-CT" : "

Connecticut

Conn.Gen.Stat.§7-48a permits gestational surrogacy in Connecticut.
The clear surrogacy laws make it relatively easy to become a surrogate or parent through surrogacy in this state. ","US-DC" : "

District of Columbia

","US-DE" : "

Delaware

Delaware surrogacy laws are among the clearest cut in the United States, regulated by the 'Gestational Carrier Agreement Act' of 2013, making it relatively easy to become a surrogate or a parent through surrogacy. ","US-FL" : "

Florida

lorida has clear cut laws for gestational surrogacy making it relatively easy to become an intended parent.
Surrogacy is permitted by statute, but gestational surrogacy contracts will not be enforceable unless the Intended Parents are married and all parties to the contract are 18 years of age or older, pursuant to Fla. Stat.
Chapter §742 The laws for traditional surrogacy; however, are similar to adoption laws making it a much more difficult path to pursue. ","US-GA" : "

Georgia

Gestational surrogacy is permitted in Georgia because there are no specific laws prohibiting it and many intended parents have been successful in using this method to build their families. ","US-HI" : "

Hawaii

Gestational surrogacy is permitted in Hawaii because there are no specific laws prohibiting it and many intended parents have been successful in pursuing surrogacy to build their families. ","US-IA" : "

Iowa

Iowa Code 710.11 and 641-99.15 implicitly permits surrogacy and Iowa courts are usually favorable towards surrogacy. ","US-ID" : "

Idaho

Gestational Surrogacy is permitted in Idaho because no statute or published case law prohibits it.
However, recent case law (June 2016) confirmed that a non-genetic parent will not be issued a post-birth parentage order, but instead must complete a post-birth adoption in order to be recognized as a legal parent.
Pre-birth parentage orders are not available in Idaho, regardless of genetic connection to the child.
If no intended parent shares a genetic relationship with the child, then a full adoption must be completed. ","US-IL" : "

Illinois

Illinois has some of the most comprehensive and detailed statutory provisions in the country that address surrogacy found in the Illinois Gestational Surrogacy Act.
The Act expressly permits gestational surrogacy, sets forth the contractual requirements for an enforceable agreement and establishes the legal parental rights of the intended parents.
Most notably, it provides that any intended parents who comply with and satisfy the statutory requirements are required to be named on the child's birth certificate, bypassing the need for court action to obtain parental rights. ","US-IN" : "

Indiana

Indiana Code 31-20-1-1 makes gestational and traditional surrogacy contracts void and unenforceable as against public policy.
Despite this, gestational carrier arrangements in Indiana continue and some courts will grant pre-birth parentage orders establishing the rights of the intended parents. ","US-KS" : "

Kansas

Gestational Surrogacy is permitted in Kansas because no statute or published case law prohibits it.
Although there aren't any specific laws related to surrogacy, many intended parents have been successful in pursuing surrogacy to build their families. ","US-KY" : "

Kentucky

Surrogacy in Kentucky is still a rather new family-building process and area of law.
There are no statutes or published case law specifically permitting or prohibiting surrogacy so it is an accepted practice in this state. ","US-LA" : "

Louisiana

Louisiana Surrogacy Bill HB 1102 took effect on August 1, 2016.
This bill restricts gestational surrogacy to married, heterosexual couples who both
use their own embryo/sperm and includes a no compensation requirement.
If one enters into a surrogacy agreement that is not sanctioned by the new law,
anyone involved is subject to civil and criminal penalties.
","US-MA" : "

Massachusetts

Massachusetts has no surrogacy laws created and approved by the state legislature.
Instead, surrogacy in Massachusetts has a process based on three published surrogacy cases, established by the highest court in Massachusetts: Hodas v. Morin (2004); Culliton v. Beth Israel Deaconess Med. Ctr.(2002); R.R. v. M.H. (1998). Surrogacy is thereby a common and accepted practice in Massachusetts. ","US-MD" : "

Maryland

Gestational Surrogacy was implicitly approved by the highest court in Maryland in In re Roberto d.B. (2003); it is implicitly authorized and permitted in the state pursuant to Maryland published case law.
Despite the lack of statutory law on surrogacy, surrogacy arrangements are typically found enforceable by Maryland courts, yet the results and legal processes do tend to vary by judge. ","US-ME" : "

