As of 2026, six states and Washington, D.C., ban cat declawing except when a veterinarian determines it is medically necessary. Every other state allows the procedure, which means the question of what states allow cat declawing has a short answer: most of them. New York, Maryland, Virginia, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and California are the states that have acted, and the trend is moving toward more restriction, not less.1American Veterinary Medical Association. Declawing of Domestic Cats
States Where Declawing Is Banned
The six state bans share the same structure. Elective declawing is prohibited; the procedure is allowed only when it addresses a physical medical condition in the cat, such as an infection, disease, injury, or abnormal claw that threatens the animal’s health. Owner convenience and cosmetic preference do not qualify anywhere.
New York was first. Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the ban on July 22, 2019, and it took effect immediately. Violations are civil, with penalties up to $1,000.2New York State Senate. Senate Bill S5532B Relates to the Prohibition of the Declawing of Cats
Maryland followed, with its law effective October 1, 2022. Civil penalties go up to $1,000, and the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners can discipline veterinarians who willfully violate the ban.3Maryland General Assembly. SB0067 – Animal Welfare – Declawing Cats – Prohibited Acts
Virginia‘s ban took effect July 1, 2024. Civil penalties start at $500 per violation.4Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 54.1-3814 – Declawing Cats Prohibition
Massachusetts enacted its ban April 8, 2025. Penalties escalate for repeat violations: $1,000 for a first, $1,500 for a second, and $2,500 for each after that, with license discipline on top for veterinarians.5Animal Legal Defense Fund. Massachusetts Governor Signs Cat Declaw Ban into Law
Rhode Island has also enacted a statewide ban.
California is the most recent to join, with the statewide law in effect after the governor’s approval. The state veterinary medical board can revoke or suspend a license, or impose fines, for performing the procedure without medical justification. Eight California cities already prohibited declawing before the statewide law passed.
Washington, D.C., enacted its ban in April 2023. D.C. is stricter than the states: a conviction can mean a fine, up to 90 days in jail, or both. Everywhere else, violations are civil.6D.C. Law Library. 22-1012.03 – Unlawful Cat Declawing
Cities That Ban Declawing in Otherwise-Legal States
A statewide “yes” is not the end of the question. Several cities in states without bans have passed their own ordinances, and the procedure is illegal within those city limits.
West Hollywood was the first U.S. jurisdiction to ban declawing, in 2003. Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Berkeley, Culver City, and Burbank followed, all in California; those local bans are now reinforced by state law.
Outside California, Denver passed the first municipal ban in 2017. Violations there carry a maximum fine of $999 and possible jail time.7City and County of Denver. File 17-0709 – Ordinance Prohibiting Surgical Claw Removal Austin, Pittsburgh, and Madison, Wisconsin, have enacted local bans as well.5Animal Legal Defense Fund. Massachusetts Governor Signs Cat Declaw Ban into Law
If you live in any of those cities, your state’s silence does not help you. Check the local ordinance before assuming the procedure is available.
What the Medical Exception Actually Covers
Every ban includes a therapeutic carve-out, and the bar is high. The exception exists for the cat’s health, not the owner’s. Conditions that typically qualify include tumors in or around the nail bed, chronic infections of the nail bed that do not respond to other treatment, and severe structural abnormalities such as a claw growing into the paw pad.
What does not qualify, under any current ban: a cat scratching furniture, worry about children being scratched, or a landlord’s preference. A veterinarian who performs the procedure has to be able to document the medical justification, and in Maryland and Massachusetts, willful violations can lead to license discipline on top of fines.2New York State Senate. Senate Bill S5532B Relates to the Prohibition of the Declawing of Cats
When a Landlord Pressures You to Declaw
A separate strand of law restricts what landlords can require, independent of whether the procedure itself is legal in your state. Minnesota is the clearest example. A landlord there cannot require a tenant to declaw or devocalize a pet, cannot refuse to rent on that basis, and cannot advertise in a way that discourages applicants with non-declawed pets. Any lease provision requiring declawing is void, and violations carry a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per animal or per advertisement.8Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. 504B.114 Pet Declawing and Devocalization Prohibited
If a landlord is pressuring you, look for a similar law in your state or city. This area is expanding faster than many tenants realize.
If Declawing Is Legal Where You Live
In the majority of states, no law restricts or prohibits the procedure, and the decision rests with the owner and the veterinarian. Two caveats are worth knowing.
First, legal does not mean available. The American Veterinary Medical Association strongly discourages elective declawing, and many veterinary practices have voluntarily stopped offering it regardless of state law.1American Veterinary Medical Association. Declawing of Domestic Cats The number of clinics willing to perform it continues to shrink.
Second, the legal picture is changing quickly. Washington state had a statewide ban under consideration in 2026, and similar bills have been introduced in several other states in recent years. A procedure that is legal in your state today may not be next year, so if you are weighing it, verify current law before making the appointment.