Introduction
Euthanasia, or assisted suicide, is when a physician induces death at the behest of the patient. The federal government does not have any assisted suicide laws. However, states are still able to pass laws that make assisted suicide legal or illegal.
In states that do not permit assisted suicide, it is made illegal in one of two ways. The first is by a statute passed by the legislature making assisted suicide a crime. The other is for a court to interpret existing homicide laws to include assisted suicide.
While assisted suicide does not have any other requirements, most states, when drafting legislation, only permit assisted suicide in the terminally ill. This often requires a diagnosis for a terminal illness where the patient will likely die within a certain period of time.
Learn for yourself which are right to die states by scrolling the charts.
| State | Assisted Suicide Authorization | Suicide Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No | 16 per 100k |
| Alaska | No | 27.5 per 100k |
| Arizona | No | 17.6 per 100k |
| Arkansas | No | 19 per 100k |
| Connecticut | No | 9.3 per 100k |
| Delaware | No | 12.3 per 100k |
| Florida | No | 13.2 per 100k |
| Georgia | No | 13.7 per 100k |
| Idaho | No | 23.2 per 100k |
| Illinois | No | 10.5 per 100k |
| Indiana | No | 15 per 100k |
| Iowa | No | 18 per 100k |
| Kansas | No | 18.4 per 100k |
| Kentucky | No | 17.7 per 100k |
| Louisiana | No | 13.7 per 100k |
| Maryland | No | 9.2 per 100k |
| Massachusetts | No | 8.4 per 100k |
| Michigan | No | 14 per 100k |
| Minnesota | No | 13.1 per 100k |
| Mississippi | No | 13.9 per 100k |
| Missouri | No | 18.2 per 100k |
| Nebraska | No | 14.9 per 100k |
| Nevada | No | 18.2 per 100k |
| New Hampshire | No | 16.4 per 100k |
| New York | No | 8 per 100k |
| North Carolina | No | 13.2 per 100k |
| North Dakota | No | 18.2 per 100k |
| Ohio | No | 13.8 per 100k |
| Oklahoma | No | 21.9 per 100k |
| Pennsylvania | No | 12.6 per 100k |
| Rhode Island | No | 8.5 per 100k |
| South Carolina | No | 16.3 per 100k |
| South Dakota | No | 21 per 100k |
| Tennessee | No | 17.2 per 100k |
| Texas | No | 13.3 per 100k |
| Utah | No | 20.8 per 100k |
| Virginia | No | 13.5 per 100k |
| West Virginia | No | 19.4 per 100k |
| Wisconsin | No | 14.5 per 100k |
| Wyoming | No | 30.5 per 100k |
| California | Yes | 10 per 100k |
| Colorado | Yes | 21.5 per 100k |
| District of Columbia | Yes | |
| Hawaii | Yes | 12.9 per 100k |
| Maine | Yes | 16.4 per 100k |
| Montana | Yes | 26.1 per 100k |
| New Jersey | Yes | 7.1 per 100k |
| New Mexico | Yes | 24.2 per 100k |
| Oregon | Yes | 18.3 per 100k |
| Vermont | Yes | 18.1 per 100k |
| Washington | Yes | 15.2 per 100k |
Assisted Suicide Authorization by State
Alabama
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
16 per 100k
↓ 1.84%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#25
Alaska
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
27.5 per 100k
↓ 3.51%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#2
Arizona
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
17.6 per 100k
↓ 5.88%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#20
Arkansas
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
19 per 100k
↑ 5.56%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#11
California
Assisted Suicide Authorization
Yes
10 per 100k
↓ 6.54%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#44
Colorado
Assisted Suicide Authorization
Yes
21.5 per 100k
↓ 2.71%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#7
Connecticut
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
9.3 per 100k
↓ 18.42%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#45
Delaware
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
12.3 per 100k
↑ 8.85%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#42
District of Columbia
Assisted Suicide Authorization
Yes
Florida
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
13.2 per 100k
↓ 8.97%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#37
Georgia
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
13.7 per 100k
↓ 6.16%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#33
Hawaii
Assisted Suicide Authorization
Yes
12.9 per 100k
↓ 16.77%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#40
Idaho
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
23.2 per 100k
↑ 13.73%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#5
Illinois
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
10.5 per 100k
↓ 3.67%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#43
Indiana
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
15 per 100k
↑ 5.63%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#27
Iowa
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
18 per 100k
↑ 7.78%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#18
Kansas
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
18.4 per 100k
↑ 1.1%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#12
Kentucky
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
17.7 per 100k
↑ 7.27%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#19
Louisiana
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
13.7 per 100k
↓ 8.67%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#34
Maine
Assisted Suicide Authorization
Yes
16.4 per 100k
↓ 15.46%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#22
Maryland
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
9.2 per 100k
↓ 10.68%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#46
Massachusetts
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
8.4 per 100k
↓ 3.45%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#48
Michigan
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
14 per 100k
↓ 2.1%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#30
Minnesota
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
13.1 per 100k
↓ 9.03%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#39
Mississippi
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
13.9 per 100k
↓ 3.47%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#31
Missouri
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
18.2 per 100k
- 0%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#14
Montana
Assisted Suicide Authorization
Yes
26.1 per 100k
↓ 0.38%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#3
Nebraska
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
14.9 per 100k
↓ 7.45%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#28
Nevada
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
18.2 per 100k
↓ 8.08%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#15
New Hampshire
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
16.4 per 100k
↓ 6.29%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#23
New Jersey
Assisted Suicide Authorization
Yes
7.1 per 100k
↓ 11.25%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#50
New Mexico
Assisted Suicide Authorization
Yes
24.2 per 100k
↑ 0.83%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#4
New York
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
8 per 100k
↓ 3.61%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#49
North Carolina
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
13.2 per 100k
↑ 5.6%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#38
North Dakota
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
18.2 per 100k
↑ 0.55%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#16
Ohio
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
13.8 per 100k
↓ 8.61%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#32
Oklahoma
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
21.9 per 100k
↑ 6.83%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#6
Oregon
Assisted Suicide Authorization
Yes
18.3 per 100k
↓ 10.29%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#13
Pennsylvania
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
12.6 per 100k
↓ 10.64%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#41
Rhode Island
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
8.5 per 100k
↓ 20.56%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#47
South Carolina
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
16.3 per 100k
↑ 0.62%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#24
South Dakota
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
21 per 100k
↑ 0.48%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#8
Tennessee
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
17.2 per 100k
- 0%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#21
Texas
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
13.3 per 100k
↓ 0.75%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#36
Utah
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
20.8 per 100k
↓ 1.89%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#9
Vermont
Assisted Suicide Authorization
Yes
18.1 per 100k
↑ 13.13%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#17
Virginia
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
13.5 per 100k
↑ 5.47%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#35
Washington
Assisted Suicide Authorization
Yes
15.2 per 100k
↓ 4.4%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#26
West Virginia
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
19.4 per 100k
↑ 4.86%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#10
Wisconsin
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
14.5 per 100k
↑ 3.57%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#29
Wyoming
Assisted Suicide Authorization
No
30.5 per 100k
↑ 4.1%
Vs 2019
Ranked in the US
#1