With much of the world closed to Americans right now, the interest in domestic travel has skyrocketed. As far as COVID 19, some parts of the country are doing better than others, and there are some states that have restrictions in place in an effort to keep their progress.
Several states still have a mandatory 14 day quarantine in place for visitors from certain areas. Some states are enforcing mandatory quarantines more strictly than others, but just know that you can be fined and even given jail time for not obeying mandatory quarantine orders. Other states may require proof of a negative COVID 19 test upon arrival. Before you book the plane ticket or gas up your car for a road trip, it is important to know if such restrictions are in place.
In addition to seeking information about possible restrictions, I highly recommend reading current CDC advice regarding travel.
US states
All info below is current as of August 21, 2020 unless otherwise stated.
Alabama
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Alaska
Negative test required for non-residents of Alaska.
https://covid19.alaska.gov/travelers/
Non-Residents
Non-residents must arrive with a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours prior to departure or proof of a pending test result from a test taken within 72 hours prior to departure.
- Test 72 hours before departure, and upload negative result into the Alaska Travel Portal
- If tested 72 hours before departure and awaiting results, travelers will need to upload proof of test taken into the Alaska Travel Portal and quarantine while waiting.
- If a non-resident arrives without a pre-test, testing is available for $250 per test. The traveler will be required to quarantine while waiting on results.
Alaska Residents
- Testing is available at no cost to Alaska residents.
- 14 day quarantine is still available to Alaska residents.
- Alaska residents traveling back to home communities in rural Alaska will now have the option of testing at the airport sites, to prevent bringing the virus into our small communities.
Read the detailed requirements and information at: Health Mandates Information
You can find more info on Alaska’s Department of Health page.
Arizona
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Arkansas
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
California
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Colorado
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Connecticut
Updated August 18
Self quarantine or a negative test required from some states.
Anyone traveling from these states to Connecticut must complete a Travel Health Form prior to or upon arrival in Connecticut and will be required to self-quarantine upon arrival for 14 days.
If the traveler shows proof of a negative viral test for COVID-19 taken in the 72 hours prior to travel, then they will not be required to self-quarantine.
Failure to submit the travel health form or to self-quarantine may result in a civil penalty of $1,000 for each such violation.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arkansas
- Arizona
- California
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Iowa
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Mississippi
- Montana
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- Oklahoma
- Puerto Rico
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virgin Islands
- Virginia
- Wisconsin
For more information, visit the state of Connecticut’s official website.
Delaware
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Florida
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Georgia
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Hawaii
Updated August 20, 2020
There is a required self-quarantine for 14 days. This includes interisland travel (through August 31).
Beginning October 1, anyone traveling to the state of Hawaii can avoid the mandatory quarantine by providing a negative COVID 19 PCR test upon arrival from a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certified laboratory taken within 72 hours prior to boarding their flight to Hawaii.
Important: The October 1 date is tentative and it is important to understand that this date could get pushed back. It has already been pushed back multiple times. Keep that in mind if you plan to book a trip to Hawaii.
For more information, visit the Hawaiian Tourism Authority’s website.
Idaho
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Illinois
There are currently no statewide restrictions, however, Chicago does have a list of states that require a 14 day quarantine upon arrival.
Anyone traveling from states listed here to Chicago, Illinois will be required to self-quarantine upon arrival for 14 days.
For more information, visit the city of Chicago’s official website.
Indiana
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Iowa
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Kansas
Updated August 11
There is a mandatory 14 day self-quarantine requirement for travel from certain areas.
Those who have traveled to the following locations need to quarantine for 14 days after arrival in Kansas. This applies to Kansas residents and Kansas non residents:
- Cruise ship or river cruise passengers
- Anyone who attended a gathering of 500 people or more on or after August 11.
- International travel to the following:
- Countries with a CDC Level 3 Travel Health Notice With Restrictions, including China, Iran, European Schengen area, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and Brazil. International travelers must follow CDC guidance and protocols
- Anyone subject to a travel-related quarantine for a state or country previously on the travel-related quarantine list must complete their 14-day quarantine period.
- This includes travel to Florida prior to August 11.
Anyone who has received notification from public health officials (state or local) that you are a close contact of a laboratory-confirmed case of COVID-19 also needs to quarantine.
