Which US states have AI laws?

As of July 2026 the tracker covers eleven states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Montana, New York, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. Texas, Illinois, Utah, Tennessee, and Montana have AI laws in force; California, Washington, and Connecticut are partially in force; New York's frontier law and Colorado's replacement ADMT law take effect on January 1, 2027; Virginia's comprehensive bill was vetoed in 2025.

Do US state AI laws apply to companies based in other states?

Usually yes. Most state AI laws follow the affected resident, so a company anywhere can fall under a state's law once its product reaches that state's residents.

Is there a US federal AI law that overrides state law?

No federal AI statute exists. A December 2025 executive order seeks to preempt state laws, but preemption generally requires an act of Congress, so the state laws remain enforceable while the fight plays out in court.

US state AI laws

The state-by-state tracker. Sort by effective date to see what bites next, or filter by status to see what is already live.

Forty-plus states have introduced AI bills; eleven are tracked here. They do not line up. Texas bans harmful uses by intent, Illinois governs hiring tools and biometrics, California stacks four separate statutes, Tennessee protects voice and likeness, Montana passed a statutory right to compute, Colorado repealed the country's first comprehensive act before it took effect, and Virginia's governor vetoed one outright. Almost all of them follow the affected resident, so a single national product can trigger several at once.

11states tracked

9with law in force

Jan 2027next major effective date

0comprehensive state laws now in force

State	Status	Effective	What it covers	Enforcement
California	Partially in force	Jan 1, 2026	Frontier model transparency, training-data disclosure, chatbot safety	Civil penalties; Attorney General enforcement
Colorado	Repealed / replaced	Jan 1, 2027	Automated decision technology; consumer rights	Up to $20k per violation; AG only
Connecticut	Partially in force	2026 (narrow measures)	Dynamic-pricing limits enacted; comprehensive framework still pending	AG enforcement under consumer-protection law
Illinois	In force	Jan 1, 2026	AI in hiring; BIPA biometric privacy; frontier safety law with mandatory audits (2027)	BIPA statutory damages via private suits
Montana	In force	2025	Statutory right to own and use compute, including for AI	None; restricts state action rather than companies
New York	Partially in force	Jan 1, 2027	Frontier model transparency; NYC hiring bias audit in force	Civil penalties; AG enforcement
Tennessee	In force	Jul 1, 2024	AI voice and likeness cloning; AI mental-health marketing (Jul 2026)	Class A misdemeanor; civil and private actions
Texas	In force	Jan 1, 2026	Intent-based ban on harmful uses; government AI rules	$10k to $200k; AG only, no private suits
Utah	In force	May 1, 2024	Generative AI disclosure; regulatory sandbox	Admin fines; Consumer Protection division
Virginia	Lapsed / failed	No law in force	Comprehensive bill vetoed 2025; chatbot bill moving in 2026	VCDPA enforcement only
Washington	Partially in force	Mar 31, 2024	Health data and AI inferences; chatbot and provenance laws passed 2026	AG enforcement; private right of action under MHMD

The federal question is separate

A December 2025 executive order directs the Justice Department to challenge state AI laws and threatens federal funding for states that keep them. Until the courts rule, every law above remains enforceable. The federal posture is covered on the United States overview.