US State Regulation Intelligence
Track US state regulations across data privacy, AI, food safety, right to repair, and worker protection. Free, curated intelligence on 150+ regulations across all 51 jurisdictions.
The national picture
159 state regulations across 5 policy areas - 156 already enacted, 3 still pending, spanning 51 US jurisdictions, led by California.
- 159
- regulations tracked
- 156
- enacted into law
- 51
- states covered
- California
- most-regulated state
Curated from official state legislative records, IAPP, NCSL, EWG and Repair.org trackers, every entry links to its primary source.
Regulation Adoption Timeline
Key milestones in US state regulation across five categories:
Regulation Categories
AI Regulation
Laws governing the development and deployment of artificial intelligence systems, including requirements for transparency, bias prevention, and consumer notification.
Data Privacy
Comprehensive consumer data privacy laws regulating how businesses collect, process, store, and share personal information.
Employment & Worker Protection
Pay transparency requirements, non-compete restrictions, predictive scheduling mandates, and other worker protection regulations.
Food Chemical Bans
State laws banning or restricting harmful food additives, synthetic dyes, and chemicals from food products and school meals.
Right to Repair
Laws requiring manufacturers to provide consumers and independent repair shops with tools, parts, software, and documentation to fix devices.
State regulatory strictness, mapped
Top 10 most-regulated states
California
Colorado
Texas
Connecticut
Illinois
Minnesota
New York
Oregon
Washington
Delaware
Recently Effective Regulations
Connecticut Right to Repair Act
Connecticut 2026-07-01Maryland TIME Act (Family/Medical Leave) + Healthy Working Families Act
Maryland 2026-07-01Colorado AI Act
Colorado 2026-06-30Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act
Indiana 2026-01-01Kentucky Consumer Data Protection Act
Kentucky 2026-01-01Rhode Island Data Transparency and Privacy Protection Act
Rhode Island 2026-01-01Generative AI Training Data Transparency Act
California 2026-01-01Illinois Human Rights Act — AI Amendment
Illinois 2026-01-01Regulation Guides
Plain-language guides to help you understand the most important US state regulatory developments.
State Privacy Laws Guide
20+ states with data privacy laws, key requirements and compliance strategies.
AI Regulation Tracker
Colorado AI Act, NYC Local Law 144, and emerging state AI governance.
Employment Law Guide
50-state guide to wages, leave, non-competes, and pay transparency.
Food Chemical Bans
Which states ban Red Dye 3, bromate, BVO, and other food additives.
Right to Repair Laws
Consumer electronics and agricultural equipment repair legislation.
What the data shows
State regulation is concentrated and uneven - California leads while many states track only a handful of rules.
- California is the most-regulated state, with a 100/100 strictness score across all five policy areas. View California
- PlainRegWatch tracks 159 regulations across 51 states - 156 already enacted, 3 still pending. See rankings
- Worker protection and data privacy are the busiest policy areas; AI regulation is the fastest-emerging. Browse categories
Figures reflect regulations currently tracked from official state legislative records; coverage expands as new laws are enacted.
Live Rankings
Regulation rankings drawn from our database, refreshed as new state legislative records arrive. See all rankings.
All Regulation Rankings
Browse comparative rankings, trends, and category breakdowns, every figure live from PlainRegWatch data.
RankingsState-by-State Comparison
Live state-vs-state comparisons across regulation categories.
RankingsRegulation Trends
Live SSR-rendered trend lines on regulation activity over time.
About this data
How PlainRegWatch works, and why you can trust these entries
What this site is
PlainRegWatch tracks US state regulations across five categories, data privacy, AI regulation, food chemical bans, right to repair, and employment protection, curating 159+ regulations across all 51 jurisdictions from official legislative sources.
Editorial process
- Source. Identify each regulation through primary tracking sources (IAPP, NCSL, EWG, Repair.org) or direct monitoring of state legislative activity.
- Verify. Check the regulation against official state legislative text or agency guidance to confirm enactment status and effective date.
- Publish. Summarize key provisions, effective date and compliance impact, tagged with status and a last-verified date, and link back to the official source document.
Editorial independence & corrections
The PlainRegWatch editorial team is independent and accepts no payment, sponsorship, or promoted placement. Found an error or an outdated entry? File a correction via the contact page, and we respond within 72 hours and publish corrections with a visible revision note. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
Frequently asked
What is PlainRegWatch?
PlainRegWatch tracks US state regulations across five key categories: data privacy, AI regulation, food chemical bans, right to repair, and employment protection. We curate data from official legislative sources to help businesses, researchers, and consumers understand the regulatory landscape.
Where does the data come from?
Data is curated from official state legislature records, IAPP privacy trackers, NCSL legislation databases, EWG food additive trackers, Repair.org right-to-repair legislation tracker, and law firm compliance guides. Each regulation includes a source URL for verification.
Is this legal advice?
No. PlainRegWatch provides general informational summaries of state regulations. This is not legal advice and should not be relied upon for compliance decisions. Always consult a qualified attorney for legal guidance specific to your situation.