MaskMandatory.com

Four states — Hawaii, Louisiana, Nevada and Oregon — as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia require most people to wear masks in indoor public places, whether or not they have been vaccinated against COVID-19. A similar order takes effect in New Mexico Aug. 20. California, Connecticut, Illinois, New York and Washington have indoor mask mandates that extend only to the unvaccinated.

Many states eased or eliminated mask orders in May and June after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said fully vaccinated people — those who are at least two weeks past receiving their second Pfizer or Moderna shot or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine — can safely forgo face-covering in most public settings.

With the delta variant of the coronavirus fueling a new surge in COVID-19 cases, the federal health agency issued revised guidance July 27, recommending that vaccinated people wear masks indoors in areas with substantial or high rates of COVID-19 transmission. (You can check your area's risk level on the CDC's website.)

The CDC also recommends face-covering for all people, regardless of vaccination status, in health care and long-term care facilities, prisons, homeless shelters, on public transit, and in transportation hubs like airports and stations. Most states are following that guidance.

To date, 29 states that had orders broadly requiring residents to wear masks in public have lifted them. Two states that previously lifted mandates, Louisiana and Oregon, have reimposed them amid the delta spike. Eleven states have not imposed mandates at any point during the pandemic.

Several large cities and counties have reinstated local mask orders, but a number of states, including Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Montana, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas, have moved via legislation or executive action to prevent local governments and school districts from doing so.

Remaining state mandates vary in detail (for example, exemptions for children range in cutoff age from 2 to 9), but broadly speaking, they require masks for unvaccinated individuals in indoor public spaces such as restaurants and stores.

Generally, there are exceptions for people with disabilities or medical conditions that prevent the use of face coverings, and allowances for certain situations where masking is difficult, unnecessary or hinders communication (say, when swimming, eating, exercising alone, getting dental treatment or speaking with a hearing-impaired person).

Where there are no state or local requirements, businesses and other private entities may set their own mask policies.

Here’s where each state stands on the use of face masks as of Aug. 18.

For the latest coronavirus news and advice go to AARP.org/coronavirus.

Alabama

Alabama's mask mandate expired April 9. The state's latest COVID-19 public health order encourages but does not require residents to wear masks when within 6 feet of someone from another household. Municipal mask mandates in Birmingham and Montgomery expired in May.

Learn more: Read Alabama’s new "Safer Apart" health order.

Alaska

Alaska's Department of Health Social Services “strongly encourages the wearing of masks in public,” but the state has not required it. Anchorage, Alaska's largest city, ended its face-covering order in May; the capital of Juneau continues to mandate masking for unvaccinated people in indoor public spaces and large crowds outdoors.

Learn more: Read the Alaska health department's mask guidance.

Arizona

Gov. Doug Ducey issued an executive order March 25 lifting all state COVID-19 restrictions on businesses and barring cities and counties from enforcing mask mandates except in government buildings and on public transit. Previously, Arizona required face-covering for employees and customers of barbers and cosmetologists, and several jurisdictions, including the state's largest counties, had full mask orders in place.

Learn more: Read Ducey's order ending COVID-19 restrictions.

Arkansas

Gov. Asa Hutchinson lifted his 8-month-old mask mandate March 31, saying the state had met targets for COVID-19 case counts set out several weeks earlier as a basis for rescinding the order. Health officials continue to recommend that Arkansans wear masks in public when unable to maintain 6 feet of distance from people outside their households. A new state law set to take effect this summer bars local governments from imposing mask mandates.

Learn more: Read the Arkansas health department's mask guidance.

California

Face-covering is required statewide for unvaccinated individuals in indoor public settings and in their workplaces, and for all people age 2 and over in schools, health care and long-term care facilities, correctional facilities, homeless and emergency shelters, and on public transit. Several of the state's largest jurisdictions have reinstated local indoor mask mandates covering all residents, regardless of vaccination status, including Los Angeles County; San Francisco and six surrounding Bay Area counties; and Sacramento County.

Learn more: Read California's updated state face-covering guidance.

Colorado

Gov. Jared Polis announced an end to Colorado’s mandate May 14, saying the state is shifting from “mask-wearing requirements to mask-wearing suggestions,” particularly for unvaccinated people in indoor settings. Face-covering may still be required for those without proof of vaccination in some settings, including medical facilities and prisons.

Learn more: Read the Colorado health department's updated mask guidance.

