What Are My State’s Paid Sick Leave Laws? (2026)
✓ 50 states + DC✓ Local ordinances✓ Official sources✓ Printable sheets
Direct answer: As of 2026, 21 states + DC require private employers to provide paid sick leave; the other states have no statewide mandate (employers may offer voluntarily). 46 city/county ordinances impose stricter rules than their state. Data retrieved 2026-08-23 from state labor departments and public aggregates.
This hub summarizes public labor-law information for general guidance only. It is not legal advice. Confirm obligations with the official state labor department or a qualified employment attorney.
How to comply with paid sick leave (2026)
The five steps every covered employer follows to meet state and local paid sick leave rules.
- Identify your jurisdiction. Find your state and any city/county ordinance that applies — many localities set stricter rules than the state.
- Check the employer threshold. See whether your employer size triggers the mandate (some laws exempt very small employers).
- Apply accrual & caps. Use the accrual rate and annual cap for your jurisdiction to compute leave earned per pay period.
- Confirm covered reasons & carryover. Verify which reasons qualify and whether unused leave carries over to the next year.
- Post and track. Display the required notice and track accrual/usage; use the compliance checker and printable matrix to stay audit-ready.
Go / No-Go: are you (or your employee) entitled to paid leave?
Work this checklist top-down — the first “No” usually ends statutory eligibility:
- Is there a mandate where you work? If your state has no paid-sick-leave law and no stricter local ordinance applies, there is no statutory entitlement — leave is voluntary unless the employer offers it.
- Does the employer meet the size threshold? Several mandates exempt the smallest employers (often under 5 or 10 employees). Below the threshold, the mandate does not apply to that employer.
- Has the employee met any tenure / hours requirement? Some jurisdictions require a minimum days-of-employment or hours worked before leave begins to accrue or can be used.
- Is the reason covered? Most laws cover own illness, family care, and defined safe-leave reasons; some exclude certain reasons. Check the jurisdiction’s covered-reason list.
- Have accrual & caps been applied? Even when eligible, available leave is limited by the accrual rate and the annual cap.
Apply these steps to a specific state + employer size with the Compliance Checker, or scan the 50-state table below for the mandate and threshold that apply to you.
All 51 jurisdictions
| State | Mandate | Employer threshold | Accrual | Local ordinances |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| Alaska | ✓ Required | 1 employee | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | — |
| Arizona | ✓ Required | 1 employee | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | — |
| Arkansas | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| California | ✓ Required | 1 employee | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 20 local(s) |
| Colorado | ✓ Required | 1 employee | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 3 local(s) |
| Connecticut | ✓ Required | 11+ employees (2026); 1+ employees (Jan 1, 2027) | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | — |
| Delaware | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| District of Columbia | ✓ Required | 1 employee | 1 hr/87 hrs (1-24); 1 hr/43 hrs (25-99); 1 hr/37 hrs (100+) | — |
| Florida | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| Georgia | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| Hawaii | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| Idaho | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| Illinois | ✓ Required | 1 employee | 1 hour per 40 hours worked | 2 local(s) |
| Indiana | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| Iowa | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| Kansas | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| Kentucky | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| Louisiana | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| Maine | ✓ Required | 11+ employees (more than 10 in usual course >120 days/yr) | 1 hour per 40 hours worked | — |
| Maryland | ✓ Required | 15+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid) | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 5 local(s) |
| Massachusetts | ✓ Required | 11+ employees (paid); smaller (unpaid) | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | — |
| Michigan | ✓ Required | 11+ employees (10 or fewer: 40 hrs, may be unpaid) | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | — |
| Minnesota | ✓ Required | 1 employee | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 4 local(s) |
| Mississippi | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| Missouri | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| Montana | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| Nebraska | ✓ Required | 11+ employees; 10 or fewer exempt | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | — |
| Nevada | ✓ Required | 50+ employees | 0.01923 hours per hour worked | — |
| New Hampshire | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| New Jersey | ✓ Required | 1 employee | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 4 local(s) |
| New Mexico | ✓ Required | 1 employee | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | — |
| New York | ✓ Required | 5+ employees or $1M net income | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 1 local(s) |
| North Carolina | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| North Dakota | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| Ohio | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| Oklahoma | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| Oregon | ✓ Required | 10+ employees (6+ if Portland location) | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 1 local(s) |
| Pennsylvania | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | 3 local(s) |
| Rhode Island | ✓ Required | 18+ employees | 1 hour per 35 hours worked | — |
| South Carolina | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| South Dakota | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| Tennessee | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| Texas | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| Utah | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| Vermont | ✓ Required | 1 employee | 1 hour per 52 hours worked | — |
| Virginia | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| Washington | ✓ Required | 1 employee | 1 hour per 40 hours worked | 3 local(s) |
| West Virginia | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| Wisconsin | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
| Wyoming | — No mandate | Voluntary | — | — |
Local ordinances stricter than state law (46)
These cities and counties have their own sick leave rules that may exceed the state standard. Click for the full local breakdown, compliance checklist, and official source.
San FranciscoLos AngelesOaklandSan DiegoBerkeleyEmeryvilleSanta MonicaWest HollywoodSan JosePasadenaLong BeachFresnoSacramentoSanta RosaSan Mateo CountySan MateoRichmondSan RafaelDaly CitySan LeandroDenverBoulderAuroraChicagoCook CountyMontgomery CountyPrince George's CountyHoward CountyAnne Arundel CountyBaltimore CityMinneapolisSt. PaulDuluthBloomingtonJersey CityNewarkEast OrangeIrvingtonNew York CityPortlandPhiladelphiaPittsburghAllegheny CountySeattleTacomaSpokane
Tools
Frequently Asked Questions
How many states require paid sick leave in 2026?
As of 2026, 21 states plus Washington, D.C. require private employers to provide paid sick leave. The remaining states have no statewide mandate, though some cities and counties impose their own ordinances.
Where can I find city or county sick leave ordinances?
Dayfig covers local ordinances (e.g., San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Cook County, Seattle, Tacoma, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York City, Portland, Montgomery County) that exceed state law. See each state page for its local list.
How do I know if I am eligible for paid sick leave?
Check four things in order: (1) whether your state or a local ordinance has a paid-sick-leave mandate, (2) whether your employer meets the law’s minimum employee threshold, (3) whether you have met any required tenure or hours-worked period, and (4) whether your reason is a covered reason. The first “no” generally ends statutory eligibility — use the Compliance Checker to apply these to your situation.