As of October 2026, kratom leaf is banned in ten states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Vermont and Wisconsin, plus some cities and counties. California also treats kratom products as illegal to sell. Kratom is legal in most other states, often with a 21+ age limit and labeling rules. Four of those bans took effect in 2026 alone, so check this page and your local rules before ordering.
This is a research summary, not legal advice. Laws change quickly and trackers don't always agree; we note sources for each point and last checked them on September 25, 2026, with corrections on September 28 and a re-check on October 8, 2026.
Check one state quickly: use our kratom legal status checker, or see the state pages for Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
What states is kratom illegal in (2026)?
Kratom is illegal in these ten states as of October 8, 2026:
- Alabama: Schedule I since 2016. See is kratom legal in Alabama.
- Arkansas: Schedule I since 2016.
- Connecticut: Schedule I since March 25, 2026.
- Indiana: banned under the synthetic-drug statute. See is kratom legal in Indiana.
- Kansas: illegal to possess, sell or buy since July 1, 2026.
- Louisiana: possession and distribution criminalized since August 1, 2025. See is kratom legal in Louisiana.
- Massachusetts: Schedule I by emergency order since August 28, 2026, for up to one year.
- Tennessee: possession a misdemeanor and sale a felony since July 1, 2026. See is kratom legal in Tennessee.
- Vermont: Schedule I.
- Wisconsin: Schedule I. See is kratom legal in Wisconsin.
California doesn't list kratom as a controlled substance, but its health department says kratom products are illegal to sell (details). Some cities and counties also ban it. Sources for each state are in the table below.
Where is kratom legal? In the other 40 states and Washington, D.C., often with a 21+ age limit, labeling rules or a cap on 7-OH. Our state pages cover Washington, Virginia, Texas, Florida, Ohio, Arizona, New York and Illinois.
Pending changes (October 2026)
- Kentucky: House Bill 757 (2026 Acts ch. 161) bans kratom sales from January 1, 2027, according to Spectrum News. Until then kratom is legal for adults 21+. A lawsuit filed May 22, 2026 challenges the ban. See is kratom legal in Kentucky.
- Pennsylvania: the state House passed a bill on October 5, 2026 that would limit kratom sales to adults 21 and older at registered retailers and ban synthetic compounds. It still needs the state Senate and the governor's signature (Pennsylvania Capital-Star via Mon Valley Independent).
- Federal 7-OH order: as of October 2, 2026, the DEA had still not issued its temporary scheduling order for 7-OH itself, according to the Restoration Recovery 7-OH tracker. Stateline reported the same on October 5. The related HHS comment period closed September 10, 2026.
Federal status
- Kratom is not a federally controlled substance. The DEA lists it as a "drug of concern," according to NIDA and the NIH's NCCIH.
- The FDA has not approved kratom for any medical use. The agency says "kratom is not lawfully marketed in the U.S. as a drug product, a dietary supplement, or a food additive in conventional food," and warns consumers not to use it (FDA).
- 7-OH action (July 2026). On July 1, 2026, the DEA announced it would temporarily schedule 7-hydroxymitragynine above a specified threshold, plus mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15 and MGM-16, in Schedule I. The notice was published in the Federal Register on July 6. Law firm Spencer Fane wrote that the order could take effect as early as August 5, 2026 and that temporary scheduling lasts two years. The DEA said the action "does not apply to botanical kratom products that contain naturally occurring 7-OH below the specified threshold." Update (September 28, 2026): the DEA temporarily placed mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15 and MGM-16 in Schedule I effective August 26, 2026, but its order for 7-OH itself had not been published as of early September 2026, according to Vicente LLP. More in what is 7-OH and why we don't list it.
States where kratom is banned (September 2026)
| State | Status | Since | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Schedule I | 2016 | Restoration Recovery tracker |
| Arkansas | Schedule I | 2016 | Restoration Recovery tracker |
| Connecticut | Schedule I | March 25, 2026 | NBC Connecticut, Fox61 |
| Indiana | Banned under synthetic-drug statute | Before 2025 | Restoration Recovery tracker |
| Kansas | Mitragynine and 7-OH illegal to possess, sell or buy | July 1, 2026 | KCTV5 |
| Louisiana | Possession and distribution criminalized | August 1, 2025 | Louisiana Dept. of Revenue |
| Massachusetts | Schedule I by DPH emergency order (up to one year) | August 28, 2026 | Mass.gov |
| Tennessee | Possession a misdemeanor; sale a felony | July 1, 2026 | Nashville.gov |
| Vermont | Schedule I | Before 2025 | Restoration Recovery tracker |
| Wisconsin | Schedule I | Before 2025 | Restoration Recovery tracker |
The QuickMD tracker (updated September 17, 2026) lists the same ten states plus North Dakota. North Dakota's emergency ban has since been replaced by a regulatory law, as described below.