Connecticut

Masks are required for unvaccinated people age 2 and over in indoor public places and for all people in school buildings, health care facilities, group residential settings such as nursing homes and prisons, and on public transit. The city of New Haven instituted an indoor mask mandate covering both vaccinated and unvaccinated people Aug. 9, four days after Gov. Ned Lamont signed an executive order allowing local governments to impose rules more stringent than the state's.

Learn more: Read Connecticut’s current mask guidance.

Delaware

Gov. John Carney lifted Delaware's general mask order May 21. The state continues to require face-covering in schools, state-owned buildings and settings where the CDC recommends maintaining mask rules, such as on public transit and at health care facilities. Otherwise, masking is recommended for unvaccinated and partially vaccinated Delawareans in public places.

Learn more: Read Delaware's updated mask policy.

District of Columbia

As of July 31, masks are required in indoor public places for all people over age 2, whether vaccinated or not. Mayor Muriel Bowser dropped the District's exemption for fully vaccinated individuals amid a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases. Face-covering is also required for all residents in schools, health care facilities and District government buildings and on public transit.

Learn more: Read the D.C. health department's mask guidance (which has not yet been updated to reflect new mandate).

Florida

Florida recommends but has not required face coverings for the general public. Several cities and large counties, including Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Hillsborough (which includes Tampa), had mask requirements, but Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order May 3 that barred local governments and school systems from imposing COVID-19 restrictions, including mask rules.

Learn more: Read Florida’s order barring local mask mandates.

Georgia

The governor's office and the state Department of Public Health recommend masking in public to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Gov. Brian Kemp sought last summer to bar local mask mandates but eased his order in August 2020 to allow cities and counties to impose limited face-covering rules. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced July 28 that the city is reinstating mask requirements for all people in public settings indoors.

Learn more: Read the Georgia Department of Public Health's COVID-19 guidance.

Hawaii

Gov. David Ige lifted the state's outdoor mask mandate May 25. Hawaii's amended mask directive still requires residents ages 5 and up to wear a face-covering in most indoor public settings and requires businesses to refuse admission or service to maskless patrons in most circumstances.

Learn more: Read Hawaii's amended face-covering order.

Idaho

Idaho's latest "Stay Healthy Guidelines," dated May 11, recommend that employers determine how masks and other protective gear “may be reqiured" in their places of business. Boise, Idaho's capital and largest city, dropped its mask mandate in May, as did several other juristictions. Gov. Brad Little signed an executive order May 28 restoring local governments' authority to make their own mask rules, reversing a move by Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin to strip such local control in an order she issued while Little was at a conference out of state.

Learn more: Read Idaho's updated COVID-19 health guidelines.

Illinois

Masks are required for unvaccinated people in indoor public settings and outdoors when unable to maintain 6 feet of distance from others, and for all people in state government buildings; schools and day-care centers; "congregate facilities" such as nursing homes, homeless shelters and prisons; health care facilities; and public transit vehicles and hubs. Chicago is reinstituting a citywide indoor mask mandate covering all people starting Aug. 20,

Learn more: Read the Illinois Department of Public Health’s mask guidance.

Indiana

The state's 8-month-old mask mandate became a "mask advisory" April 6. Hoosiers age 8 and up are encouraged to wear masks in all indoor public settings and outdoors when they cannot maintain 6 feet of distance from others. Face-covering remains mandatory in state buildings, K-12 schools and at COVID-19 vaccination and testing sites. Local mask orders in Indianapolis and surrounding Marion County expired June 7.

Learn more: Read Gov. Eric Holcomb's executive order relaxing mask rules.

Iowa

Gov. Kim Reynolds lifted the state’s mask mandate Feb. 7, issuing a new emergency order that drops rules on face-covering and social distancing in favor of encouraging “reasonable public health measures” to reduce COVID-19 transmission in public places and private gatherings. Reynolds signed legislation May 20 restricting schools' and local governments' authority to require masks.

Learn more: Read Iowa’s latest public health order and mask guidance.

Kansas

Kansas lawmakers revoked the state's mask requirement April 1, hours after Gov. Laura Kelly issued an executive order intended to extend it. A state law passed in March gave a panel of top legislators authority to overturn the governor's emergency orders. Kansas had a statewide mask rule in place for nine months, but it was not uniformly enforced due to another state law curbing Kelly's emergency powers, which allowed counties to opt out of the mandate.

Learn more: Read the Kansas health department's mask guidance.

