Traveling Across State Lines: Navigating Coronavirus Restrictions

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the right to travel across state lines in the US under scrutiny. While America has traditionally allowed free and unrestricted movement between states, the pandemic has led to authorities imposing drastic measures to curb the spread of the virus. Travel restrictions have been put in place, including stopping vehicles, imposing self-isolation for up to 14 days, and stay-at-home orders. The enforcement of these measures varies, with some states imposing fines or even jail time for those who do not comply. The situation has raised concerns about the violation of civil rights and the loss of the right to travel, with legal challenges being mounted against certain state-level health orders.

Travel restrictions by state

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, several states have imposed travel restrictions on people entering and leaving their state. Before embarking on a trip, it is important to review the restrictions of the state you are travelling to and any states you will be passing through.

Alaska

Everyone entering Alaska from another state or country must complete a traveller declaration form and either self-quarantine for 14 days or the duration of their trip (whichever is shorter), present proof of a negative COVID-19 test, or get a COVID-19 test upon arrival and self-quarantine until the results arrive. There is an exception for Alaska residents who have left the state for no more than five days. They must complete a traveller declaration form and either self-quarantine for 14 days or get a coronavirus test when they arrive. There is also a narrow exception from the self-quarantine or testing requirement for people who have previously tested positive and can provide a note of recovery.

Florida

Governor Ron DeSantis has directed all individuals entering Florida from an area with substantial community spread of the coronavirus, including the New York Tri-State Area (Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York), to isolate or quarantine for 14 days from their entry into Florida or the duration of their stay in Florida (whichever is shorter). There are exceptions for airline employees, people involved in commercial activity, people performing military, emergency, or health responses, and students travelling for academic work, internships, sports training, or any other activity or program approved by their educational institution.

Texas

Governor Greg Abbott issued restrictions on travellers from New York, New Jersey, New Orleans, and Connecticut. Anyone arriving from these states will be required to complete a 14-day self-quarantine. On March 30, he further expanded restrictions to include people driving into Texas from Louisiana and flying in from Washington, Miami, California, Detroit, Atlanta, and Chicago. The governor clarified that the restrictions "do not apply to travel related to commercial activities, military service, emergency response, health response, or critical infrastructure functions".

Hawaii

For the next 30 days, Governor David Ige has asked travellers to postpone their visits to Hawaii. All residents and visitors who still elect to travel will go into a 14-day quarantine immediately upon entering the state. Starting on September 1, 2020, a new pre-travel testing program will allow all travellers arriving in Hawaii from out-of-state to avoid the 14-day quarantine by getting a valid COVID-19 test within 72 hours of their trip and showing proof of a negative test result.

Delaware

Governor John Carney has ordered travellers entering the state from elsewhere in the U.S. to self-quarantine for 14 days while in the state. This order authorises any Delaware law enforcement officer to stop a vehicle driving within the state that has out-of-state license plates. During the stop, the officer may ask limited questions related to the driver's recent travel and inform the driver of the Governor's declarations. This authorisation does not apply to vehicles travelling on I-95, I-295, or I-495.

Other states

Several other states have travel restrictions in place, including but not limited to: Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. It is important to review the specific restrictions for your destination state and any states you will be passing through before embarking on your trip.

Quarantine requirements

Alaska

Alaska was one of the first three states to institute restrictions on state-to-state travel. The state requires anyone entering from the "outside" to self-quarantine for 14 days.

Florida

Florida's governor, Ron DeSantis, has issued directives that anyone coming into the state from New York or Louisiana must declare so and complete a mandatory 14-day self-isolation. Florida is also stopping drivers as they cross into the state from Alabama and Georgia.

Texas

The governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, issued restrictions on travelers from New York, New Jersey, New Orleans, and Connecticut. Anyone arriving from these states/cities will be required to complete a 14-day self-quarantine. He further expanded these restrictions to include people driving into Texas from Louisiana and flying in from Washington, Miami, California, Detroit, Atlanta, and Chicago.

Delaware

Governor John Carney has ordered travelers entering Delaware from elsewhere in the U.S. to self-quarantine for 14 days. Delaware law enforcement officers are authorized to stop vehicles with out-of-state tags and ask the driver about their recent travel.

Hawaii

Gov. David Ige has asked travelers to postpone their visits to Hawaii for 30 days. All residents and visitors arriving in the state will be required to enter a 14-day quarantine immediately.

