Covid-19 travel restrictions state by state

By Forrest Brown and Megan Marples | CNN

Editor’s note: This story was current as of February 15 and will be updated periodically. However, you should still check with the official state websites before you commit to travel plans. Top photo credit: Opus

With cases of Covid-19 now past the 27.6 million mark in the United States, some states have updated or expanded their travel rules and regulations.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns against nonessential travel at this time. If you do decide to travel to another state, it is important to be updated on the latest statewide regulations.

While some US states still have no restrictions on leisure travel, all their official websites have important Covid-19 safety information. For instance, most states have mandates on face masks in public settings. Also inhibiting travel this week: Much of the United States is the grips of a winter blast that makes travel impossible or dangerous.

This list is alphabetical and includes links to state websites that have important details you should read before you cross state lines:

Alabama

As of February 15, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Alabama. However, visitors should be aware of the state’s mask mandate, as it applies to travelers, too. It’s effective through March 5 (though it’s been extended numerous times). You can check here for updates.

Alaska

Visitors to Alaska should have a “qualifying Covid-19 test within 72 hours of departure” and upload their negative result to a Travel Declaration Form. You’re then asked to observe strict social distancing for five days. A second test is suggested — but not required — between days 5 and 14. If you don’t arrive with a negative Covid-19 result, you must take a Covid-19 test at the airport for $250 and quarantine at your own expense until you get the results. Check here for details and updates.

Arizona

As of February 15, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Arizona. Check here for updates. Here’s a direct link for information on Native American lands in the state. And you can click here to see the status of specific tourist sites.

Arkansas

As of February 15, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Arkansas. Check here for updates.

California

California has lifted its recent stay-at-home order but discourages out-of-state visitors. People are encouraged to quarantine for 10 days upon entering the state. San Francisco and Santa Clara counties have a 10-day mandatory quarantine. Los Angeles County requires visitors to fill out this online travel form. In most counties, restaurants can serve patrons outdoors and hotels can accommodate visitors. Part of US Highway 1 in Monterey County continues to be closed because of a mudslide.

Find out more:

— You can click here to find out local travel information — this is highly advised as the situation is different depending on the location.

— Click here for details on California’s winter ski season.

— Finally, you can continue to check here for updates on California more generally.

Colorado

Pitkin County, Colorado (which includes ski resort Aspen/Snowmass), requires overnight visitors to complete a health affidavit and provide a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of arrival or face a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

There are no other known travel restrictions in the rest of Colorado, though nonessential travel is not recommended. Find out more:

— Check here for general updates about the state.

— You can click here for regional information about what’s open.

— Finally, get ski resort guidance here.

Connecticut

Anyone traveling to Connecticut from anywhere other than New York, New Jersey or Rhode Island must self-quarantine for 10 days. You must also fill out a travel health form. Failure to do either could result in a $500 fine. You can be exempt from the quarantine with a negative Covid-19 test result taken within 72 hours before your arrival or after getting a negative result for a test taken after arrival.

One more exception: If you have tested positive for Covid-19 within 90 days and have clinically recovered or not been symptomatic for 10 days, you’re not required to self-quarantine. But you must provide written proof of a positive test result to the Commissioner of Public Health via email to: [email protected] or via fax to: (860) 326-0529.

Please check here for updates and details.

Delaware

As of February 15, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Delaware. Check here for updates.

Florida

As of February 15, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Florida. Check here for updates.

Georgia

As of February 15, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Georgia. Check here for updates.

Hawaii

Hawaii has a complicated and evolving set of travel requirements, and you can expect variation even within the islands. You should read them thoroughly before you plan a trip and check often for updates. A brief summation from the state:

“Travelers (5 and older) wishing to bypass the 10-day mandatory quarantine must have their negative Covid-19 test results — from a trusted testing partner — prior to departure for the State of Hawaii. Travelers heading to Hawaii must upload their negative test result to the Safe Travels system prior to departure or, as an alternative to uploading, bring a hard copy of their negative test result with them when boarding their flight.” The test must be taken within 72 hours of the final leg of departure.

Visitors to Kauai must quarantine regardless of test result unless they qualify to stay in a “resort bubble” hotel. Check here for important additional details, including going from one island to another.

Idaho

As of February 15, there are no statewide travel restrictions in Idaho. Check here for updates. And you can click here for ski updates.

Illinois

As of February 15, there were no statewide restrictions in Illinois, but visitors heading to Chicago have been placed in two categories — orange and yellow. Anyone from an orange state must quarantine for 10 days or have a negative Covid-19 test result no more than 72 hours old to avoid the quarantine. There are no specific requirements if you’re coming from a yellow state. Check here for more information before you travel to Chicago. Check here for information on the rest of Illinois.

Indiana

As of February 15, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Indiana. Check here for updates.

Iowa

As of February 15, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Iowa. Anyone 2 and older is encouraged to wear a face covering in indoor public settings. Check here for updates and gathering restrictions.

Kansas

While mostly open, Kansas has some specific quarantine requirements subject to change. Check here for updates and more details.

Kentucky

The Bluegrass State is discouraging out-of-state leisure travel. If you decide to go anyway, the state asks you to self-quarantine for 14 days. Read Kentucky’s travel advisory here.

Louisiana

As of February 15, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Louisiana. In New Orleans, Mardi Gras parades have been canceled and restrictions have been put on drinking. Check here for updates.

Maine

Travelers must quarantine for 10 days upon arrival or fill out a travel protocol form stating they’ve received a negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours. You may also get tested upon arriving in Maine but must quarantine while awaiting results. Residents of New Hampshire and Vermont are exempt. Check here for updates.

