Buy bitcoin by state
Bitcoin is legal in every US state and in the District of Columbia. What changes at the state line is licensing: most states require exchanges to hold a money transmitter license, a few run bespoke regimes like New York's BitLicense, and a handful require no state virtual-currency license at all. Those licensing choices decide which exchanges serve you and, in a few states, which payment rails they can offer.
The table below compares all 51 jurisdictions: the licensing regime, whether a state license is required, how many of the exchanges we track accept residents, and the gaps worth knowing about before you sign up. Each state links to its own guide with the full exchange list, payment methods, and sources.
All 50 states and DC compared
| State | Licensing regime | State license | Exchanges | Not available |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Monetary Transmission Act license (ASC) | Required | 9 of 9 | None |
| Alaska | Money transmitter license, crypto included since 2023 | Required | 7 of 9 | Binance.US, CEX.IO |
| Arizona | Money transmitter license (DIFI) | Required | 9 of 9 | None |
| Arkansas | Uniform Money Services Act license (ASD) | Required | 9 of 9 | None |
| California | DFAL license (from July 2026) + Money Transmission Act | Required | 8 of 8 | None |
| Colorado | License when fiat moves; crypto-only exempt | Required | 8 of 8 | None |
| Connecticut | Money transmitter license, crypto terms since 2015 | Required | 8 of 9 | Binance.US |
| Delaware | Money transmitter license (OSBC) | Required | 9 of 9 | None |
| District of Columbia | Money transmitter license (DISB) | Required | 9 of 9 | None |
| Florida | Money transmitter license under Chapter 560 | Required | 9 of 9 | None |
| Georgia | Money transmitter license; virtual currency defined in statute since 2016 | Required | 8 of 9 | Binance.US |
| Hawaii | No state license since July 2024 | Not required | 8 of 8 | None |
| Idaho | Money transmitter license per Department of Finance guidance | Required | 9 of 9 | None |
| Illinois | TOMA license now, DACPA registration by July 2027 | Required | 9 of 9 | None |
| Indiana | MTMA money transmission licensing since January 2024 | Required | 8 of 8 | None |
| Iowa | Money services license; virtual currency is monetary value | Required | 9 of 9 | None |
| Kansas | Money transmitter license for fiat handling | Required | 9 of 9 | None |
| Kentucky | Money transmitter license extended to crypto by guidance | Required | 8 of 8 | None |
| Louisiana | Virtual Currency Business License via OFI | Required | 7 of 9 | Coinmama, CEX.IO |
| Maine | MTMA license covering virtual currency since January 2025 | Required | 7 of 9 | Kraken, Binance.US |
| Maryland | Money transmitter license, crypto in scope since 2021 | Required | 9 of 9 | None |
| Massachusetts | Money transmission licensing under MGL c.169B since January 2026 | Required | 9 of 9 | None |
| Michigan | Money transmitter license, Act 250 of 2006 | Required | 9 of 9 | None |
| Minnesota | MTMA license, virtual currency named since 2023 | Required | 9 of 9 | None |
| Mississippi | MTMA money transmitter license since July 2025 | Required | 8 of 8 | None |
| Missouri | Money transmitter license, MTMA of 2024 | Required | 8 of 8 | None |
| Montana | Only state with no money transmitter law | Not required | 8 of 8 | None |
| Nebraska | Money transmitter license plus digital asset depository charters | Required | 9 of 9 | None |
| Nevada | Money transmitter license (NRS 671) | Required | 8 of 9 | River |
| New Hampshire | Virtual currency exempt by statute since 2017 | Not required | 9 of 9 | None |
| New Jersey | Money transmitter license (NJ DOBI) | Required | 9 of 9 | None |
| New Mexico | Money transmitter license under Uniform Money Services Act | Required | 9 of 9 | None |
| New York | BitLicense + NY money transmitter license | Required | 4 of 8 | Kraken, River, Binance.US, Coinmama |
| North Carolina | Money transmitter license, virtual currency defined in statute | Required | 8 of 9 | Binance.US |
| North Dakota | Money transmitter license under Money Transmission Modernization Act | Required | 8 of 9 | Binance.US |
| Ohio | Money transmitter license (Ohio Division of Financial Institutions) | Required | 8 of 9 | Binance.US |
| Oklahoma | Money transmitter license | Required | 9 of 9 | None |
| Oregon | Money transmitter license (ORS 717) | Required | 8 of 9 | Binance.US |
