Almost 60 percent of states updated their noncompete laws in the last decade

*CORRECTED (February 13, 2023)*

Last July (2022), we provided the list of states that made changes to their noncompete laws over the past decade or so. D.C. is officially effective.*

So, below, in reverse chronological order based on the effective date, is a summary description of each change in each state, with a link to a more in-depth description.

If you didn’t count, that’s 44 changes in 29 states, plus D.C. — almost 60 percent of all states. 

If you think that’s a lot, note that it does not include changes made by judges, like the recent Wyoming Supreme Court’s decision in Hassler v. Circle C Resources (changing the approach to overly broad noncompetes from reformation to red pencil), the Texas Supreme Court’s December 2011 (substituted) decision in Marsh USA, Inc. v. Cook, which fundamentally altered the consideration requirement in Texas, or any of the many other decisions that have significantly impacted the particular state’s noncompete laws.

All of these changes are reflected in our 50-state noncompete chart, which is updated on a continual basis, as the laws change. And, for an alphabetical list and what is happening at the federal level, see our Changing Trade Secrets | Noncompete Laws page.

 

*Correction: The Indiana bill I thought had progressed to conclusion, has not – it only progressed through the state senate. 

*A huge thank you to Erika Hahn for all of her extraordinary help in tracking and monitoring all of the bills of the past decade-plus!