Lawyer advertising rules in all 50 states, in plain English

Every state lets lawyers advertise, and every state says the same first thing: don’t mislead. The differences that actually stop campaigns are narrower and more mechanical: whether you must file the ad, what words must appear in it, how long you wait before contacting an injured person, and whether you can record the call. We checked all four for every state and DC, coded each cell by the quality of its source, and put it on one page. It is a map for planning, not legal advice, and your bar has the last word.

The national baseline: what every state shares

Every state’s rules descend from the ABA Model Rules, so a few principles hold almost everywhere:

1. Truthful and not misleading. Model Rule 7.1 bars false or misleading communications about a lawyer’s services, including true statements that mislead by omission (ABA).
2. A responsible name. Model Rule 7.2 requires every communication to include the name and contact information of at least one responsible lawyer or firm (ABA).
3. No paying for recommendations. Lawyers may pay reasonable advertising costs and a qualified referral service’s usual charges, but not for a recommendation. Lead generators are allowed only if they don’t recommend the lawyer or split fees (same source).
4. “Certified specialist” only through an approved body that the ad names.
5. No live solicitation for pay. Model Rule 7.3 bars live person-to-person contact to win paid work from people who haven’t asked, with narrow exceptions (ABA).

Two federal rules apply on top: no unsolicited contact about injury claims within 45 days after an air-carrier or passenger-rail accident (49 U.S.C. §1136), and the FTC’s rule banning fake, bought and AI-generated reviews and testimonials (FTC).

Who files ads, and when

Older summaries still list South Carolina and Alabama as filing states; South Carolina deleted its filing rule, and Alabama replaced its 3-day filing with a 6-year records duty on January 1, 2026 (Supreme Court of Alabama). New York stopped filing targeted solicitations on June 1, 2026. Kentucky’s review is voluntary.

The six filing states, side by side

What every ad must say

Most states require at least a responsible lawyer or firm name; many add an office location. Two states add something harder:

• Missouri requires in every ad: “The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements.” (Rule 4-7.2; read through secondary sources). That sentence is 99 characters.
• Louisiana requires the bar’s filing number in each non-exempt ad, plus the full name of a responsible lawyer and the office city (LSBA).

Now set those against Google’s responsive search ad limits: headlines of up to 30 characters and descriptions of up to 90 (Google). Missouri’s sentence doesn’t fit in a single description. Firms there work it out with their counsel, typically through the formats, assets and landing pages their bar accepts. This is exactly the kind of question to settle before the first ad, not after a grievance.

California deserves its own line. Every California ad must name a California lawyer or the firm, plus the city, town or county of a real office (§6157.2), and in electronic media, which includes computer networks, money references and injury scenes are presumed misleading (§6158.1). Since January 1, 2026, misled consumers can sue over ads in some circumstances; see our note on SB 37.

Alabama and New York went the other way in 2026. Alabama’s general disclaimer ended on January 1: ads now give the location of a bona fide office, say so when a lawyer shown isn’t licensed in Alabama, and keep copies for 6 years (Supreme Court of Alabama). New York’s amended rules took effect June 1: the “Attorney Advertising” label, the results disclaimer and the 90-day website snapshots are gone, and an ad needs only the name and contact information of a responsible lawyer or firm (Rule 7.1, as amended).

Waiting periods before contacting injured people

Eighteen states set a waiting period before targeted contact with an injured person or their family, most often 30 days. Texas’s is 31 days and a crime under its Penal Code (§38.12); Connecticut’s is 40; Alabama’s is 21 since January 1, 2026. New York removed its 30-day wait on June 1, 2026. These rules cover targeted letters, emails, texts and messages to a specific person. Search ads and replies to people who asked are generally not solicitation; Texas’s comments and California’s rules say so expressly.

Recording consent for tracked calls

Call tracking usually records calls, and twelve states (California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Washington) require every party’s consent; Michigan and Oregon are mixed (recording guide, secondary). Since callers cross state lines, the simple rule is a recording notice on every tracked line in every state.

The 50-state table

The full library, with every cell’s text, status and source, plus filters, lives at lawyer advertising rules by state.

How to read the status codes

Across the 459 rule cells in the library, 84 rest on a primary source, 229 on a secondary source, 144 on the ABA default and 2 are open questions. The launch-depth states (Texas, Florida and California) are fully primary-checked in the filing and content columns. We’d rather publish the code than pretend every cell is equally certain.

A pre-flight checklist for any new ad

1. Which states will see it? Target by where people are, not “presence or interest”, so the ad reaches only states whose rules you’ve checked.
2. Does any of them require filing? If Florida, Mississippi, Connecticut or Louisiana, file before first use and hold the ad until the clock allows. If Texas or Nevada, diary the post-use deadline.
3. Are the required words in the ad itself? Name, office location, set sentences, filing numbers, as each state requires.
4. Is it in another language? Put every required statement in that language too, and attach an English translation where the state wants one.
5. Any results, testimonials, awards or “specialist”? Check the state’s specific rule; many plans simply leave them out of ads.
6. Contingent-fee claim? Add the state’s cost statement.
7. Attorney approval of this exact version, logged with a date. Any text change is a new version.
8. Recording notice on every tracked number.

What this means for your firm

• Know your filing clock. In the six filing states, the calendar is part of the campaign. Build copy changes around it.
• Put required words in templates, not in memory. Every ad format should carry the name and office city by default.
• Translate the disclaimers, not only the ad. Spanish ads in Texas or Florida need the required statements in Spanish.
• Record with notice everywhere. It is the simplest way to stay inside twelve all-party states.
• Use the codes. A secondary-source cell is a reason to check, not a reason to wait.

Probative is AI-first SEO and ads for law firms, working in every state. We draft ads to each state’s rules and prepare filings; your attorney approves every version and files. Each state page carries its own rules, sources and recording rule: start with Texas, Florida, California or New York, or see all states.

This guide summarizes public sources for marketing planning. It is not legal advice, and rules change. Check with your state bar and your own counsel before you run an ad.