Paternity Leave by State

2026 guide to paid bonding leave for fathers across all 50 states & DC

13 States & DC with Paid Bonding Leave
50 States & DC

✅ States with Paid Bonding Leave for Fathers

California SDI + PFL Colorado FAMLI Connecticut CT Paid Leave District of Columbia DC Universal Paid Leave Delaware DE PFML Hawaii TDI Massachusetts MA PFML Maine ME PFML Minnesota MN PFML New Jersey TDI + FLI New York DBL + PFL Oregon Paid Leave Oregon Rhode Island TDI + TCI Washington WA PFML

🏆 Best States for Paternity Leave

💰 Highest Payout $1,681/wk California 📅 Most Bonding Weeks 12 weeks Oregon 📊 Best Wage Replacement 100% Oregon

📊 Paid Bonding Leave Comparison

Average max weekly benefit: $1,170/wk · Range: $0 – $1,681/wk

# State Program Max Weekly Wage % Bonding Weeks
1 California SDI + PFL $1,681 70% 8
2 Oregon Paid Leave Oregon $1,637 100% 12
3 Washington WA PFML $1,542 80% 12
4 Minnesota MN PFML $1,423 90% 12
5 Colorado FAMLI $1,381 90% 12
6 New York DBL + PFL $1,177 67% 12
7 Massachusetts MA PFML $1,171 80% 12
8 District of Columbia DC Universal Paid Leave $1,153 90% 12
9 Maine ME PFML $1,145 90% 12
10 Rhode Island TDI + TCI $1,103 60% 7
11 New Jersey TDI + FLI $1,081 85% 12
12 Connecticut CT Paid Leave $981 95% 12
13 Delaware DE PFML $900 80% 12
14 Hawaii TDI $0 0% 0

🗺️ All States

Alaska FMLA Only Alabama FMLA Only Arkansas FMLA Only Arizona FMLA Only California SDI + PFL Colorado FAMLI Connecticut CT Paid Leave District of Columbia DC Universal Paid Leave Delaware DE PFML Florida FMLA Only Georgia FMLA Only Hawaii TDI Iowa FMLA Only Idaho FMLA Only Illinois Legislation Pending Indiana FMLA Only Kansas FMLA Only Kentucky FMLA Only Louisiana FMLA Only Massachusetts MA PFML Maryland FAMLI (Time to Care Act) Maine ME PFML Michigan FMLA Only Minnesota MN PFML Missouri FMLA Only Mississippi FMLA Only Montana FMLA Only North Carolina Legislation Pending North Dakota FMLA Only Nebraska FMLA Only New Hampshire FMLA Only New Jersey TDI + FLI New Mexico FMLA Only Nevada FMLA Only New York DBL + PFL Ohio FMLA Only Oklahoma FMLA Only Oregon Paid Leave Oregon Pennsylvania Legislation Pending Rhode Island TDI + TCI South Carolina FMLA Only South Dakota FMLA Only Tennessee FMLA Only Texas FMLA Only Utah FMLA Only Virginia Legislation Pending Vermont FMLA Only Washington WA PFML Wisconsin FMLA Only West Virginia FMLA Only Wyoming FMLA Only

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📋 Understanding Paternity Leave in the US

There is no federal paid paternity leave in the United States. Fathers' leave options come from a patchwork of federal law (FMLA), state paid family leave programs, and employer-provided benefits.

Federal FMLA provides 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected bonding leave for fathers at companies with 50+ employees. FMLA is gender-neutral — fathers have the same 12-week entitlement as mothers for bonding leave.

State paid family leave programs exist in 13 states & DC. All provide gender-neutral bonding leave — fathers receive the same paid bonding weeks as mothers. The key difference is that birth mothers may also qualify for separate disability/medical leave for pregnancy recovery, which fathers do not receive.

50% of new fathers now take some form of paid leave, up from just 23% before 1994. However, 64% of fathers who take leave take less than 2 weeks. In states with paid leave programs, fathers make up 44-55% of bonding leave claims.

Birth parents: Looking for maternity leave info including disability and medical recovery benefits? See maternity leave by state →