For more information, visit the Kansas Department of Health and Environment website.
Kentucky
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Louisiana
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Maine
Updated August 11, 2020
There is a mandatory 14 day self-quarantine requirement or a negative PCR test requirement for travel from most states.
- Anyone traveling to Maine, with the exception of those traveling from Connecticut, New Jersey, Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York, will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.
- If the traveler shows proof of a negative viral test for COVID-19 taken in the 72 hours prior to travel, then they will not be required to self-quarantine.
For more information, visit the Governor of Maine’s website.
Maryland
While it doesn’t seem to be a requirement, the state is recommending that both Maryland residents and visitors coming from states with 10% or more positivity rate either self quarantine for 14 days or get tested.
Massachusetts
There is a mandatory 14 day self-quarantine requirement or a negative PCR test requirement for travel from most states.
- Anyone traveling to the state of Massachusetts must complete a Travel Form prior to or upon arrival in Massachusetts, and will be required to self-quarantine upon arrival for 14 days.
- If the traveler shows proof of a negative viral test for COVID-19 taken in the last 72 hours, they will not be required to self-quarantine.
Failure to submit the Travel Form or to self-quarantine may result in a civil penalty of $500 per day.
Anyone traveling from these states to Massachusetts does not need to complete a Travel Form or self-quarantine.
- Connecticut
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Vermont
For more information, visit the state of Massachusetts’ official website.
Michigan
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Minnesota
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Mississippi
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Missouri
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Montana
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Nebraska
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Nevada
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
New Hampshire
There is a 14 day self-quarantine requirement for travel from certain areas.
The two week self-quarantine has been lifted for those traveling to New Hampshire from Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Those traveling to New Hampshire from other states for an extended period of time are still asked to self-quarantine for a two-week period.
“If you’re visiting New Hampshire from out of state (excluding New England) for an overnight trip at a lodging property, you’re required to provide signed documentation stating you remained at home for at least a 14 day quarantine* period prior to arriving in the state. This documentation will be provided at your lodging destination. Lodging properties include hotels, motels, B&Bs, cabins, cottages, condominiums, and other short-term rentals. For complete lodging guidance, please click here.
*Quarantine period includes going out of your home for essential items only, and wearing a cloth face covering if you are not able to maintain at least 6 feet social distance from other people when outside your home.“
New Jersey
There is a 14-day quarantine travel advisory. This is voluntary, but the same states as New York and Connecticut are on the list.
New Mexico
Anyone traveling to New Mexico will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.
For more information, visit the New Mexico Department of Health’s website.
New York
Anyone traveling from these states to the state of New York will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days and complete a traveler form upon entering New York. An electronic version of the form can be found here. Travelers who leave the airport without completing the form will be subject to a $2,000 fine and may be brought to a hearing or ordered to complete mandatory quarantine.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Puerto Rico
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Virgin Islands
- Wisconsin
For more information, visit New York State’s official website.
North Carolina
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
North Dakota
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Ohio
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Oklahoma
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Oregon
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Pennsylvania
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Rhode Island
Self quarantine or a negative test required from some states.
Anyone traveling to Rhode Island from any of the states listed here will be required to self-quarantine upon arrival for 14 days, or produce proof of a negative test for COVID-19 that was taken within 72 hours prior to arrival in Rhode Island.
For more information, visit the State of Rhode Island Department of Health’s website.
South Carolina
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
South Dakota
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Tennessee
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Texas
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Utah
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Vermont
Most visitors are required to quarantine for 14 days and/or have a negative test.
- If you are visiting Vermont you must quarantine for 14 days, once you arrive.
- If you have not had any symptoms of COVID-19, the quarantine period may be shortened by having a test on or after day 7 of quarantine, though you must continue to quarantine until you receive a negative test result.
Some travelers have the option to quarantine in their home state before coming to Vermont – read more about that here. There are. a few exceptions such as for essential workers. You can read the exceptions here.
Virginia
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Washington
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
West Virginia
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Wisconsin
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Wyoming
There are currently no mandatory quarantine or proof of test requirements.
Washington, D.C.
Anyone traveling from these states to Washington, D.C., will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days.
For more information, visit the District of Columbia’s official website.
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