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).