Qualified Immunity Reform

Federal & State Law Editorial TeamLast reviewed: April 2026

Compare qualified immunity reform efforts across all 50 states, including whether reform has been enacted, private rights of action, and scope of changes.

50 States3 data columnsLast updated: 2025-03-10

Click any column header to sort ascending or descending. Click again to reverse, and a third time to reset.

State	Reform Enacted	Private Right of Action	Scope
Alabama	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Alaska	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Arizona	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Arkansas	No	No state cause of action	N/A
California	No (bills proposed)	Bane Act (civil rights)	N/A
Colorado	Yes (SB 20-217, 2020)	Yes	Law enforcement officers; removes QI defense
Connecticut	Yes (Police Accountability Act, 2020)	Yes	Law enforcement; citizen review boards
Delaware	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Florida	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Georgia	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Hawaii	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Idaho	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Illinois	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Indiana	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Iowa	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Kansas	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Kentucky	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Louisiana	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Maine	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Maryland	Yes (Maryland Police Accountability Act, 2021)	Yes	Law enforcement; limits QI defense
Massachusetts	Yes (POST Commission, 2020)	Limited	Police certification/decertification system
Michigan	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Minnesota	No	State civil rights act (limited)	N/A
Mississippi	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Missouri	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Montana	No	Constitutional provisions	N/A
Nebraska	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Nevada	No	No state cause of action	N/A
New Hampshire	No	No state cause of action	N/A
New Jersey	No	NJ Civil Rights Act (existing)	N/A
New Mexico	Yes (NM Civil Rights Act, 2021)	Yes	All public employees; eliminates QI
New York	Yes (NYC, local)	Yes (NYC)	NYC council passed local QI reform
North Carolina	No	No state cause of action	N/A
North Dakota	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Ohio	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Oklahoma	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Oregon	No	Tort Claims Act (limited)	N/A
Pennsylvania	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Rhode Island	No	No state cause of action	N/A
South Carolina	No	No state cause of action	N/A
South Dakota	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Tennessee	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Texas	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Utah	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Vermont	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Virginia	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Washington	Yes (HB 1310, 2021)	Limited	Use of force restrictions; accountability
West Virginia	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Wisconsin	No	No state cause of action	N/A
Wyoming	No	No state cause of action	N/A

Qualified immunity is primarily a federal doctrine (Harlow v. Fitzgerald). State reforms create separate state-level causes of action. Federal qualified immunity still applies to federal civil rights claims (42 U.S.C. § 1983) regardless of state law changes.

This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.