Surrogacy-Friendly States 2026

By Pineapple Family, Co-founders ·

Surrogacy-Friendly States 2026

Surrogacy-friendly states in 2026 vary depending on where your gestational carrier lives and where the birth takes place. There is no federal statute for surrogacy laws in the United States, as it is entirely state-governed. This means the legal process of your journey varies significantly depending on your state.

Overview of Surrogacy-Friendly States

We believe that understanding the legal landscape is crucial for both gestational carriers and intended parents. This guide provides an overview of the legal landscape by state, including which states have explicit statutory frameworks, which rely on case law, and which present complications.

What Makes a State "Surrogacy-Friendly"?

In our view, a legally favorable environment for surrogacy includes:

  • A statutory framework or well-established case law that validates gestational carrier agreements
  • Pre-birth order (PBO) availability: meaning the intended parents can be listed on the birth certificate from birth, without a post-birth adoption step
  • Consistent, predictable outcomes for all family types, including LGBTQ+ families and single parents by choice.

Surrogacy-Friendly States 2026: The State-by-State Legal Landscape

The following tables provide a general orientation only, not legal advice.

<div style="background-color: #FCFBF5; padding: 20px; border-radius: 8px;"> <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit;"> <thead> <tr> <th style="text-align: left; padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">State</th> <th style="text-align: left; padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Governing Statute</th> <th style="text-align: left; padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">PBO Available</th> <th style="text-align: left; padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Notes</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody style="vertical-align: top;"> <tr> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;"><strong>California</strong></td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Fam. Code §§ 7960–7962</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Yes — routine</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">All family types; broadest statutory protections in the country</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;"><strong>Washington</strong></td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">RCW Chapter 26.26A (UPA 2017)</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Yes — routine</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">All family types; adopted Uniform Parentage Act</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;"><strong>Nevada</strong></td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">NRS Chapter 126</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Yes — routine</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">All family types; explicit gestational agreement statute</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;"><strong>New York</strong></td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Fam. Ct. Act § 581-401 et seq. (CPSA)</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Yes — routine</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">All family types; Child-Parent Security Act effective 2021</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;"><strong>Illinois</strong></td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">750 ILCS 47 (GCA)</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Yes — routine</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">All family types; Gestational Surrogacy Act</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;"><strong>New Jersey</strong></td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">N.J. Stat. Ann. § 9:17-60 et seq.</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Yes — routine</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">All family types; New Jersey Gestational Carrier Agreement Act</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;"><strong>Maine</strong></td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">19-A M.R.S. §§ 1931–1938 (UPA 2017)</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Yes — routine</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">All family types; adopted UPA 2017</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;"><strong>Connecticut</strong></td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">C.G.S. §§ 7-48a, 45a-775 et seq.</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Yes — routine</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">All family types; statutory PBO framework</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;"><strong>Oregon</strong></td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">ORS §§ 109.243, 109.246</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Yes — routine</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">All family types; broad statutory parentage provisions</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;"><strong>Colorado</strong></td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">C.R.S. §§ 19-4.5-101 et seq.</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Yes — routine</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">All family types; Uniform Parentage Act</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;"><strong>Massachusetts</strong></td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">M.G.L. c. 46 § 4B (Mass. Parentage Act 2024)</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Yes — routine</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">All family types; Massachusetts Parentage Act effective Jan. 1, 2025</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;"><strong>Idaho</strong></td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Idaho Code §§ 39-6601 et seq. (GAA 2023)</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Yes — routine</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">All family types; Gestational Agreements Act effective July 1, 2023</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;"><strong>Michigan</strong></td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">MCL 722.1901 et seq. (ARSP Act)</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Yes — routine</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">All family types; Assisted Reproduction and Surrogacy Parentage Act effective April 1, 2025. Prior Surrogate Parenting Act (MCL 722.851) was repealed.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p style="margin-top: 16px; font-style: italic; font-size: 0.9em; padding-left: 8px;">Table 1: Highly Favorable States — Statutory Framework</p> </div> <div style="background-color: #FCFBF5; padding: 20px; border-radius: 8px; margin-top: 24px;"> <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit;"> <thead> <tr> <th style="text-align: left; padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">State</th> <th style="text-align: left; padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Legal Basis</th> <th style="text-align: left; padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">PBO Available</th> <th style="text-align: left; padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Notes</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody style="vertical-align: top;"> <tr> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;"><strong>Florida</strong></td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Fla. Stat. § 742.15</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">No — post-birth order required</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Statute permits gestational surrogacy; PBOs not routinely granted. Intended parents obtain parentage order after birth.