| Pennsylvania | Money transmitter license since October 2024 | Required | 9 of 9 | None |
| Rhode Island | Currency transmission license (2019 law) | Required | 9 of 9 | None |
| South Carolina | Crypto read as outside the transmission law | Not required | 9 of 9 | None |
| South Dakota | Money transmitter license (SDCL 51A-17) | Required | 9 of 9 | None |
| Tennessee | Money transmitter license for fiat-handling exchanges | Required | 8 of 9 | CEX.IO |
| Texas | No state virtual-currency license required | Not required | 8 of 9 | Binance.US |
| Utah | Blockchain activity exempt from transmitter act | Not required | 8 of 8 | None |
| Vermont | Money transmitter license (since 2017) | Required | 8 of 9 | Binance.US |
| Virginia | Money transmitter license | Required | 8 of 9 | CEX.IO |
| Washington | Money transmitter license, UMSA covers crypto | Required | 8 of 9 | Binance.US |
| West Virginia | Currency transmission license (WV Code 32A) | Required | 9 of 9 | None |
| Wisconsin | Money transmitter license (Wisconsin DFI) | Required | 8 of 8 | None |
| Wyoming | Virtual currency exempt; SPDI crypto banks | Not required | 8 of 8 | None |
Why exchange availability differs by state
US exchanges license state by state, so every state list is really a licensing map. Where the cost of a license outweighs the market, platforms simply skip the state: Binance.US is unavailable in twelve states, Kraken serves neither New York nor Maine, River skips New York and Nevada, and Coinmama skips New York and Louisiana. New York is the extreme case because its BitLicense is the most demanding and expensive regime in the country.
The gaps also close. Kraken returned to Washington in July 2025 after obtaining its money transmitter license there, and Strike received a NYDFS BitLicense in March 2026, completing its coverage of all fifty states. A state guide on this site reflects the picture as of its last review date, with sources on every page.
The special-regime states
New York runs the BitLicense, a dedicated virtual-currency license administered by the Department of Financial Services since 2015, layered on top of an ordinary money transmitter license. California's Digital Financial Assets Law brings a comparable dedicated licensing regime, phasing in from July 2026 under the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. Louisiana licenses virtual currency businesses under its own Virtual Currency Business License, with an exemption for very small volumes.
At the other end, seven states require no state virtual-currency license for standalone exchange activity: Hawaii, Montana, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. That does not make them unregulated; federal registration and anti-money-laundering rules apply everywhere. It mostly means exchanges can serve those states without a state-level licensing project, which is why the full roster tends to be available there.
State taxes, briefly
Federal capital gains tax applies to bitcoin sales in every state; nothing at the state line changes that. What differs is the state layer on top: nine states levy no tax on wage income, and several of those add nothing on capital gains either, while Washington applies a capital gains excise tax to large gains despite having no wage income tax. The state guides carry a tax note wherever the picture is distinctive, with sources.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Is bitcoin legal in all 50 states?
Yes. Buying, holding, and selling bitcoin is legal in every US state and in the District of Columbia. What varies by state is how exchanges are licensed, which decides which platforms accept residents of each state.
Which states have a special crypto license?
New York's BitLicense is the best-known dedicated regime, run by the Department of Financial Services since 2015. California's Digital Financial Assets Law phases in a comparable license from July 2026, and Louisiana runs its own Virtual Currency Business License. Most other states fold exchanges into ordinary money transmitter licensing.
Why is my exchange not available in my state?
Because it has not obtained, or has chosen not to pursue, the license your state requires. The cost and effort of state licensing is why Binance.US skips twelve states and why several platforms sat out New York for years. Each state guide lists exactly who serves that state and who does not, with the reason where the operator has stated one.