Explore your path

The Cove guide to surrogacy law

Surrogacy laws,
state by state.

A clearer starting point for your family-building path.
Explore family eligibility, parentage, and the conditions that matter in each state.

Explore the map

A starting point for your next step

Find your state.

Skip the map and read the California guideAlabama — Case-specific routeALAlaska — Case-specific routeAKArizona — Contract restrictionsAZArkansas — Case-specific routeARCalifornia — Statutory frameworkCAColorado — Statutory frameworkCOConnecticut — Statutory frameworkCTDelaware — Statutory frameworkDEFlorida — Statutory frameworkFLGeorgia — Case-specific routeGAHawaii — Statutory frameworkHIIdaho — Statutory frameworkIDIllinois — Statutory frameworkILIndiana — Contract restrictionsINIowa — Case-specific routeIAKansas — Case-specific routeKSKentucky — Case-specific routeKYLouisiana — Contract restrictionsLAMaine — Statutory frameworkMEMaryland — Case-specific routeMDMassachusetts — Statutory frameworkMAMichigan — Statutory frameworkMIMinnesota — Case-specific routeMNMississippi — Case-specific routeMSMissouri — Case-specific routeMOMontana — Case-specific routeMTNebraska — Contract restrictionsNENevada — Statutory frameworkNVNew Hampshire — Statutory frameworkNHNew Jersey — Statutory frameworkNJNew Mexico — Case-specific routeNMNew York — Statutory frameworkNYNorth Carolina — Case-specific routeNCNorth Dakota — Contract restrictionsNDOhio — Case-specific routeOHOklahoma — Statutory frameworkOKOregon — Statutory frameworkORPennsylvania — Case-specific routePARhode Island — Statutory frameworkRISouth Carolina — Case-specific routeSCSouth Dakota — Case-specific routeSDTennessee — Case-specific routeTNTexas — Statutory frameworkTXUtah — Statutory frameworkUTVermont — Statutory frameworkVTVirginia — Statutory frameworkVAWashington — Statutory frameworkWAWest Virginia — Case-specific routeWVWisconsin — Case-specific routeWIWyoming — Case-specific routeWY
Statutory frameworkCase-specific routeContract restrictions
CA / STATE GUIDE

California

Statutory framework

California provides a statutory path for gestational surrogacy agreements and orders establishing intended parents' rights. Separate attorneys, a properly signed agreement and the timing of treatment are central requirements.

Read the California guide Family eligibility · Parentage · Legal requirements

Map colors describe legal frameworks, not eligibility, service availability, or guaranteed outcomes. Select a state for its requirements and sources, and read every family situation that applies to you.

More than a yes or no

Every state has
a different starting point.

This guide covers gestational surrogacy, where the surrogate does not provide the egg. Traditional surrogacy follows different rules.

Statutory framework

State law provides a gestational surrogacy framework. Eligibility, agreements, payments, and court requirements still differ.

Case-specific route

The route depends on case law, parentage law, or local court practice rather than a comprehensive surrogacy statute.

Contract restrictions

The state restricts surrogacy contracts or recognizes only a particularly narrow arrangement. Read the details with an attorney.

All 50 states

A little more clarity,
wherever you are.

50 states
AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming

Before you take the next step

Good questions
to begin with.

Which state’s law matters for our journey?

Your residence is only one part of the picture. Your surrogate’s residence, the planned birth location, and the court handling parentage can also matter. Ask an attorney to identify the relevant states before matching or signing a contract.

Does a surrogacy contract establish parentage?

A signed agreement and legal parentage are different steps. A state may require a court order or another statutory process, before or after birth. Each guide highlights the parentage route to discuss with your attorney.

Can everyone use a state with a statutory framework?

No. A statutory framework can still include requirements about age, residency, marriage, genetic connections, medical circumstances, or the agreement itself. It is a starting point for understanding the law, not a promise that an arrangement qualifies.

Is gestational surrogacy different from traditional surrogacy?

Yes. In gestational surrogacy, the surrogate does not provide the egg. In traditional surrogacy, she does. Legal treatment can differ significantly; this map focuses on gestational arrangements.

However your family begins

Your next step
can start here.

Explore how Cove brings your application, connections, and next steps together.

Explore Cove for parents Considering becoming a surrogate?

General information, not legal advice. Laws and court practices can change. A reproductive-law attorney should confirm the rules for your circumstances before you sign an agreement or begin treatment.

Source links and state-specific details appear in each guide. This resource is not a legal review of an individual arrangement.