</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;"><strong>Texas</strong></td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Tex. Fam. Code §§ 160.754–160.763</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">No — court validation required</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Statute requires pre-match court validation of gestational agreement. Parentage established post-birth via notice of birth proceeding. Single parents and unmarried couples: outcomes vary by county.</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;"><strong>Virginia</strong></td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Va. Code §§ 20-156 to 20-165</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Yes — with court approval</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Court pre-approval of surrogacy contract required before conception. Compensation restrictions apply. All family types permitted post-2018.</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;"><strong>Georgia</strong></td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">No statute; case law only</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Yes — in most counties</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Surrogacy not prohibited; PBOs issued by most counties. No published case law prohibiting commercial surrogacy. Outcomes vary by county.</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;"><strong>Ohio</strong></td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">No statute; case law only</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Yes — in approximately half of counties</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">No statute or published case law prohibiting surrogacy (J.F. v. D.B., 2006). PBO availability varies significantly by county.</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;"><strong>Maryland</strong></td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">No statute; case law only</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Yes — routinely</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">No statute; courts routinely issue PBOs following case law from Maryland Court of Special Appeals. Highly functional in practice.</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;"><strong>Minnesota</strong></td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">No statute; case law only</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Yes — in most courts</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">No statute or published case law prohibiting surrogacy. Most courts grant pre-birth declaratory judgments; a minority do not.</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;"><strong>Wisconsin</strong></td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">No statute; case law only</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Yes — interim PBO only</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Courts issue interim PBOs treated as temporary; final parentage order required post-birth.</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;"><strong>Pennsylvania</strong></td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">No statute; case law only</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">No — post-birth only</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">No statute or published case law prohibiting surrogacy. Surrogate cannot relinquish parental rights until 72 hours after birth; PBOs not available.</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;"><strong>North Carolina</strong></td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">No statute; case law only</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Yes — in most counties</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">No statute or published case law prohibiting surrogacy. County-level variation; local reproductive attorney essential.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p style="margin-top: 16px; font-style: italic; font-size: 0.9em; padding-left: 8px;">Table 2: States Requiring Attorney Guidance — Proceed with Local Counsel</p> </div> <div style="background-color: #FCFBF5; padding: 20px; border-radius: 8px; margin-top: 24px;"> <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit;"> <thead> <tr> <th style="text-align: left; padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">State</th> <th style="text-align: left; padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Legal Basis</th> <th style="text-align: left; padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Status</th> <th style="text-align: left; padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Notes</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody style="vertical-align: top;"> <tr> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;"><strong>Louisiana</strong></td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">La. R.S. 9:2713 et seq.</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Heavily restricted</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Compensated gestational surrogacy contracts are void and unenforceable. Enforceable agreements limited to married heterosexual couples using their own gametes without compensation. Same-sex couples and single parents effectively excluded.</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;"><strong>Nebraska</strong></td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-21,200</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Restricted</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Compensated surrogacy agreements void and unenforceable.</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;"><strong>Indiana</strong></td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">No statute; AG opinion</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Restricted</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">All surrogacy contracts declared null and void. Some courts may recognize parentage in genetic-parent scenarios; outcomes unreliable.</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;"><strong>Kansas</strong></td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">AG opinions 1982, 1996</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">Restricted</td> <td style="padding: 12px 8px; border: none;">1982 AG opinion declared genetic surrogacy contracts unenforceable. 1996 opinion suggested compensation beyond reimbursement could be criminal. No statute enacted. Outcomes unpredictable.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p style="margin-top: 16px; font-style: italic; font-size: 0.9em; padding-left: 8px;">Table 3: Restricted or Legally Complex States</p> </div>

What This Means for Gestational Carriers

If you're in a highly favorable state like California, Washington, Nevada, or New York, the legal process is well-established and predictable. A reproductive attorney will draft your GCA, negotiate on your behalf, and initiate the parental rights proceeding at the right stage of the pregnancy. These all come with a high degree of certainty about outcomes.

In our experience, if you're in a "proceed with guidance" state, that doesn't mean you can't have a successful independent journey; it means the right local reproductive attorney matters even more. Outcomes in these states can vary by county and by judge. An attorney who knows the local landscape is essential.

A note on Michigan: If you or someone you know believed Michigan was off the table for surrogacy, that changed as of April 1, 2025. The old Surrogate Parenting Act (which declared surrogacy contracts void and unenforceable) was repealed, and the new Assisted Reproduction and Surrogacy Parentage Act is now in effect. Michigan has moved from Table 3 to Table 1.

