Methodology
We assign each state one of five statuses using fixed rules, so the same facts always produce the same label. Every state page links the statutes and sources behind its status and shows the date it was last verified.
How we classify each state
- Banned
- A state statute explicitly prohibits the sale or possession of kratom.
- Regulated
- The state has adopted the Kratom Consumer Protection Act or equivalent age, labeling, or testing requirements.
- Restricted
- Kratom is legal to possess statewide but subject to significant limits, such as county-level bans.
- Legal
- No statute restricts kratom and no consumer-protection regime is required.
- Unregulated
- No state action and no consumer-protection law — the de facto status in the absence of legislation.
Sources
Primary sources are the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association (LAPPA) and the American Kratom Association (AKA), cross-checked against state statutes. We keep dated source records when pages are published or materially updated, so every status has a fixed, citable provenance.
Update cadence
We re-verify states on a monthly cadence, and flag any state with active legislation or conflicting source material for closer review. Material changes are recorded in each state’s change log.
Commercial separation
Classifications follow these rules and the cited statutes alone. No advertising, affiliate, or sponsorship relationship influences a status, a summary, or the choice and ordering of sources. Any commercial unit is labeled and kept off state verdict pages — see our editorial policy.
Review
This methodology is published by an independent editorial team. Named reviewers or institutional partners will be listed on this page only after a formal review relationship is in place.