Sexting Laws Across America

Please click on any state to learn exactly what their sexting laws cover. (Updated July, 2022)

State	Sexting Law	Includes “Sexting”	Addresses minors sending	Addresses minors receiving	Penalty: Diversion	Penalty: Informal	Penalty: Misdem	Penalty: Felony	Revenge Porn Law
Alabama	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES
Alaska	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES	NO	YES
Arizona	YES	NO	YES	YES	NO	NO	YES	NO	YES
Arkansas	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	YES	YES	NO	YES
California	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES
Colorado	YES	NO	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	YES
Connecticut	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	NO	YES	NO	YES
Delaware	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES
Florida	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES
Georgia	YES	NO	YES	YES	NO	NO	YES	YES	YES
Hawaii	YES	NO	YES	YES	NO	NO	YES	NO	YES
Idaho	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO
Illinois	YES	NO	YES	NO	YES	YES	NO	NO	YES
Indiana	YES	NO	YES	YES	NO	NO	YES	YES	YES
Iowa	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES
Kansas	YES	NO	YES	YES	NO	NO	YES	YES	YES
Kentucky	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES
Louisiana	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	NO	YES
Maine	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES
Maryland	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES
Massachusetts	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO
Michigan	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES
Minnesota	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES
Mississippi	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES
Missouri	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES
Montana	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES
Nebraska	YES	NO	YES	YES	NO	NO	NO	YES	YES
Nevada	YES	NO	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	YES
New Hampshire	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES
New Jersey	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	NO	YES
New Mexico	YES	NO	YES	YES	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES
New York	YES	NO	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	NO	YES
North Carolina	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES
North Dakota	YES	NO	YES	YES	NO	NO	YES	NO	YES
Ohio	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES
Oklahoma	YES	NO	YES	NO	NO	YES	YES	NO	YES
Oregon	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES
Pennsylvania	YES	NO	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	YES
Rhode Island	YES	YES	YES	NO	YES	YES	NO	NO	YES
South Carolina	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO
South Dakota	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	NO	YES	NO	YES
Tennessee	YES	NO	YES	YES	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES
Texas	YES	NO	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	YES
Utah	YES	NO	YES	YES	NO	NO	YES	YES	YES
Vermont	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	NO	NO	YES
Virginia	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES
Washington	YES	NO	YES	YES	YES	NO	YES	YES	YES
West Virginia	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO	NO	NO	YES
Wisconsin	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES
Wyoming	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	proposed
FEDERAL	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	proposed
Washington DC	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO	YES
STATE TOTALS	27	9	27	24	13	13	18	7	47
Notes: “Includes sexting” – includes “sexting” in the statute; “Addresses minors sending or receiving” – includes provisions if youth under 18 have sent or received sexually explicit images of other youth under 18; “Diversion” – includes an option to pursue the case outside of the criminal/juvenile justice system; “Informal” – allows for/prescribes counseling or another informal sanction; “Misdem” – potential for a misdemeanor punishment; “Felony” – potential for a felony punishment. All states have some variation of a law that prohibits sending explicit or obscene material to—or depicting—minors that might apply (child pornography).

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