State Public Accommodation Laws

6/25/2021

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A hotel clerk gives a guest a room keyFive states—Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina and Texas—do not have a public accommodation law for nondisabled individuals.

All states with a public accommodation law prohibit discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, ancestry and religion. 

In addition, 18 jurisdictions prohibit discrimination based on marital status, 25 prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, 24 prohibit discrimination based on gender identity, 20 prohibit discrimination based on age, three prohibit discrimination based on veteran status, six prohibit discrimination based on military status and five prohibit discrimination based on pregnancy/childbirth status in areas of public accommodation. 

 This chart lists those prohibitions, as well as the statute which defines what areas count as places/areas of public accommodation.

Jurisdiction Statute
Race/Color
Sex/Gender
Ancestry/National Origin
Religion/Creed
Marital Status
Sexual Orientation
Gender Identity
Age
Veteran Status
Military Status
Pregnancy/Childbirth
Alabama No applicable statute.
Alaska § 18.80.230 X X X X X     X1     X
Arizona § 41-1442 X X X X              
Arkansas § 16-123-107 X X X X              
California Civ. Code § 512 X X X X X X X        
Colorado § 24-34-601 X X X X X X X3        
Connecticut § 46a-64 § 46a-81d X X X X X X X X X    
Delaware 6 Del. Code § 4504 X X X X X X X X      
Florida § 413.08, § 760.08 X X X X             X
District of Columbia § 2-1402.31 X X X X X X X X      
Georgia No applicable statute.
Hawaii § 489-3 X X X X   X X        
Idaho § 67-5909 X X X X              
Illinois 775 ILCS 5/1-102 X X X X X X X4 X   X X
Indiana § 22-9-1-2 X X X X              
Iowa § 216.7 X X X X   X X        
Kansas § 44-1001 X X X X              
Kentucky § 344.120, § 344.145 X X X X              
Louisiana § 51:2247 X X X X       X      
Maine 5 M.R.S. § 4552, 5 M.R.S. § 4591 X X X X   X X5        
Maryland Gov't Code § 20-304 X X X X X X X X      
Massachusetts Ch. 272, § 98 X X X X   X X        
Michigan § 37.1102, § 37.2302 X X X X X6 X6 X X      
Minnesota § 363A.11 X X X X X X X7        
Mississippi No applicable statute.
Missouri § 213.065 X X X X              
Montana § 49-2-304 X X X X X     X      
Nebraska § 20-134 X X X X              
Nevada § 651.070 X X X X   X X     ;  
New Hampshire § 354-A:17 X X X X X X X X      
New Jersey § 10:5-12 X X X X X X X     X X
New Mexico § 28-1-7(f) X X X X   X X        
New York Civ. Rights Law § 40-c8, Exec. Law § 292 X X X X X X X     X  
North Carolina No applicable statute.
North Dakota § 14-02.4-14 X X X X X     X      
Ohio § 4112.02 X X X X       X   X  
Oklahoma 25 Okl. St. § 1402 X X X X       X      
Oregon § 659A.403 X X X X X X X9 X      
Pennsylvania § 43 P.S. § 953 X X X X   X10 X10 X      
Rhode Island § 11-24-2 X X X X   X X X      
South Carolina § 45-9-10 X X11 X X       X11      
South Dakota § 20-13-23 X X X X              
Tennessee § 4-21-501 X X X X       X      
Texas No applicable statute.
Utah § 13-7-3 X X X X             X
Vermont 9 V.S.A. § 4502 X X X X X X X        
Virginia § 2.2-3900 et seq. X X X X X X12 X12 X13 X14 X  
Washington § 49.60.215 X X X X   X X15   X X  
West Virginia § 5-11-2 X X X X       X      
Wisconsin § 106.52 X X X X   X          
Wyoming § 6-9-101 X X X X              
 

[2] California does not specify their anti-discrimination law to public accommodations, but instead extends the protection to "all business establishments of every kind whatsoever." See Unruh Civil Rights Act. 

[8] N.Y. Civil Rights Law § 40-c does not specify their anti-discrimination law to public accommodations, but instead prohibits discrimination "by any other person or by any firm, corporation or institution, or by the state or any agency or subdivision of the state."

[10] See Pennsylvania's Human Relations Commissions's Guidance on Discrimination on the Basis of Sex Under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA). 

[11] South Carolina § 1-13-20 provides individiuals additional protection against discrimination on the basis of sex and age. 

[12] See SB 868 (2020) and HB 1049 (2020).

[13] See SB 868 (2020. 

[14] See HB 2161 (2021) and SB 1410 (2021). 

[15] See Washington § 49.60.040