Paid family leave · 2026
Paid family leave by state (2026)
In 2026, 12 states and DC pay new parents during bonding leave: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and DC. Maryland starts paying in 2028. Most give 12 weeks; the highest weekly maximum is California at $1,765. Everywhere else, federal FMLA offers up to 12 unpaid weeks if you qualify.
| State | Paid program | Bonding weeks | Max weekly benefit | Job protection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Alaska | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Arizona | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Arkansas | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| California | Yes | 8 | $1,765 | No (other laws may apply) |
| Colorado | Yes | 12 | $1,448.02 | Yes |
| Connecticut | Yes | 12 | $1,016.40 | No (other laws may apply) |
| Delaware | Yes | 12 | $900 | Yes |
| District of Columbia | Yes | 12 | $1,100 | Conditions apply |
| Florida | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Georgia | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Hawaii | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Idaho | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Illinois | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Indiana | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Iowa | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Kansas | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Kentucky | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Louisiana | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Maine | Yes | 12 | $1,250 | Yes |
| Maryland | Starts Jan 2028 | 12 | $1,000 | Yes |
| Massachusetts | Yes | 12 | $1,230.39 | Yes |
| Michigan | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Minnesota | Yes | 12 | $1,423 | Yes |
| Mississippi | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Missouri | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Montana | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Nebraska | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Nevada | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| New Hampshire | Voluntary plan only | Varies | Varies | — |
| New Jersey | Yes | 12 | $1,119 | No (other laws may apply) |
| New Mexico | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| New York | Yes | 12 | $1,228.53 | Yes |
| North Carolina | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| North Dakota | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Ohio | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Oklahoma | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Oregon | Yes | 12 | $1,692.16 | Yes |
| Pennsylvania | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Rhode Island | Yes | 8 | $1,150 | Yes |
| South Carolina | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| South Dakota | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Tennessee | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Texas | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Utah | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Vermont | Voluntary plan only | Varies | Varies | — |
| Virginia | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Washington | Yes | 12 | $1,647 | Yes |
| West Virginia | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Wisconsin | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
| Wyoming | No | 0 | $0 | FMLA if eligible |
What if my state has no program?
Federal FMLA gives up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave if your employer has 50 or more employees within 75 miles and you have worked there 12 months and 1,250 hours. Some employers also pay parental leave on their own; check your handbook. New Hampshire and Vermont run voluntary plans that pay only if your employer joined or you bought an individual plan.
How to read this table
Weekly maximums are caps, not what everyone gets. Each state pays a share of your average weekly wage, with tiers that pay lower earners a bigger share. Use the baby budget calculator to estimate your own weekly benefit. Birth parents in California, New Jersey and New York can also get disability pay for pregnancy recovery before bonding leave starts.
Data: each state program’s own site (linked on the state pages). Download the full dataset as JSON.
Last verified October 5, 2026 against official sources: each state program site, U.S. Department of Labor.
Cite this page: This Mom, “Paid Family Leave by State (2026)”, thismom.com/paid-family-leave/ (updated ). Data free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link to the page.