Kentucky

Kentucky's general mask mandate ended June 11 along with the state's remaining COVID-19 health restrictions. Masks are still required for people over age 5 in certain settings, including schools and child-care centers, medical and long-term care facilities, prisons, homeless shelters, and on public transit.

Learn more: Read a statement from Gov. Andy Beshear's office on lifting COVID-19 restrictions.

Louisiana

Face-covering is required in indoor public places for all people age 5 and older, regardless of vaccination status. Gov. John Bel Edwards cited Louisiana's "insufficient vaccination rate" and rapid rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in reinstating the state mask order three months after it was lifted. The mandate will be in effect until at least Sept. 1.

Learn more: Read Louisiana's new mask mandate.

Maine

As of May 24, "Maine is no longer requiring masks in most settings," according to the state's face-covering FAQs. People ages 5 and older still must mask up indoors at schools and child-care facilities under Gov. Janet Mills' latest face-covering order. The state continues to recommend masking for people who are not yet fully vaccinated.

Learn more: Read Maine's mask FAQs.

Maryland

Gov. Larry Hogan ended Maryland's statewide mask mandate along with all other COVID-19 emergency orders July 1. Masking remains the rule on public transportation and in transit hubs, per a federal mandate. The city of Baltimore and Montgomery County outside Washington, D.C., have reimposed local orders requiring most people, vaccinated or not, to wear face coverings in indoor public settings.

Learn more: Read a statement and FAQs from the governor's office on ending Maryland's emergency orders.

Massachusetts

The state's general face-covering order was lifted May 29 and replaced with an advisory recommending that people who are not fully vaccinated mask up in public places. Masks are still required for people age 5 and older in some settings, including K-12 schools, health care and long-term care facilities, emergency shelters, prisons and on public transportation.

Learn more: Read Massachusetts' updated guidance on face-covering.

Michigan

Michigan's mask mandate ended June 22 along with all COVID-related capacity limits on gatherings. The state had already lifted mask orders for fully vaccinated Michiganders in indoor public places and for all people outdoors. Face-covering will still be required to "protect vulnerable populations" in long-term care facilities, prisons and housing for farm workers.

Learn more: Read Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's June 17 announcement on rescinding COVID restrictions.

Minnesota

Gov. Tim Walz ended the state’s mask mandate May 14, moving up his timetable in response to the CDC guidelines. He had previously announced plans to lift the order July 1 if at least 70 percent of Minnesota’s 16-and-older population was vaccinated. Masks are still required in schools and child care settings. Minneapolis and St. Paul lifted municipal indoor mask orders June 1 and 2, respectively.

Learn more: Read the governor’s announcement on lifting the mask order.

Mississippi

Gov. Tate Reeves lifted Mississippi’s statewide mask requirement on Sept. 30, about two months after it was imposed. He subsequently issued a new order mandating masks in indoor public settings in counties with high COVID-19 case rates. That directive, which eventually covered most of the state, expired March 3. Face-covering is still required at K-12 schools.

Learn more: Read Mississippi’s mask order repeal.

Missouri

The state Department of Health and Senior Services recommends that all people age 2 and older mask up in public to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The city and county of St. Louis reimposed a local mask mandate July 26 covering all people age 5 and over, regardless of vaccination status, in indoor public places. A similar order took effect in Kansas City Aug. 2.

Learn more: Read the Missouri health department's COVID-19 prevention guidance.

Montana

Gov. Greg Gianforte rescinded the state’s mask mandate Feb. 12. The previous order, issued by then-Gov. Steve Bullock in July, directed Montanans age 5 and up to wear masks in indoor public spaces and at outdoor gatherings where social distancing could not be maintained. Gianforte signed legislation in May invalidating local mask mandates, effectively ending face-covering orders in Gallatin, Missoula and other counties.

Learn more: Read a statement from the governor’s office on lifting the mask mandate.

Nebraska

Masks are required for both clients and staff at barbershops, salons and other personal-care businesses. They are recommended for restaurant employees and for the general population when in public. Broader local mask orders in Lincoln and Omaha were lifted in May.

Learn more: Read the Nebraska health department's COVID-19 guidance for the public.

Nevada

Nevada ended most face-covering requirements for fully vaccinated people in May in accordance with a directive from Gov. Steve Sisolak aligning state policy with CDC mask guidance. With the federal agency's new recommendations, Sisolak amended the state order to require indoor masking for all people over age 9, regardless of vaccination status, in counties with substantial or high COVID-19 transmission rates. The new mandate took effect July 30 and covers 12 of Nevada's 16 counties — including Clark County, home to Las Vegas — as well as the independent capital, Carson City.

