Guide Rankings Law Updated June 25, 2026

Alienation of Affection States

Wedding rings and legal paperwork representing alienation of affection lawsuits

Alienation of Affection States

Ranking - Law

Alienation of affection survives in only five states on June 25, 2026, after New Mexico dropped out on January 26, 2026.

Quick Answer

Alienation of Affection States

  1. 1

    Alienation of affection states number five on June 25, 2026. Hawaii, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Utah still allow the claim.

  2. 2

    New Mexico is the sharpest recent change. The New Mexico Supreme Court abolished alienation of affections on January 26, 2026.

  3. 3

    Illinois is not a yes state anymore. Illinois bars alienation of affections suits based on facts occurring on or after January 1, 2016.

Map

Alienation of Affection States Map

Law Status
Yes
No
Five states are burgundy on June 25, 2026. Hawaii, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Utah still allow alienation of affection claims, while New Mexico turned gray after January 26, 2026.
Alienation of Affection States Map
State Law Status
Alabama No
Alaska No
Arizona No
Arkansas No
California No
Colorado No
Connecticut No
Delaware No
Florida No
Georgia No
Hawaii Yes
Idaho No
Illinois No
Indiana No
Iowa No
Kansas No
Kentucky No
Louisiana No
Maine No
Maryland No
Massachusetts No
Michigan No
Minnesota No
Mississippi Yes
Missouri No
Montana No
Nebraska No
Nevada No
New Hampshire No
New Jersey No
New Mexico No
New York No
North Carolina Yes
North Dakota No
Ohio No
Oklahoma No
Oregon No
Pennsylvania No
Rhode Island No
South Carolina No
South Dakota Yes
Tennessee No
Texas No
Utah Yes
Vermont No
Virginia No
Washington No
West Virginia No
Wisconsin No
Wyoming No

Five states are burgundy on June 25, 2026. Hawaii, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Utah still allow alienation of affection claims, while New Mexico turned gray after January 26, 2026.

Alienation of Affection States Table

Map Status

Download as PDF

Print-ready table — Alienation of Affection States

States with Alienation of Affection Laws

Courthouse steps symbolizing the small group of states that still allow homewrecker lawsuits
Only five states remain on the yes side of the map on June 25, 2026.

Five states still recognize alienation of affection claims on June 25, 2026. Hawaii, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Utah make up the full yes group.

North Carolina codifies claim procedures in G.S. 52-13. Utah is still a yes state in 2026 because its repeal statute does not take effect until May 5, 2027.

States Where Homewrecker Lawsuits Are Banned

Legal documents marked repealed to represent states that no longer allow the claim
Illinois ended new claims in 2016, and New Mexico dropped out on January 26, 2026.

45 states are gray on this map. Illinois bars new claims based on facts occurring on or after January 1, 2016, and New Mexico abolished the tort on January 26, 2026.

New Mexico appeared in the six-jurisdiction list cited by the 2019 North Carolina case. That changed on January 26, 2026, when the New Mexico Supreme Court ended the claim.

Alienation of Affection Awards by State

Court award paperwork representing large alienation of affection verdicts
North Carolina supplies the largest sourced award on this page at $30 million.

North Carolina has the biggest dollar figure in this source set at $30 million. Mississippi follows with a $756,500 judgment in Fitch v. Valentine, South Dakota with $265,000 in Veeder v. Kennedy, and Utah with $84,600 in Nelson v. Jacobsen.

Hawaii stays in the yes group, but the current source set did not provide a verified statewide dollar figure. Its row therefore lists Largest Sourced Award as N/A.

Quick Answers

Which states have alienation of affection laws?
Five states have alienation of affection laws on June 25, 2026. Hawaii, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Utah are the full list.
Can you sue a homewrecker in North Carolina?
Yes. North Carolina still allows the claim under G.S. 52-13, and the current source set includes North Carolina awards up to $30 million.
Is alienation of affection legal in New Mexico?
No. The New Mexico Supreme Court abolished alienation of affections on January 26, 2026, so New Mexico is gray on this map.
Can you sue a homewrecker in Illinois?
No for modern claims. Illinois says an action may not be brought for alienation of affections based on facts occurring on or after January 1, 2016.
Which state has the biggest alienation of affection award?
North Carolina has the biggest dollar figure in this source set at $30 million. Mississippi is far lower at $756,500, while South Dakota shows $265,000 and Utah shows $84,600.
Is Utah still an alienation of affection state in 2026?
Yes on June 25, 2026. Utah enacted a repeal, but the Utah code says the abolition takes effect on May 5, 2027.

Methodology

This page starts with the six jurisdictions listed by North Carolina case law in 2019, then updates the map with the New Mexico Supreme Court's January 26, 2026 abolition and Utah's delayed repeal that takes effect on May 5, 2027. Illinois is marked No because 740 ILCS 5 bars new alienation of affections suits based on facts occurring on or after January 1, 2016.

Sources

Information is cross-referenced with official state archives.
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