freedomrankings.comReligious Liberty
The First Amendment protects the free exercise of religion, but states differ widely in how far they extend it — through Religious Freedom Restoration Acts, religious exemptions, and conscience protections. This ranking scores all 50 states on religious liberty so you can see where religious practice is most protected. Note: like free speech, this is scored editorially rather than from a single annual index — see the methodology.
Utah leads all 50 states for Religious Liberty with a score of 8.5/10, followed by Idaho and Texas. California ranks last. Each state is scored 0–10 on Religious Liberty from established, annually-updated third-party indexes.
Score reflects RFRA laws, religious exemptions, and free-exercise protections. Editorial assessment — see methodology. Darker green = stronger; click any state for its full breakdown.
RFRA States: Which States Have a Religious Freedom Restoration Act (2026)
A state RFRA forces the government to clear a high bar before it can burden your religious practice. About 30 states have one — here’s what it does, which states, and the debate.
Religious Vaccine Exemptions by State (2026)
Most states let families opt out of school vaccines for religious reasons — but a handful allow only medical exemptions. Here’s where religious exemptions are and aren’t available.
Religious Exemption Laws by State: A 2026 Guide
From RFRAs to vaccines to the workplace, “religious exemption” covers several very different laws. Here’s how the main types work and where religious exemptions are strongest.
Utah ranks #1 for religious liberty in our index, scoring 8.5/10 — typically a state with a Religious Freedom Restoration Act and broad religious exemptions. The full ranking is above.
A Religious Freedom Restoration Act requires courts to apply strict scrutiny when a government action substantially burdens religious exercise — government must use the least restrictive means to serve a compelling interest. About 30 states have one; see our RFRA explainer.
California ranks lowest in our religious-liberty assessment, reflecting fewer statutory protections like the absence of a RFRA or narrower religious exemptions.
It is an editorial assessment — there is no single annual index — drawing on RFRA laws, religious exemptions (including vaccines), and free-exercise protections. See the methodology page.