Learn more: Read Nevada’s updated mask order.

New Hampshire

Gov. Chris Sununu allowed the state's mask mandate to expire April 16, about six months after it was implemented. With the risk of COVID-19 transmission declining, the state Department of Public Health updated its face-covering guidance June 17, saying people who are not showing symptoms "can choose to go without face masks in most indoor and outdoor locations, regardless of vaccination status." Masking is still encouraged for people who are immunocompromised, or those at high risk of infection when in crowds indoors.

Learn more: Read New Hampshire's latest mask guidance.

New Jersey

The state's general face-covering order was lifted May 28 along with a host of COVID-19 restrictions. Masking is encouraged in public places for people who are not fully vaccinated and required for all those over age 2 in schools, child-care centers, summer camps, state offices, and sites where the CDC mandates masking, such as health care facilities and on public transit. Masks are also required for unvaccinated employees in workplaces that are not open to the public.

Learn more: Read Gov. Phil Murphy's executive order lifting most COVID-19 restrictions.

New Mexico

Effective Aug. 20, New Mexicans are required to wear face coverings in indoor public settings, regardless of their vaccination status, except when eating or drinking. The order applies to people age 2 and over and will be in force until at least Sept. 15. The new mandate replaces a May state health department order that required indoor masking only for individuals who were not yet fully vaccinated.

Learn more: Read New Mexico's new mask order.

New York

Gov. Andrew Cuomo ended the state's COVID-19 emergency June 24, but New York continues to follow the CDC guidelines on face-covering, as it has since mid-May. Masks are required for unvaccinated people over age 2 when in a public place and for all people on public transit and in health care and long-term care facilities, detention centers and homeless shelters. Businesses and venues may require proof of vaccination to meet mask or social distancing directives.

Learn more: Read Cuomo's statement on adopting the CDC's mask rules.

North Carolina

Gov. Roy Cooper ended the state's general mask mandate May 14. Face-covering is still recommended for unvaccinated people, and for all people in large venues, but is only required in schools, child-care facilities, children’s camps, and settings designated by the CDC for continued masking, such as hospitals and transit hubs. Where masks are required, children under age 5 are exempt. The cities of Charlotte and Raleigh; Durham County; and Guilford County, which includes Greensboro, have instituted indoor mask mandates covering vaccinated as well as unvaccinated people.

Learn more: Read North Carolina's order lifting most mask requirements and its face-covering FAQs.

North Dakota

Gov. Doug Burgum instituted a statewide mask requirement on Nov. 14 amid a rapid rise in the state’s COVID-19 case count. After extending the mandate in December, Burgum allowed it to lapse when it expired Jan. 18, citing a decline in case numbers.

Learn more: Read the North Dakota Department of Health’s mask guidance.

Ohio

The state's mask mandate expired June 2 as the Ohio Department of Health lifted most other pandemic health orders. COVID-19 safety precautions remain in place in nursing homes and other group residential settings where there is heightened risk of contracting the coronavirus. State officials recommend that unvaccinated people continue to wear masks indoors.

Learn more: Read Gov. Mike DeWine's statement on ending COVID-19 health orders.

Oklahoma

Gov. Kevin Stitt has called on Oklahomans to wear masks in public but rejected calls for a state mandate. Local mask mandates in the state's largest cities, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, ended April 30 and May 1, respectively.

Learn more: Read the Oklahoma health department's COVID-19 guidance.

Oregon

As of Aug. 13, Oregonians are required to mask up in indoor public places, regardless of vaccination status. Six weeks after lifting Oregon's COVID-19 restrictions, Gov. Kate Brown cited the delta surge in hospitalizations and a looming statewide shortage of intensive-care beds in reinstating the face-covering order.

Learn more: Read Oregon's new mask order.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's mask mandate was rescinded June 28. Face-covering is required in health care facilities, group residential settings such as long-term care facilities, prisons and homeless shelters, and on public transit, as directed by the CDC. The city of Philadelphia implemented a local mask order Aug. 12, mandating face-covering at indoor businesses and institutions unless the establishment requires vaccination for all employees and patrons.

Learn more: Read the Pennsylvania health department's mask FAQs.