Maine

The Maine Parentage Act of 2016 legalized surrogacy in Maine and created important regulations and eligibility requirements for the process.
These clear surrogacy laws make it relatively easy to become a parent as long as you meet the state’s eligibility requirements and follow the legal processes. ","US-MI" : "

Mishigan

Michigan Surrogate Parenting Act MCL Section 722.851, declares surrogacy contracts to be void
and unenforceable as against public policy. However, courts may still grant pre-birth orders
if no payment or compensation has been made to the surrogate by the intended parent/s.
","US-MN" : "

Minnesota

Minnesota has no statutes or published case law specifically permitting or prohibiting surrogacy.
Therefore, gestational surrogacy is legal and many intended parents have been successful in pursuing surrogacy to build their families. ","US-MO" : "

Missouri

","US-MS" : "

Mississippi

","US-MT" : "

Montana

Gestational surrogacy in Montana is permitted because no statute or published case law prohibits it and many intended parents have been successful in pursuing surrogacy to build their families. ","US-NC" : "

North Carolina

Gestational Surrogacy is permitted in North Carolina because no statute or published case law prohibits it and many intended parents have been successful in using this method to build their families. ","US-ND" : "

North Dakota

Gestational Surrogacy is permitted by statute N.D. Cent. Code §§14-18, which states that a child born to a gestational carrier is the child of the intended parents. ","US-NE" : "

Nebraska

R.R.S. Neb. 25-21, 200 declares surrogacy contracts to be void and unenforceable and that the biological father of a child born pursuant to such a contract shall have all the rights and obligations imposed by law with respect to such child.
Thus, statute does allow surrogacy practice in limited scenarios. Pre-birth parentage orders are prohibited in the state of Nebraska, but courts may grant post-birth orders to biological fathers, and biological fathers only. All other intended parents must go through a post-birth adoption process.
Stepparent adoptions are permitted in the state, while second-parent adoptions are not. ","US-NH" : "

New Hampshire

In 2014, New Hampshire surrogacy legislation was passed to regulate surrogacy in the state.
Surrogacy laws in New Hampshire are among the most clear and well-defined in the United States making it one of the best places to pursue surrogacy. ","US-NJ" : "

New Jersey

Gestational surrogacy is expressly permitted pursuant to the New Jersey Gestational Carrier Agreement Act of 2018. Prior to the Act, compensated surrogacy arrangements were prohibited in the state and held unenforceable.
Traditional surrogacy is legal only if the surrogate is not compensated and there was no pre-birth surrogacy agreement, making it rare in New Jersey. ","US-NM" : "

New Mexico

N.M. Stat. Ann. 40-11A-801 states that New Mexico’s gestational surrogacy contracts are neither permitted nor prohibited; therefore it is considered legal.
Pre-birth parentage orders can be obtained by nearly any intended parent in any circumstance, with the exception of single intended parents who may have trouble obtaining a parentage order depending on the judge. ","US-NV" : "

Nevada

Nev. Revised Statutes 126.500-126.810 expressly permits gestational surrogacy.
Nevada has detailed surrogacy laws that make it easy to become a surrogate or an intended parent and is a common way to build families. ","US-NY" : "

New York

Gestational surrogacy in New York is permitted by statute as of February 15, 2022.
The new statute, the Child Parent Security Act (CPSA), allows compensated gestational surrogacy for the first time and repeals New York's existing statute that declares compensated surrogacy contracts void and unenforceable. ","US-OH" : "

Ohio

Ohio case law, J.F. v. D.B., 879 N.E.2d 740 (2007), permits gestational surrogacy; and pre-birth parentage orders can be obtained by any intended parent in most circumstances, whether married or unmarried, a heterosexual or same-sex couple or individual, and even if neither intended parent is genetically related to the child. Results vary, however, by judge and county. ","US-OK" : "

Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Gestational Agreement Act (House Bill 2468), which became effective May 15, 2019, legalized gestational surrogacy.
This Act provides for enforceable gestational carrier agreements and pre-birth orders under certain conditions. ","US-OR" : "

