freedomrankings.comRegulatory Burden
Red tape shapes how easy it is to get a job, start a business, or hire a worker — and it varies enormously by state. This ranking scores all 50 states on regulatory burden, folding in occupational licensing, labor rules, and the broader weight of state regulation, so you can see where it is lightest and where it is heaviest.
Idaho leads all 50 states for Regulatory Burden with a score of 10.0/10, followed by South Dakota and North Dakota. California ranks last. Each state is scored 0–10 on Regulatory Burden from established, annually-updated third-party indexes.
Score reflects occupational licensing, labor regulation, and the overall weight of state rules on workers and businesses. Darker green = stronger; click any state for its full breakdown.
Idaho ranks #1 for regulatory freedom, scoring 10.0/10 — typically a state with lighter licensing requirements and fewer restrictions on hiring and business. The full ranking is above.
A right-to-work state bars employers and unions from requiring workers to pay union dues as a condition of employment. 26 states have such laws. See our right-to-work explainer for the full list.
California ranks lowest on regulatory freedom, reflecting heavier occupational licensing and labor regulation.
The regulatory-burden score draws on occupational-licensing data, the Mercatus Center’s RegData, and labor-regulation measures. See the methodology page for sources.