Massachusetts details
At the direction of Governor Maura Healey, the Department of Public Health placed all forms of kratom in Schedule I by emergency order, effective August 28, 2026, for up to one year (Mass.gov). Local boards of health can remove kratom from stores. Four retailers sued to block the order (WBUR); we found no ruling as of September 28, 2026.
California: statewide sales prohibition
Kratom isn't a controlled substance in California, but on October 24, 2025 the Department of Public Health declared that products containing kratom and 7-OH are "illegal to sell or manufacture for consumption." CDPH's statements don't address personal possession. Details in is kratom legal in California.
Tennessee details
Tennessee's law, known as Matthew Davenport's Law, was signed May 7, 2026 and took effect July 1, 2026. According to the Restoration Recovery tracker, knowing possession is a Class A misdemeanor and manufacture or sale is a Class C felony. Nashville's beer permit board reminded retailers of the July 1 effective date.
Kansas details
From July 1, 2026, Kansas law makes it "illegal to possess, sell or purchase kratom, 7-OH and other controlled substances," KCTV5 reported, citing House Bill 2365 and Senate Bill 430.
North Dakota: from emergency ban to 21+ regulation
On August 3, 2026, Governor Kelly Armstrong declared a public health emergency and banned kratom statewide pending a special session. The legislature did not pass a total ban. On September 4, 2026, the governor signed a law that:
- bans synthetic kratom, concentrated 7-OH, MGM-15, MGM-16 and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl
- restricts natural kratom to adults 21 and older
- requires labeling with lab-tested mitragynine and 7-OH amounts and annual retailer licensing through the Attorney General
The governor rescinded the emergency order. Check whether licensing rules are in effect before buying in North Dakota.
States that regulate kratom (21+ and labeling)
Many states have passed a version of the Kratom Consumer Protection Act (KCPA). According to the Restoration Recovery tracker, KCPA laws typically include a 21+ minimum age, alkaloid labeling, third-party testing, a cap on 7-OH (often 2% of the alkaloid fraction) and a ban on synthetic additives. Rhode Island's rules took effect April 1, 2026, per that tracker.
QuickMD lists these states as explicitly requiring buyers to be 21+: Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia and West Virginia. North Dakota joined that group in September 2026. (QuickMD also lists Texas, but Texas law sets the minimum at 18, per the enacted SB 497; see is kratom legal in Texas.)
State 7-OH rules
Several states restrict 7-OH separately from leaf kratom. QuickMD reports that Florida bans 7-OH, Virginia banned concentrated 7-OH from July 1, 2026, and Colorado caps it at 2%. Virginia's law (HB 360) bans products above 1% 7-OH of total alkaloids or 1 mg per serving (BillTrack50).
City and county bans
Kratom can be banned locally even where the state allows it. Local bans reported by trackers and vendor shipping policies include:
- California: San Diego and Oceanside (Left Coast Kratom shipping page, Happy Hippo shipping policy), on top of the statewide sales prohibition above
- Colorado: Denver (QuickMD)
- Florida: Sarasota County (QuickMD)
- Idaho: Idaho Falls, June 2026 (QuickMD)
- North Carolina: Union County (Happy Hippo shipping policy)
- Oregon: Ontario (Left Coast Kratom shipping page)
- Some counties in Illinois and areas in Mississippi, per Left Coast's shipping page
What this means when ordering
- Vendors won't ship to banned areas, but their lists lag behind new laws. Happy Hippo's shipping policy, for example, didn't list Connecticut, Kansas or Tennessee when we checked. The responsibility is yours.
- Age limits apply. Most vendors we review sell only to adults 21+; see our kratom vendor list.
- Avoid 7-OH products entirely. They are the focus of both federal and state action.
Related guides
- Best kratom vendors (2026)
- Where to buy kratom online
- Kratom near me
- Kratom Consumer Protection Act states
- How to read a kratom lab report
- Kratom strains explained
The FDA has not approved kratom and warns against its use, citing risks including liver toxicity, seizures and substance use disorder. This page is general information, not legal advice; check your state and local law.