COVID-19: The Latest Travel Restrictions by State

Though COVID-19 vaccines have been available for over a month and millions of people — so far, mostly health care workers, the elderly, and teachers — have been vaccinated, the coronavirus pandemic is still raging in the U.S.

The federal government now requires that all international visitors show proof of a negative COVID-19 test no more than three days before flying into the U.S. Many local officials are urging potential out-of-state visitors as well as residents to avoid nonessential travel.

24/7 Tempo reviewed executive orders from state governors, travel advisories, and guidelines from public health and tourism departments to find and list travel restrictions in every state. Though a handful of states allow anyone to visit without requiring them  to quarantine for any period of time, travel restrictions in many states have been updated to a more complex set of rules that apply for different people.

Many states offer the option to show a negative COVID-19 test a few days into their stay in the state in order to avoid a 10 or 14 days quarantine period. At least one state, New Hampshire, has lifted any quarantine requirements for those who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus and at least 14 days have passed since their second dose.

There are also a few states with very strict travel restrictions, requiring all visitors to self-quarantine regardless of their test result or point of origin. Some states have imposed hefty fines on those breaking the rules.

 Though hotels have been allowed throughout much of the pandemic to take reservations, following safety guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some states are now imposing new restrictions on places of accommodation. In California, for example, hotels and other forms of lodging are only allowed to accept an out-of-state reservation for nonessential travel if the reservation is for at least 14 days — in case the visitors will have to quarantine for two weeks.

Hawaii is one state that changes its travel restrictions on an almost monthly basis, depending on how the virus is spreading in the rest of the country. As of January, the Aloha State required that all visitors get tested before arrival at a specific location approved by the state. Still, visitors to Kauai must quarantine regardless of test results for at least three days.

 The U.S. has now reported more than 25.6 million confirmed coronavirus cases. Just over a year since the coronavirus was first confirmed in the U.S., infection numbers are rising in most parts of the country — here is the timeline of a year of coronavirus spread in the U.S.

Click here to see the latest travel restrictions by state.

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