Oregon

Gestational Surrogacy is permitted in Oregon because no statute or published case law prohibits it.
The only statutes regarding surrogacy in Oregon, ORS 109.239-109.247, outline who is (and is not) legally responsible for a child resulting from assisted reproduction.
These statutes state that donors are not responsible for any children born from embryos created using their egg or sperm. ","US-PA" : "

Pensylvania

There are no statutes or published case law specifically permitting or prohibiting surrogacy in Pennsylvania; however, there is unpublished case law that permits surrogacy: J.F. v. D.B., 897 A.2d 1261 (2006) and Whitewood v. Wolf, no. 1:13-cv-1861 (2014). This ruling made it legal for surrogacy to be practiced in Pennsylvania, and it continues to be a popular way of growing families in this state. ","US-RI" : "

Rhode Island

Currently, there are no surrogacy laws in Rhode Island.
Every surrogacy case goes through the Chief Judge of Family Court in Providence.
Because all surrogacy cases are handled by the same person, the legal process of surrogacy in Rhode Island is very consistent. ","US-SC" : "

South Carolina

Gestational Surrogacy is permitted in South Carolina because no statute or published case law prohibits it and is becoming a common way for people to build families in this state. ","US-SD" : "

South Dakota

There are no statutes or published case law specifically permitting or prohibiting surrogacy in South Dakota; therefore, it is considered legal. ","US-TN" : "

Tennessee

Tenn. Code Ann. 36-1-102(48) neither permits nor prohibits surrogacy, but merely defines it. Pursuing, pursuing surrogacy in Tennessee can be a complex process.
Under case law, the gestational carrier will be named as the mother on the birth certificate unless the parents both use their own egg and own sperm.
In the case of In re Adoption of Male Child A.F.C., the Supreme Court of Tennessee ruled that if an egg donor is used, the Gestational Carrier must remain on the birth certificate until the second parent completes an adoption proceeding.
The second parent (intended mother or second father) will then replace the gestational carrier on the birth certificate.
If the intended mother is the genetic mother, she can go directly onto the birth certificate.
If the Intended Father is single, after the initial birth certificate has been issued with the gestational carrier listed as 'Mother', he can petition to have the birth certificate changed to specify 'None' or 'Unknown' in the space for mother. ","US-TX" : "

Texas

Gestational Surrogacy is permitted by Texas by Tex. Fam. Code§ 160-751 through § 160-763 which authorizes gestational surrogacy for married intended parents who follow the procedures specified in the statute, including having their gestational carrier agreement validated by a court before birth.
Although Texas surrogacy laws only apply to married intended parents specifically, Texas courts have upheld and validated surrogacy agreements involving unmarried couples and single parents. ","US-UT" : "

Utah

Gestational Surrogacy is permitted by Utah Code Ann. § 78B-15-801 (2008), which permits gestational surrogacy for married intended parents.
Unmarried couples and single parents are not included under the statute and are not afforded any of its protections. ","US-VA" : "

Virginia

Virginia's Assisted Conception Statute, entitled the Status of Children of Assisted Conception Act, permits surrogacy and upholds the enforceability of any surrogacy contract that complies with the statutory requirements but surrogacy is a complex process in this state.
While surrogacy is legal, it favors married intended parents who have at least one genetic connection to the child born via surrogacy.
If you are an intended parent who doesn't meet these criteria, your Virginia surrogacy process will be more difficult. ","US-VT" : "

Vermont

The Vermont Parentage Act of 2018 specifically permits gestational surrogacy making it possible for intended parents to build their families through this type of surrogacy. ","US-WA" : "

Washington

Surrogacy became legal in 2017 when the District of Columbia’'s gestational surrogacy statute went into effect.
Washington, D.C’s gestational surrogacy laws are now clear-cut and guide intended parents and surrogates through the surrogacy process.
Pursuing surrogacy in D.C. is very safe due to the well-regulated laws and is becoming an increasingly popular way to grow families in this state. ","US-WI" : "

