Arizona Restrictions in Arizona

The United States Supreme Court’s decision to overturn our constitutional right to abortion in 2022 means that access to abortion in Arizona is not guaranteed. Even before Roe was overturned, Arizona passed and has maintained nearly 50 laws impacting abortion.

Decades of restrictions have resulted in long-term harm to our communities. Here’s what you need to know.

People in Arizona face serious barriers when seeking an abortion, such as:

  • A viability ban on getting clinic care after 24 weeks

  • A 24-hour waiting period after a mandatory consultation

  • Lack of abortion clinic access outside of Phoenix and Tucson

  • No financial assistance from insurance or state Medicaid (AHCCCS)

While access to abortion care before 24 weeks remains legal in Arizona, many barriers still exist in our state, the future of legal abortion access in Arizona is not guaranteed, but for now, people can get care with many limitations.

The Abortion Fund of Arizona helps people overcome barriers to abortion care in Arizona.

Your monthly donation will help us maintain a constant flow of support to people in Arizona wanting to make the best decisions for their lives and families.

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Bans impacting patient access

  • Arizona voters passed Prop 139 on November 5, 2024, a viability abortion ban, which limits legal abortion care up to 24 weeks gestation.

  • Patients are required to receive an ultrasound and consultation by a physician at least 24 hours before the abortion procedure. During the consultation, providers are forced to share confusing and misleading information that is designed to influence a person’s choice. 

  • Young people under the age of 18 must have the permission of a parent or legal guardian to get an abortion, or seek approval of a judge through a process called Judicial Bypass. 

  • Arizona bans physicians from providing abortion care to patients who have openly told the provider that they decided to have an abortion because of a fetal abnormality. Although this ban was passed in 2021, this law was temporarily blocked until June 30, 2022. There is an ongoing lawsuit to block this ban from staying in effect.

  • People cannot access medication abortion via telehealth or prescriptions by mail from an Arizona physician. Arizona law mandates that medication abortion must be acquired, prescribed, and dispensed in-person by a physician.

  • State law prevents lawsuits against medical providers who omit or withhold health-related information from patients if they think it may contribute to a person’s decision to end their pregnancy. 

Bans on insurance coverage

  • Arizona is one of many states that do not cover abortion care under state medicaid, (known as Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, or AHCCCS).  Along with an Arizona law prohibiting state funds from being used to cover abortion, the Hyde Amendment prevents federal funds from being used as well.

  • Insurance plans offered through the state health care exchange are prohibited from offering abortion coverage, health insurance policies offered to public employees do not cover abortion.

TRAP Laws

“TRAP” stands for Targeted Restrictions on Abortion Providers. TRAP laws were commonly passed before Roe v. Wade was overturned as a way to restrict abortion access without conflicting with the Supreme Court decision. These laws are designed to make it harder for providers to open and operate a clinic. They do not make medical care safer for patients.

  • Any type of abortion care must be provided by a medical doctor, despite abortion being a safe procedure well within the scope of practice for Nurse Practitioners, Midwives, and Physicians Assistants.

  • Providers may face surprise inspections of abortion clinics during regular business hours completely unannounced. 

  • The location of abortion clinics are restricted in Arizona because the provider must have admitting privileges with a nearby hospital within 30 miles of the abortion clinic, despite the extremely low likelihood of complications.  Many hospitals refuse to work with abortion clinics because cases are so infrequent or because they hold anti-abortion views.

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