Strictest Regulatory States
All states ranked by regulatory strictness score, measuring the breadth and enforcement strength of state regulations. Regulations are tracked across all 50 states, with data from state legislatures, NCSL, and IAPP; see our methodology.
What This Ranking Tells Us
The strictness score combines multiple factors: number of regulations, penalty severity, enforcement mechanisms, and regulatory breadth across categories. States with high strictness scores have both extensive regulatory frameworks and meaningful enforcement teeth. California's comprehensive approach to privacy, employment, and environmental regulation gives it the highest score. The score is relative, a score of 100 represents the most comprehensive regulatory environment among tracked states.
| # | State | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California CA | 100 |
| 2 | Colorado CO | 76 |
| 3 | Texas TX | 69 |
| 4 | Connecticut CT | 62 |
| 5 | Illinois IL | 62 |
| 6 | Minnesota MN | 62 |
| 7 | New York NY | 62 |
| 8 | Oregon OR | 62 |
| 9 | Washington WA | 62 |
| 10 | Delaware DE | 59 |
| 11 | Virginia VA | 59 |
| 12 | Utah UT | 55 |
| 13 | Florida FL | 48 |
| 14 | Maryland MD | 48 |
| 15 | Massachusetts MA | 48 |
| 16 | New Jersey NJ | 48 |
| 17 | Rhode Island RI | 48 |
| 18 | Vermont VT | 48 |
| 19 | Alabama AL | 34 |
| 20 | Hawaii HI | 34 |
| 21 | Maine ME | 34 |
| 22 | Nevada NV | 34 |
| 23 | North Dakota ND | 34 |
| 24 | Oklahoma OK | 34 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania PA | 34 |
| 26 | District of Columbia DC | 34 |
| 27 | Indiana IN | 31 |
| 28 | Iowa IA | 31 |
| 29 | Kentucky KY | 31 |
| 30 | Montana MT | 31 |
| 31 | Nebraska NE | 31 |
| 32 | New Hampshire NH | 31 |
| 33 | Tennessee TN | 31 |
| 34 | Arizona AZ | 28 |
| 35 | Louisiana LA | 28 |
| 36 | West Virginia WV | 28 |
| 37 | Alaska AK | 17 |
| 38 | Arkansas AR | 17 |
| 39 | Georgia GA | 17 |
| 40 | Idaho ID | 17 |
| 41 | Kansas KS | 17 |
| 42 | Michigan MI | 17 |
| 43 | Mississippi MS | 17 |
| 44 | Missouri MO | 17 |
| 45 | New Mexico NM | 17 |
| 46 | North Carolina NC | 17 |
| 47 | Ohio OH | 17 |
| 48 | South Carolina SC | 17 |
| 49 | South Dakota SD | 17 |
| 50 | Wisconsin WI | 17 |
| 51 | Wyoming WY | 17 |
Source: PlainRegWatch State Regulation Tracker.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the strictness score calculated?
The score incorporates total enacted regulations, penalty provisions, enforcement mechanisms (private right of action, state AG authority), regulatory breadth (number of categories covered), and the stringency of key provisions. It ranges from 0-100, with 100 representing the most comprehensive regulatory environment.
Is a high strictness score good or bad for businesses?
It depends on the business. Companies already invested in compliance (privacy, safety, transparency) may prefer operating in well-regulated markets where competitors must meet the same standards. Startups and small businesses may find high-regulation states more costly to enter. Research shows mixed effects, strict regulation can both attract premium businesses and deter marginal ones.
Explore More Rankings
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Source: State regulatory agencies / Federal Register State and federal regulatory rule history and changes · 2025
Every figure on PlainRegWatch is rendered directly from state source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal and state source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.