Plastic Bag Bans by State (2026)

As of October 2026, 11 states have a statewide law that bans thin plastic carryout bags: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. Hawaii has no state law, but all four of its counties ban them, so most lists count 12 states. Twenty other states go the other way and block cities and counties from banning or taxing bags. The rest leave it to local governments.

California made the biggest change of 2026. Since January 1, 2026, stores covered by its law can only offer recycled paper bags at checkout. The thick plastic “reusable” bags that many grocers had been selling are no longer allowed.

Last checked: October 2026. This page is a summary for business planning, not legal advice. Laws change; read the linked statute or ask the state agency before you make a decision.

On this page

• Plastic bag laws in all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico
• What changed in 2025 and 2026
• Bags that are usually exempt
• How states define a “reusable” bag
• What this means if you import or sell bags
• FAQ

Plastic bag laws by state: the full table

How to read the table:

• Ban means a statewide law stops stores from giving out thin plastic carryout bags.
• Fee means a statewide or district-wide charge with no full ban.
• Local only means there is no state law, but some cities or counties have their own rules.
• Preempted means state law stops local governments from banning or taxing bags.
• None means we found no state law, no preemption law and no active local rule of note.

Thickness is in mils. One mil is 1/1000 inch, or 25.4 microns, so 2.25 mil is about 57 µm, 4 mil is about 102 µm and 10 mil is about 254 µm.

Totals: 11 states have a statewide ban, plus Hawaii’s county bans. DC charges a fee. Puerto Rico has a ban. Twenty states fully preempt local action. Minnesota blocks local bans but not fees. Virginia allows only a local 5¢ tax.

What changed in 2025 and 2026

We found no bag-law amendments that took effect in 2025 or 2026 in New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Maine, Connecticut, Delaware, Rhode Island, Colorado or Hawaii. Honolulu moved its rules to a new chapter of its code (ROH ch. 34) but kept the content. Illinois and Minnesota have bills pending, but nothing was enacted.

Which bags are usually exempt

Bag laws target the carryout bag a store hands you at the register. Most of them list bags that do not count. The list below comes from the statute text in each state. “Not covered” means the law defines carryout bags in a way that does not reach the product. Packaged trash bags, for example, are sold as goods; they are not handed out to carry a purchase.

Other bags that some laws exempt:

• Bags for unwrapped prepared food or bakery items.
• Bags for flowers and potted plants.
• Bags for live animals, such as fish from a pet store.
• Door-hanger bags.
• Bags for a partly finished bottle of wine.
• One bag for caustic chemicals (Maine, Honolulu).

Washington, Oregon, Maine, Rhode Island and DC name “multi-bag packages” for garbage, pet waste or yard waste outright.

For importers, the takeaway is simple. Packaged trash bags, can liners, pet waste bags and food storage bags are not carryout bags under any of these laws. Produce bags on a roll are exempt in every state ban we checked except California. There, since January 1, 2025, a bag handed out before checkout must be recycled paper or a compostable bag that meets state rules. One related rule: New Jersey’s recycled-content law (P.L.2021, c.391) sets post-consumer recycled content minimums for plastic carryout bags and plastic trash bags sold in the state. Check current percentages with NJ DEP before you ship trash bags there.

How states define a “reusable” bag

Most bans allow “reusable” bags. Whether a thick plastic bag qualifies depends on the state’s definition, and these differ a lot.

The pattern is easy to see. A PP non-woven bag with sewn handles qualifies as reusable almost everywhere. A 2.25 mil die-cut bag qualifies only in Washington and DC. A 4 mil bag qualifies in Connecticut, Maine and Rhode Island, and in Oregon until the end of 2026.

What this means if you import or sell bags

Which bag types are still sellable where

Printing rules some states require

Most state laws do not require any printing on plastic bags. The main exception is Washington, which is also the most active market for thick reusable film bags. If you sell 2.25 mil bags there, every bag must carry three marks: “Reusable,” the thickness, and the recycled content percentage. A recycled content claim must be backed by your resin supplier’s records, because the state can ask for proof.

A bag factory prints these marks in the same run as the store logo. At Hanpak we print with gravure up to 8 colors, so a “Reusable” mark, a thickness mark such as “2.25 MIL,” a recycled content line, a resin code, “Please recycle” or a manufacturer and country line can all go on the artwork. We can adjust thickness and size to hit a state’s minimum, for example a 4 mil die-cut bag for Rhode Island. Our food-contact film for food items is FDA-compliant (21 CFR 177.1520), and our plants follow JIS and ISO 9001. The buyer should confirm the wording against the current law before artwork is final, since the claims on the bag are the seller’s responsibility.

Related Hanpak pages:

• T-shirt bags
• Die-cut bags
• PP non-woven reusable bags
• Produce bags on roll
• Trash bags and can liners and our trash bag size chart
• Private label and custom printing
• Why source from Vietnam

If you need a bag spec for a particular state, contact our team with the target market and the bag’s use.

FAQ

Which states ban plastic bags in 2026?

Eleven states have statewide bans: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. Hawaii has bans in all four counties but no state law. Puerto Rico also bans them. DC charges a 5¢ fee instead of a ban.

Is California banning all plastic bags in 2026?

Only at checkout. Since January 1, 2026, grocery stores, stores with a pharmacy, and convenience, food mart and liquor stores may offer only recycled paper bags at checkout, for at least 10¢. Thick plastic “reusable” bags are no longer allowed there. Trash bags, food storage bags and other bags sold as products are not affected. Produce and meat bags have been limited to recycled paper or compostable bags since 2025.

Are thick plastic bags legal?

It depends on the state. Connecticut, Maine and Rhode Island allow plastic bags of 4 mil or more. Washington allows 2.25 mil until the end of 2027 and requires 4 mil from 2028. Oregon allows 4 mil bags until December 31, 2026. California, New York, New Jersey, Vermont, Delaware and Colorado do not accept any plastic film bag as reusable.

Do plastic bag bans cover trash bags and produce bags?

Not usually. Packaged trash bags, can liners, pet waste bags and food storage bags are exempt or outside the definition in every state law we checked. Produce and meat bags without handles are exempt everywhere we checked except California. Since 2025, California allows only recycled paper or compostable bags that meet state rules for these uses.

Can a state stop cities from banning plastic bags?

Yes. Twenty states have preemption laws that block local bans and fees, including Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Arizona and Tennessee. Texas reached the same result through a 2018 state Supreme Court ruling. Minnesota blocks local bans but not fees. Colorado repealed its preemption law in 2024.

Is there a federal plastic bag ban in the US?

No. There is no federal law on plastic carryout bags. Every rule on this page comes from a state, a county or a city.