What This Means for Intended Parents

Most intended parents have some flexibility in which carrier they choose. The carrier location directly affects the legal environment. If you're early in your matching process, being open to carriers in highly favorable states (particularly California, Washington, Nevada, Illinois, and New York) gives you the most predictable legal path.

Our position is that if your preferred carrier is in a "proceed with guidance" state, work with a reproductive attorney experienced in that specific state before matching. Understanding the legal landscape before you commit to a match protects both of you.

The Gestational Carrier and Donor Perspective

We acknowledge that gestational carriers and egg donors play a crucial role in the surrogacy journey. Their experiences, needs, and concerns should be taken into account. In our view, it is essential to prioritize their well-being and provide them with the necessary support and resources.

Key Takeaways

  • Surrogacy in the United States is governed exclusively by state law, with no federal statute. The gestational carrier's state of residence and the state of birth determine which legal framework applies.
  • As of 2026, the most legally favorable states for surrogacy (explicit statutory frameworks, routine pre-birth orders, all family types) include California, Washington, Nevada, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, Maine, Connecticut, Oregon, Colorado, Massachusetts, Idaho, and Michigan.
  • Michigan is a significant recent change: the Surrogate Parenting Act was repealed and replaced by the Assisted Reproduction and Surrogacy Parentage Act, effective April 1, 2025. Michigan is now surrogacy-friendly under statute.
  • A large group of states (including Florida, Texas, Georgia, Ohio, Maryland, and others) permit surrogacy but require experienced local reproductive counsel. Outcomes in these states vary by county, judge, and family type.
  • Louisiana and Nebraska void compensated surrogacy contracts by statute. Indiana and Kansas restrict surrogacy through attorney general opinions. Arizona's statutory prohibition exists alongside inconsistent county-level PBO practice.
  • These tables provide a general orientation only, not legal advice. Consult a licensed reproductive attorney in your carrier's state before taking any steps.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which are the most surrogacy-friendly states in 2026?

The most surrogacy-friendly states in 2026 are those with explicit statutory frameworks and routine pre-birth order availability for all family types: California, Washington, Nevada, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, Maine, Connecticut, Oregon, Colorado, Massachusetts, Idaho, and Michigan. We recommend confirming current law with a reproductive attorney licensed in your state.

Did Michigan's surrogacy law change recently?

Yes, and it is a significant change. Michigan's old Surrogate Parenting Act (MCL 722.851), which declared surrogacy contracts void and unenforceable and imposed misdemeanor penalties, was repealed. The new Assisted Reproduction and Surrogacy Parentage Act (MCL 722.1901 et seq.) took effect April 1, 2025. Michigan now permits gestational surrogacy, recognizes intended parents as legal parents, and allows courts to issue pre-birth parentage orders. If you or your carrier is in Michigan, confirm current procedures with a Michigan-licensed reproductive attorney.

Can I become a gestational carrier if I live in a restricted state like Louisiana?

Louisiana's statute voids compensated gestational surrogacy contracts and limits enforceable agreements to married heterosexual couples using their own gametes without compensation. For most gestational carriers and intended parents, Louisiana presents significant legal barriers. We strongly advise consulting a licensed reproductive attorney before taking any steps.

What if the intended parents and the gestational carrier are in different states?

The gestational carrier's state of residence and the birth state generally govern the parental rights process and the enforceability of the GCA. If the parties are in different states, a reproductive attorney licensed in the carrier's state is typically required, and the intended parents may also need counsel in their own state. We recommend consulting attorneys early in the process.

How do I find a reproductive attorney for my surrogacy journey?

The Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA) maintains a public directory of attorneys with reproductive law experience. Look for an attorney licensed in the state where your carrier lives, with specific experience in independent surrogacy journeys and pre-birth orders in that state. Consult with at least two before selecting representation.

What is a pre-birth order and why does it matter?

A pre-birth order (PBO) is a court order issued before delivery that names the intended parents on the birth certificate from birth, with no post-birth adoption step required. PBOs are available in most surrogacy-friendly states. In states without PBO availability, parental rights are established through a post-birth court process, which is legally sound but requires additional time and steps after delivery.

This article provides general educational information only and does not constitute legal advice. Surrogacy law is state-specific and changes frequently. Consult a licensed reproductive attorney in the relevant state before making any decisions about your journey.

Pineapple Family has a disclosed perspective: we believe families deserve accurate, accessible legal information. We are a family-building platform, not a law firm. Nothing here should be read as legal counsel.