State Preemption Index (2026)
Which states most aggressively preempt local ordinances? This index ranks all 50 states by the number of state-level rules that override what cities and counties can regulate — covering firearms, tobacco, plastic bags, minimum wage, immigration, and right-to-farm.
Scored from 3,540 state-tier ordinances across 51states. Each “preempting rule” is a state law that explicitly bars or limits local regulation on a specific topic.
Drill down by topic
See the full ranking for one preemption topic at a time.
| Rank | State | Preempting | Total Rules | Top Categories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida(FL) | 31 | 70 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 2 | South Dakota(SD) | 29 | 130 | Accessory Structures·4Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3 |
| 3 | Virginia(VA) | 29 | 86 | Accessory Structures·4Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3 |
| 4 | Michigan(MI) | 29 | 69 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 5 | Oklahoma(OK) | 29 | 68 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Fire Regulations·3 |
| 6 | North Dakota(ND) | 27 | 63 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 7 | New Jersey(NJ) | 26 | 75 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 8 | Oregon(OR) | 26 | 71 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 9 | Louisiana(LA) | 26 | 65 | Accessory Structures·4Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3 |
| 10 | Washington(WA) | 25 | 80 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 11 | Illinois(IL) | 25 | 72 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 12 | Colorado(CO) | 25 | 71 | Firearms·4Animal Ordinances·3Employment Preemption·3 |
| 13 | Montana(MT) | 25 | 71 | Firearms·4Animal Ordinances·3Employment Preemption·3 |
| 14 | Iowa(IA) | 25 | 62 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 15 | Nebraska(NE) | 25 | 59 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 16 | Missouri(MO) | 25 | 58 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 17 | North Carolina(NC) | 24 | 83 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 18 | Arizona(AZ) | 24 | 71 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 19 | Connecticut(CT) | 24 | 71 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 20 | New Hampshire(NH) | 24 | 71 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 21 | Georgia(GA) | 24 | 70 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 22 | Alabama(AL) | 24 | 68 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 23 | New Mexico(NM) | 24 | 67 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Rental Property Rules·3 |
| 24 | Arkansas(AR) | 24 | 65 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 25 | South Carolina(SC) | 24 | 65 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 26 | Rhode Island(RI) | 23 | 79 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 27 | Vermont(VT) | 23 | 74 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 28 | California(CA) | 23 | 72 | Firearms·4Single-Use Items·3Tobacco & Vaping·3 |
| 29 | Utah(UT) | 23 | 68 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 30 | Idaho(ID) | 23 | 67 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 31 | Minnesota(MN) | 23 | 67 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 32 | Maine(ME) | 22 | 119 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 33 | Tennessee(TN) | 22 | 74 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 34 | Indiana(IN) | 22 | 71 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 35 | Delaware(DE) | 22 | 62 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 36 | Mississippi(MS) | 22 | 62 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania(PA) | 21 | 73 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 38 | Hawaii(HI) | 21 | 69 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 39 | West Virginia(WV) | 21 | 69 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 40 | Kansas(KS) | 21 | 56 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 41 | Wyoming(WY) | 21 | 54 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 42 | Ohio(OH) | 20 | 72 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 43 | Kentucky(KY) | 20 | 68 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 44 | Wisconsin(WI) | 20 | 68 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 45 | New York(NY) | 20 | 66 | Firearms·4Tobacco & Vaping·3Employment Preemption·2 |
| 46 | Alaska(AK) | 20 | 52 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 47 | Maryland(MD) | 19 | 77 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 48 | Massachusetts(MA) | 19 | 72 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 49 | Texas(TX) | 19 | 49 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 50 | Nevada(NV) | 18 | 65 | Firearms·4Employment Preemption·3Single-Use Items·3 |
| 51 | District of Columbia(DC) | 0 | 14 | — |
Methodology: a rule is counted as “preempting” if it falls within a preemption-heavy category (firearms, tobacco, single-use items, employment, right-to-farm, immigration) or its summary contains an explicit preemption phrase. State-tier data updated weekly. Each rule cites the controlling state statute.