Paid Sick Leave Laws by State (2026)
As of 2026, 21 states and jurisdictions require employers to provide paid sick leave. The rules vary widely — different accrual rates, caps, employer thresholds, and covered reasons. Some cities have their own ordinances that exceed state law. All 50 states + DC covered below.
Click your state for the full breakdown
Paid Sick Leave Required (21 jurisdictions)
These states mandate paid sick leave for at least some employers
No State Law (30 states)
No state-level mandate; employers may offer voluntarily
States with Local (City) Sick Leave Ordinances
Even in states without a statewide law, some cities have their own requirements. Always check local laws in addition to state law.
- California — San Francisco, Los Angeles, Oakland, San Diego, Berkeley, Emeryville, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood have local ordinances that may exceed state requirements.
- Illinois — Chicago and Cook County have separate paid sick leave ordinances with different (often stricter) requirements.
- Maryland — Montgomery County has a stricter local earned sick and safe leave law that exceeds state requirements.
- Minnesota — Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, and Bloomington have local sick and safe time ordinances that preceded the state law.
- New Jersey — Several New Jersey cities (Jersey City, Newark, East Orange, Irvington, etc.) had local sick leave laws before the state law; the state law now provides a statewide floor.
- New York — New York City's Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (ESSTA) provides additional protections, including 32 hours of unpaid safe/sick time on top of paid leave, expanded in February 2026.
- Oregon — Portland has a lower threshold (6+ employees) than the rest of Oregon (10+).
- Pennsylvania — Philadelphia requires paid sick leave (up to 80 hours for 50+ employees as of May 2025). Pittsburgh requires paid sick leave (up to 72 hours for 15+ employees as of January 2026).
- Washington — Seattle and Tacoma have local paid sick leave ordinances that may exceed state requirements.
Full Comparison — All 50 States + DC
Click column headers to sort. Type to filter by state name.
| State▲ | Required?⇅ | Employer Threshold⇅ | Accrual Rate⇅ | Max Accrual⇅ | Paid/Unpaid⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement |
| Alaska | Yes | 1 employee | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 40 hours/year (<15 employees); 56 hours/year (15+ employees) | Paid |
| Arizona | Yes | 1 employee | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 24 hours/year (<15 employees); 40 hours/year (15+ employees) | Paid |
| Arkansas | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement |
| California | Yes | 1 employee | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 80 hours accrual cap; 40 hours (5 days) usage cap per year | Paid |
| Colorado | Yes | 1 employee | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 48 hours per year | Paid |
| Connecticut | Yes | 11+ employees (as of January 1, 2026); 1+ employees (starting January 1, 2027) | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 40 hours per year | Paid |
| Delaware | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement |
| District of Columbia | Yes | 1 employee | 1 hr per 87 hrs worked (1-24 employees); 1 hr per 43 hrs (25-99); 1 hr per 37 hrs (100+) | 3 days/year (1-24 employees); 5 days/year (25-99); 7 days/year (100+) | Paid |
| Florida | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement |
| Georgia | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement |
| Hawaii | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state sick leave requirement (TDI provides wage replacement for disabilities) |
| Idaho | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement |
| Illinois | Yes | 1 employee | 1 hour per 40 hours worked | 40 hours per year | Paid |
| Indiana | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement |
| Iowa | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement |
| Kansas | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement |
| Kentucky | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement |
| Louisiana | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement |
| Maine | Yes | 10+ employees | 1 hour per 40 hours worked | 40 hours per year | Paid |
| Maryland | Yes | 15+ employees (paid); all employers (unpaid) | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 40 hours/year; 64-hour total bank cap | Depends on employer size — paid for 15+ employees; unpaid for smaller employers |
| Massachusetts | Yes | 11+ employees (paid); all employers (unpaid) | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 40 hours per year | Depends on employer size — paid for 11+ employees; unpaid for smaller employers |
| Michigan | Yes | 1 employee (11+ immediately; 10 or fewer starting October 1, 2025) | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 72 hours/year (11+ employees); 40 hours/year (10 or fewer employees) | Paid |
| Minnesota | Yes | 1 employee | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 48 hours/year; up to 80-hour bank with carryover | Paid |
| Mississippi | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement |
| Missouri | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement (law was repealed) |
| Montana | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement |
| Nebraska | Yes | 11+ employees | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 40 hours/year (11-19 employees); 56 hours/year (20+ employees) | Paid |
| Nevada | Yes | 50+ employees | 0.01923 hours per hour worked (approximately 1 hour per 52 hours worked) | No statutory cap on accrual | Paid |
| New Hampshire | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement |
| New Jersey | Yes | 1 employee | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 40 hours per year | Paid |
| New Mexico | Yes | 1 employee | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 64 hours per year | Paid |
| New York | Yes | 1 employee | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 40 hours/year (1-99 employees); 56 hours/year (100+ employees) | Paid for 5+ employees or net income over $1M; unpaid for 1-4 employees with net income under $1M |
| North Carolina | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement |
| North Dakota | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement |
| Ohio | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement |
| Oklahoma | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement |
| Oregon | Yes | 10+ employees (paid); 6+ in Portland (paid); all employers (unpaid) | 1 hour per 30 hours worked (or 1 1/3 hours per 40 hours) | 40 hours per year; 80-hour total bank cap | Depends on employer size — paid for 10+ employees (6+ in Portland); unpaid for smaller employers |
| Pennsylvania | No | N/A (no state law) | N/A (no state law) | N/A (no state law) | No state requirement — see local laws |
| Rhode Island | Yes | 18+ employees (paid); all employers (unpaid) | 1 hour per 35 hours worked | 40 hours per year | Depends on employer size — paid for 18+ employees; unpaid for smaller employers |
| South Carolina | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement |
| South Dakota | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement |
| Tennessee | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement |
| Texas | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement |
| Utah | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement |
| Vermont | Yes | 1 employee (with limited exemptions) | 1 hour per 52 hours worked | 40 hours per year | Paid |
| Virginia | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement (limited sick leave for home health workers only) |
| Washington | Yes | 1 employee | 1 hour per 40 hours worked | No statutory cap on accrual | Paid |
| West Virginia | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement |
| Wisconsin | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement |
| Wyoming | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | No state requirement |
Key Concepts
What is paid sick leave?
Paid sick leave lets employees take time off for illness, medical care, or other qualifying reasons while still receiving their regular pay. It differs from PTO (which can be used for any purpose) and FMLA (which is unpaid but job-protected).
Accrual vs. frontloading
Most laws let employers choose: employees accrue sick time hour-by-hour (e.g., 1 hour per 30 hours worked), or the employer frontloads the full annual amount at the start of the year. Frontloading eliminates carryover tracking.
Federal FMLA
The Family and Medical Leave Act provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year for employers with 50+ employees. FMLA is separate from state paid sick leave — employees may use both concurrently.
Covered reasons
Most state laws cover: employee's own illness, family member care, preventive care, and domestic violence/sexual assault safe leave. Some states (Illinois, Maine, Nevada) allow leave for any reason at all.
Employer size thresholds
Some states require paid sick leave only from larger employers. Smaller employers may be required to provide unpaid sick leave instead (e.g., Maryland, Massachusetts, Oregon, Rhode Island). Always check the threshold for your state.
Carryover rules
Most laws require unused sick time to carry over to the next year, but annual usage caps still apply. If employers frontload the full annual amount, they can often skip carryover requirements. Check your state's rules carefully.
Video Guides
Last updated: 2026-03-27. This is general information, not legal advice. Verify requirements with your state's labor agency. Sources: Individual state labor department websites, U.S. Department of Labor.