Puerto Rico

Masks are required in public places indoors, regardless of vaccination status, by order of the territorial Department of Health, to which Gov. Pedro Pierluisi ceded authority for establishing COVID-19 protocols in early July. Children under age 2 are exempt. The order took effect July 28, less than a month after the governor had lifted the mask rule for fully vaccinated individuals.

Learn more: Read the Puerto Rico health department's COVID-19 prevention page (Spanish).

Rhode Island

Gov. Dan McKee terminated the state's mask mandate along with several other COVID-19 health orders in a July 6 executive order. The Rhode Island Department of Health continues to recommend face-covering for people who are not fully vaccinated when indoors with people from outside their household and outdoors in crowded settings.

Learn more: Read the Rhode Island health department's mask guidance.

South Carolina

Gov. Henry McMaster issued an executive order May 11 prohibiting local governments and school districts from requiring masks, invalidating local rules in Charleston, Columbia and other jurisdictions. The new order encourages South Carolinians who have not been fully vaccinated to wear masks in public settings but says mandates "are no longer necessary or appropriate to address and mitigate the existing public health threats."

Learn more: Read South Carolina's order banning mask mandates.

South Dakota

The South Dakota Department of Health recommends “wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, especially in areas of significant community-based transmission."

Learn more: Read the state health department's COVID-19 information page.

Tennessee

Gov. Bill Lee did not impose a statewide mandate and in late April issued an executive order barring local mask orders in the 89 counties in which public health policies are directed by the state. The six counties with independent health departments — Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Madison, Shelby and Sullivan — have all lifted local face-covering orders.

Learn more: Read the Tennessee health department's mask guidance.

Texas

Gov. Greg Abbott lifted the state's 8-month-old mask mandate March 10. His new directive says Texans are "strongly encouraged" to wear masks in public but it bars local governments from enforcing their own face-covering mandates.

Learn more: Read Texas’ mask order repeal.

Utah

Utah's 5-month-old order requiring masks in most public settings ended April 10 under state legislation that phases out various COVID-19 public health restrictions. Face-covering requirements in state government buildings and K-12 schools were lifted in May and June, respectively.

Learn more: Read Utah's state law curbing mask mandates and other pandemic emergency orders.

Vermont

Gov. Phil Scott lifted Vermont's mask mandate and all other COVID-19 restrictions June 15 as the state crossed a threshold of 80 percent of eligible residents receiving at least one vaccine dose. Masks are required for all people, fully vaccinated or not, on public transportation and in health care and long-term care facilities.

Learn more: Read the Vermont Department of Health's mask guide.

Virginia

Gov. Ralph Northam's order ending statewide COVID-19 restrictions took effect May 28, two weeks after he effectively lifted Virginia's universal mask mandate to align with the CDC guidance. Employees at retail stores, restaurants, gyms and other businesses directly serving customers are still required to wear masks; patrons are encouraged to do so. Face-covering also remains the rule in schools.

Learn more: Read Virginia's latest mask order.

Washington

Since mid-May the state has operated under the CDC guidance, eliminating most mask requirements for fully vaccinated people. Under Gov. Jay Inslee's June 30 reopening order, which ended social distancing rules and business capacity limits, unvaccinated Washingtonians age 5 and over are directed to wear masks in indoor public settings and workplaces, and face-covering is universally required in schools, health care facilities, prisons and homeless shelters.

Learn more: Read the state Department of Health's updated mask order.

West Virginia

Gov. Jim Justice signed an executive order June 20 revoking the state's 11-month-old mask mandate. In its final weeks the directive had covered unvaccinated people age 9 and up in indoor public spaces. Face-covering is still required in certain settings per CDC guidelines, including medical facilities and transportation hubs, and West Virginia businesses and school systems may require people to mask up.

Learn more: Read West Virginia's current and past face-covering orders.

Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down Gov. Tony Evers' mask mandate March 31. In a 4-3 vote on a case brought by Republican state legislators, the court ruled that Evers, a Democrat, overstepped his authority by repeatedly extending pandemic-related emergency orders without lawmakers’ approval. The governor had renewed the mask order several times since issuing it in August. Local face-covering rules in the cities of Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha and in Dane County, which includes Madison, were lifted between mid-May and early June.

Learn more: Read the Wisconsin health department's mask guidance.

Wyoming

Gov. Mark Gordon rescinded the state's 3-month-old mask mandate March 16. The state health department continues to recommend mask use in public places "when common-sense physical distancing cannot be maintained."