Maryland

People who travel to Maryland must either get a negative Covid-19 test result within 72 hours of arrival or self-quarantine for 10 days. This applies to people coming from all places except Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, DC. Check the following for updates: VisitMaryland guide | The governor’s recovery plan | PDF with detailed instructions (pages 2 and 3).

Massachusetts

All visitors and returning residents must complete a travel form before arriving in Massachusetts unless they are arriving from a state designated by the Department of Public Health as low risk.

Otherwise, visitors must quarantine for 10 days, have proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of arrival or test upon arrival and quarantine until a negative result is returned. You could be fined $500 a day if you don’t comply. Check here for updates.

Michigan

As of February 15, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Michigan, though some of the activities and venues vacationers might enjoy are not open or very limited in operations for now. Check here for updates.

Minnesota

UPDATE: Visitors to Minnesota are asked to quarantine for 14 days or follow CDC guidelines on how to shorten a quarantine. Also note that many indoor venues of interest to tourists have capacity limits and restrictions. Find out more: Explore Minnesota | Minnesota Department of Health.

Mississippi

As of February 15, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Mississippi. Check here for updates.

Missouri

As of February 15, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Missouri. Check here for updates.

Montana

As of February 15, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Montana. Travel restrictions might vary at Native American reservations. Please check here for updates.

Nebraska

As of February 15, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Nebraska. Check here for updates.

Nevada

As of February 15, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Nevada, though many indoor places tourists might visit have capacity limits. Check here for updates.

New Hampshire

Visitors to New Hampshire are asked to self-quarantine for 10 days unless they are arriving from elsewhere in New England. People who get a negative Covid-19 test result on or after the seventh day of quarantining can break it early. If it has been 14 days or more since you got your second Covid-19 vaccine, you do not need to quarantine or get tested. Check here for updates.

New Jersey

Tourism is discouraged. Travelers not from New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Delaware should self-quarantine at their home, hotel or other temporary lodging with the following in mind:

— If travel is unavoidable, you should consider getting tested with a viral test (not an antibody test) one to three days before the trip and again three to five days afterward.
— If you test negative, you should quarantine for seven days after travel.
— If testing is not available or results are delayed, you should quarantine for 10 days after travel.
— You’re requested to fill out a voluntary online survey. Please click here for details and updates.

New Mexico

People traveling from out-of-state are required to self-quarantine for 14 days or the length of their stay in New Mexico, whichever is shorter. Exemptions from low-risk states are allowed, but currently, only Hawaii is deemed low risk. Check here for updates.

New York

Current guidelines allow travelers to New York to test out of what is otherwise a mandatory 10-day quarantine. Travelers from states that are contiguous with New York will continue to be exempt from the travel advisory. Covered travelers must continue to fill out the Traveler Health Form. You can check for important details on how to test out along with other updates.

North Carolina

As of February 15, there were no statewide travel restrictions in North Carolina. Check here for updates and details on closings and mandates.

North Dakota

As of February 15, there were no statewide travel restrictions in North Dakota. The state does post suggested travel guidance and testing protocols. Be aware North Dakota has had the highest number of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the country for months now. Check here for updates.

Ohio

Travelers visiting Ohio from states reporting positive testing rates of 15% or more are advised to self-quarantine for 14 days. This list updates each Wednesday. Check here for details.

Oklahoma

As of February 15, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Oklahoma. Check here for updates.

Oregon

People arriving in Oregon from other states or countries, including returning Oregon residents, are encouraged to self-quarantine for 14 days after arrival. Nonessential travel, which includes tourism, is discouraged. Check here for updates and details.

Pennsylvania

Travelers arriving in Pennsylvania are required to quarantine for 10 days or provide a negative Covid-19 test result that’s less than 72 hours old upon arrival. Check here for updates.

Puerto Rico

To visit this US commonwealth, you need a negative result from a Covid-19 molecular test taken within 72 hours before arrival. If you come without a test result, you must self-quarantine for 14 days or the duration of the trip, whichever is shorter. You must also fill out an online travel declaration form. Please check here for details and updates.

Rhode Island

Those traveling to Rhode Island from a state that has a positive testing rate of 5% or more must quarantine for 10 days. Travelers can opt out of the quarantine if they can provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of their arrival. This exception does not apply to international arrivals. You can check that list of states here.

Those waiting on test results must self-quarantine until a negative test result arrives. You must also fill out a certificate of compliance and a travel screening form. You still must follow quarantine guidance if you’ve gotten a Covid-19 vaccine. If you’ve tested positive for Covid-19 in the past 90 days and finished your isolation period, you are not required to quarantine or retest unless you display symptoms. You can check here for updates.

South Carolina

As of February 15, there were no statewide travel restrictions in South Carolina. Check here for updates.

South Dakota

As of February 15, there were no statewide travel restrictions in South Dakota. Some routes through Native American lands might be closed. Check here for updates.

Tennessee

As of February 15, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Tennessee. Check here for updates.

Texas

As of February 15, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Texas. The state urges people to wear a mask, saying “an itty-bitty piece of cloth goes a long way towards keeping yourself and others healthy.” Check here for updates.

Utah

As of February 15, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Utah, though there is a statewide mask mandate. Check here for updates.

Vermont

Vermont has a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival for nonessential travel. You have the option of taking a Covid-19 PCR test on day seven of the quarantine and ending the quarantine early with a negative reading. Check here for updates.

Virginia

As of February 15, there were no statewide travel restrictions in Virginia. The state suggests getting tested one to three days before travel and again three to five days after you return. Check here for updates.

Washington, DC

These travel requirements apply to anyone coming to the District from a jurisdiction with more than 10 cases per 100,000 people: Visitors are asked to get tested 72 hours or less before coming to DC. If you’re there for more than three days, you’re asked to get tested again. Check here for updates and important details. And you can click here for the status of tourist-oriented sites.

Washington state