Domestic violence leave by state

Published: March 11, 2025 | Updated: March 11, 2025 | by Melissa Stein, JD, Legal Editor at Brightmine

Domestic violence leave laws require employers to provide time off work to an employee who is a victim or whose family member is a victim of domestic violence. While state requirements vary, qualifying reasons for domestic violence leave often include time off to:

• Seek a court order, attend court or obtain legal services.
• Obtain medical care, counseling or victim services.
• To secure one’s home or relocate.
• Other reasons.

Complying with the domestic violence leave laws can be time-consuming and complex. To start, employers must understand which state requirements apply and how domestic violence leave laws interact with wither types of leave and employer-provided benefits, all while supporting an employee navigating a particularly sensitive life event.

The chart below shows which states require leave related to domestic violence. Note that the chart is specific to domestic violence leave. Depending on an employee’s situation, other leave requirements may apply (e.g., court attendance leave, crime victim leave, paid leave for any reason). For an overview of various leave requirements in each state, see Leave laws by state | 50-state chart.

Which states require domestic violence leave?

The following states have current or enacted domestic violence leave laws:

Map: State domestic violence leave laws*

Table: State domestic violence leave laws*

State	Domestic violence leave required	Applicability	Paid or unpaid
Alabama	No	N/A	N/A
Alaska	Yes, effective July 1, 2025	Applies to all employers, under sick leave law.	Leave is paid.
Arizona	Yes	Applies to all employers.	Leave is paid.
Arkansas	Yes	Applies to all employers.	Leave is paid.
California	Yes	Applies to all employers, under domestic violence and crime victim leave law. Applies to all employers, under sick leave law.	Leave is unpaid, under domestic violence and crime victim leave law. Leave is paid, under sick leave law.
Colorado	Yes	Applies to employers with 50 or more employees, under domestic violence leave law. Applies to all employers, under sick leave law.	Leave is unpaid, under domestic violence leave law. Leave is paid, under sick leave law.
Connecticut	Yes	Applies to all employers, under domestic violence victim leave law and family and medical leave law. Applies to employers with three or more employees, under family violence and sexual assault victim leave law. Applies to employers that employ 25 or more individuals in the state, under sick leave law. Note: Employer coverage under the sick leave law is expanded as follows: effective January 1, 2026, employers with 11 or more individuals in the state; effective January 1, 2027, employers that employ one or more individuals in the state.	Leave is unpaid, under domestic violence victim leave law. Leave is paid, under family and medical leave law, leave is paid. Leave is unpaid, under family violence and sexual assault victim leave law. Leave is paid, under sick leave law.
Delaware	No	N/A	N/A
District of Columbia	Yes	Applies to all employers, under sick leave law.	Leave is paid.
Florida	Yes	Applies to employers with 50 or more employees.	Leave is unpaid.
Georgia	No	N/A	N/A
Hawaii	Yes	Applies to all employers.	Leave is paid.
Idaho	No	N/A	N/A
Illinois	Yes	Applies to all employers.	Leave is unpaid.
Indiana	No	N/A	N/A
Iowa	Yes	Applies to all employers.	Leave is unpaid.
Kansas	Yes	Applies to all employers.	Leave is unpaid.
Kentucky	No	N/A	N/A
Louisiana	No	N/A	N/A
Maine	Yes	Applies to all employers, under domestic violence leave law. Effective May 1, 2026, applies to all employers, under forthcoming paid family and medical leave law.	Leave is unpaid, under domestic violence leave law. Leave is paid, under forthcoming paid family and medical leave law (effective May 1, 2026).
Maryland	Yes	Applies to all employers, under sick leave law.	Leave is paid for employers with 15 or more employees. Otherwise, leave is unpaid.
Massachusetts	Yes	Applies to employers with 50 or more employees, under domestic violence leave law. Applies to all employers, under sick leave law.	Leave is unpaid, under domestic violence leave law. Leave is paid for employers with 11 or more employees, under sick leave law. Otherwise, leave is unpaid.
Michigan	Yes	Applies to employers with 11 or more employees, under sick leave law (all employers, effective October 1, 2025).	Leave is paid.
Minnesota	Yes	Applies to all employers, under domestic violence leave law. Applies to all employers, under sick leave law. Effective January 1, 2026, applies to all employers, under forthcoming paid family and medical leave law.	Leave is unpaid, under domestic violence leave law. Leave is paid, under sick leave law and forthcoming paid family and medical leave law (effective January 1, 2026).
Mississippi	No	N/A	N/A
Missouri	Yes, effective May 1, 2025.	Applies to all employers, under sick leave law.	Leave is paid.
Montana	No	N/A	N/A
Nebraska	No	N/A	N/A
Nevada	Yes	Applies to all employers.	Leave is unpaid.
New Hampshire	No	N/A	N/A
New Jersey	Yes	Applies to employers with 25 or more employees, under domestic violence leave law. Applies to all employers, under sick leave law.	Leave is unpaid, under domestic violence leave law. Leave is paid, under sick leave law.
New Mexico	Yes	Applies to all employers, under domestic violence leave law. Applies to all employers, under sick leave law.	Leave is unpaid, under domestic violence leave law. Leave is paid, under sick leave law.
New York	Yes	Applies to all employers, under domestic violence leave law. Applies to all employers, under sick leave law.	Leave is unpaid, under domestic violence leave law. Leave is paid for employers with either four or fewer employees in any calendar year and a net income of more than $1 million, or five or more employees, under sick leave law. Otherwise, leave is unpaid.
North Carolina	Yes	Applies to all employers.	Leave is unpaid.
North Dakota	No	N/A	N/A
Ohio	No	N/A	N/A
Oklahoma	No	N/A	N/A
Oregon	Yes	Applies to employers with six or more employees, under domestic violence leave law. Applies to all employers, under paid family leave law. Applies to all employers, under sick leave law.	Leave is unpaid, under domestic violence leave law. Leave is paid, under paid family leave law. Leave is paid for employers with 10 or more employees and employers in Portland with six or more employees, under sick leave law. Otherwise, leave is unpaid.
Pennsylvania	No	N/A	N/A
Rhode Island	Yes	Applies to all employers.	Leave is paid for employers with 18 or more employees. Otherwise, leave is unpaid.
South Carolina	No	N/A	N/A
South Dakota	No	N/A	N/A
Tennessee	No	N/A	N/A
Texas	No	N/A	N/A
Utah	No	N/A	N/A
Vermont	Yes	Applies to all employers, under crime victim leave law. Applies to all employers, under sick leave law.	Leave is unpaid, under crime victim leave law. Leave is paid, under sick leave law.
Virginia	Yes	Applies to all employers.	Leave is unpaid.
Washington	Yes	Applies to all employers, under domestic violence leave law. Applies to all employers, under sick leave law.	Leave is unpaid, under domestic violence leave law. Leave is paid, under sick leave law.
West Virginia	No	N/A	N/A
Wisconsin	No	N/A	N/A
Wyoming	No	N/A	N/A

Complying with domestic violence leave laws

Domestic violence leave compliance is essential for HR professionals, and it can quickly become overwhelming – especially if employees work in multiple states.

Brightmine can help. With our extensive library of state-by-state guidance, customizable legal update alerts and automated handbook management system, you can spend less time on compliance and more time maximizing business value. Click below and to get started today.