Kansas

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment's executive order states that residents who traveled to California, Florida, New York, or Washington after March 15, 2020, must self-quarantine for 14 days upon returning to Kansas. This also includes non-residents traveling from states with "known widespread community transmission."

Rhode Island

Governor Gina Raimondo issued an order stating that any person coming to Rhode Island from another state for a non-work-related purpose must immediately self-quarantine for 14 days. This quarantine restriction does not apply to public health, public safety, or healthcare workers.

New York

New York has imposed a 14-day quarantine for all people arriving in the state from out of state, specifically targeting those who have visited certain states designated by New York authorities. Additionally, each interstate traveler arriving by air is required to complete and sign a written declaration about themselves, their business affairs, and their travels.

Travel by car

If you're planning a road trip across state lines, there are several important factors and precautions to consider during the COVID-19 pandemic. Firstly, be aware of the varying infection rates and restrictions in the states you'll be travelling through and to. Some states mandate a period of self-quarantine upon arrival, especially if you're coming from a state with a high infection rate. To avoid unexpected delays, check state and local government websites

Travel by plane

As of October 2024, there are no federally mandated restrictions on travelling across state lines in the US by plane. However, there are a growing number of state-level rules in place about travel, and these can change quickly. So, it is important to check the rules for your origin, destination, and any stopover states before you travel.

For example, as of April 2020, Texas and Florida had put in place restrictions on travellers from certain states, requiring them to declare their travel and self-isolate for 14 days. Hawaii had asked all visitors to stay away for 30 days, and Alaska had asked anyone entering the state from the "outside" to self-quarantine for 14 days. Failure to comply with these rules can result in fines or jail time.

If you are travelling for work, you should obtain documentation from your employer stating the nature of your travel, why it is necessary, and contact details for your employer. You should carry this with you, in case you are pulled over by the police.

If you are travelling by plane, there are a number of steps you can take to lower your risk of catching or spreading COVID-19:

• Wear a well-fitting, high-quality mask, such as an N95 or KN95, at all times in the airport and on the plane.
• If you prefer not to wear a mask, adjust the air vent so that it blows over your face. Most airplanes use high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters that catch microbes, and cabin air is refreshed every few minutes.
• Eat before you get to the airport, to reduce the number of times you need to remove your mask. If you need to eat at the airport, look for seating away from crowded areas.
• Get the updated COVID-19 vaccine about two weeks before your trip, to allow your body to build up immunity.
• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, as often as possible. Use hand sanitiser as an alternative, if you don't have access to soap and water.
• Choose a window seat, as people sitting in window seats tend to have less contact with potentially sick people.
• Use disinfectant wipes to clean hard surfaces at your seat, such as the head and armrests, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket, and the tray table.
• If there is a touch-screen television, use a tissue when touching the screen.
• In the bathroom, use wipes to clean surfaces, and then use paper towels to open the door and to turn off the faucet.

Legal challenges to restrictions

The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in authorities taking drastic measures to stop the spread of the virus in their state. This has brought added scrutiny on the right to travel between states, with some governors placing restrictions on people arriving in their states.

The right to travel across state lines is protected by the US Constitution, which gives states the authority to regulate travel across their borders. However, the outbreak of coronavirus has resulted in authorities taking drastic measures to stop the spread of the virus in their state. This has brought added scrutiny on the right to travel between states, with some governors placing restrictions on people arriving in their states.

Meryl Chertoff, executive director of Georgetown Law's Project on State and Local Government Policy and Law, said that while stay-at-home orders, curfews, and non-essential business closures have legal footing, there is a question as to whether these are voluntary or mandatory. She also raised concerns about the violation of civil rights and the loss of the right to travel, as well as the enforceability of travel restrictions, which had previously only applied to individuals or small groups.

Several states have imposed travel restrictions, including Alaska, Florida, Hawaii, Texas, and Delaware. These restrictions range from asking visitors to stay away for a certain period to mandatory self-quarantine for those entering the state. Failure to comply with these measures may result in fines or jail time.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also issued national travel restrictions and urged residents of certain states to refrain from non-essential domestic travel. However, these advisories do not apply to employees of critical infrastructure industries.

As a result of these restrictions, individuals travelling across state lines must review the restrictions by state and adhere to state measures, such as declaring their travel history and complying with any self-quarantine directives. Experts have advised people to minimize travel to help stop the spread of the virus.

Frequently asked questions