Wisconsin

Case law in Wisconsin, Paternity of F.T.R., Rosecky v. Schissel (2013), expressly permits traditional surrogacy and in practice, implicitly permits gestational surrogacy.
The court ruled that surrogacy contracts are enforceable if the contract is not contrary to the child’s best interest. Surrogacy is a legal and accepted practice in Wisconsin. ","US-WV" : "

West Virginia

Gestational Surrogacy is permitted in West Virginia by W.VA Code §61-2-14h(e)(3), which permits fees and expenses included in any agreement in which a woman agrees to become a surrogate mother. ","US-WY" : "

Wyoming

WY Stat 14-2-403(d) neither permits nor prohibits surrogacy.
However, there is insufficient data to determine how a Wyoming court may rule on a parentage order or on what prospective intended parents may anticipate in their surrogacy process.
As a result, surrogacy is rare in Wyoming. 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Our surrogacy law Pages state by state

What is covered in our surrogacy legal pages, state by state?

For each state we provide answers to the following key surrogacy legal questions:

  • Is Gestational Surrogacy Legal?
  • Is Traditional Surrogacy Legal?
  • Is Compensated Surrogacy Legal?
  • Creating a Surrogacy Contract for This State
  • Determining Legal Parentage in This State
  • Is Same-Sex Surrogacy Legal?
  • Are There any Addtional Laws Impacting Same-Sex Surrogacy in this State?
  • Are Surrogacy Contracts Enforceable?
  • Are There Any Particular Surrogacy Laws for International IPs in this State?
  • When do IP’s Need to Complete an Adoption After Birth?
  • Does this State Allow Second-Parent Adoptions?
  • What Happens In Cases Where IP’s Use a Donor Egg, Sperm or Embryo?
 

Because the surrogacy legal field is constantly changing, it is important to work with an experienced surrogate attorney in the state where your surrogate will deliver your baby to ensure you are able to successfully establish your legal parentage.

How to read the surrogacy ratings for each state?

Most Surrogate Friendly states

Surrogacy is legal. Pre-birth orders are granted throughout the state and both parents will be named on the birth certificate. Click on any state for specific details.

CA,
CT,
DC,
DE,
ME,
NH,
NV,
RI,
VT,
NJ

Surrogate Friendly States

Surrogacy is legal but pre-birth orders are not available in every state. In some birth states, additional post-birth legal procedures may be required. Click on any state for specific details.

AL,
AK,
AR,
AZ,
CO,
FL,
GA,
HI,
IL,
IA,
KS,
KY,
MA,
MD,
MN,
MO,
MS,
MT,
NC,
ND,
NM,
NY,
OH,
OK,
OR,
PA,
SC,
SD,
TX,
UT,
WI,
WV

Same Sex Friendly states

US Flag Icon

Surrogacy is permitted, but outcomes may depend on various legal factors and jurisdictions. In some birth states, additional post-birth legal procedures may be necessary.

AL,
AK,
AR,
CA,
CO,
CT,
DC,
DE,
FL,
GA,
HI,
IL,
IA,
KS,
KY,
MA,
ME,
MD,
MN,
MO,
MS,
MT,
NC,
ND,
NH,
NJ,
NM,
NV,
NY,
OH,
OK,
OR,
PA,
RI,
SC,
SD,
TX,
UT,
VT,
WI,
WV

Proceed with Caution surrogacy states


3-star legal complexity icon

Surrogacy is a complex process in these states. It is legal and pre-birth orders are available in some cases, but there are several stipulations and potential legal issues. Additional post-birth legal procedures may also be required. Click on any state for specific details.

ID,
IN,
TN,
VA,
WY

Proceed with extreme caution surrogacy states

Surrogacy contracts are void and unenforceable by statute; however, surrogacy is practiced and courts issue parentage orders in certain cases. Click on any state on the map for more detailed information.

Caution - Do Not Proceed with surrogacy in these states

1-star surrogacy restriction icon

Pursuing surrogacy is not recommended in these states. Compensated surrogacy contracts are prohibited by statute or published case law, and/or a birth certificate naming both parents cannot be obtained. Click on any state for specific details.

LA, MI, NE

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