A patient's right to choose to have an abortion is protected under the
California state constitution. In California,
abortion is legal until fetal viability, or when necessary to protect the life or health of the pregnant person.
Healthcare providers with proper training can perform abortions in California. This includes licensed doctors, certified nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. Certified pharmacists can dispense medication abortion to patients with a prescription from a provider.
Healthcare providers can refuse to perform abortions for moral, ethical, or religious reasons.
Provider resources
The
Abortion Defense Network connects healthcare providers with pro bono legal support, advice, and representation.
The
Reproductive Health Hotline (ReproHH) is a free, confidential hotline for healthcare providers nationwide, staffed by physicians who are experts in sexual and reproductive health.
- 1-844-ReproHH (1-844-737-7644)
- Monday-Friday from 8am-4pm PST
You can enroll in California's
Safe at Home program to keep your home address confidential.
Abortion training
The California Medical Board, Osteopathic Medical Board, Board of Registered Nursing, and the Physician Assistant Board will expedite your licensing process if you show that you plan to provide abortion care.
Clinical resources
Supporting specific communities with abortion
No abortion reporting in California
California does not collect or publish abortion data. Further, CA law prohibits compelling a person in CA (including a provider) from identifying or providing information about an individual that has sought or obtained an abortion. You do not need to report your patients' in-clinic abortions, medication abortions, or spontaneous abortions (miscarriages).
Providers are still mandated reporters. This
Patient Confidentiality and Self-Managed Abortion guide provides more information on mandatory reporting obligations and how to protect abortion patient confidentiality.
California protections for providers
Abortion is a protected health care service under many California laws. These laws include protections for abortion providers.
You can review
California's Protections for Reproductive Healthcare Providers, Staff, and Volunteers (PDF) from the California Department of Justice for more details.
You can also learn more about state laws and official government announcements related to abortion on the
What California is doing to protect abortion access page.
Physical protection
A person cannot restrict access to the facility where you provide reproductive care. It is against California law to:
- Use force or threats of force to block access to your facility
- Intentionally destroy your property because you offer reproductive care
- Intentionally try to intimidate you by filming or photographing you or your patients within 100 feet of your facility
Legal protection
State laws protect people and entities from civil liability for providing or aiding abortion care in the state. Out-of-state laws that criminalize abortion cannot be enforced against providers in California, even if the patient does not live in the state. Providers who mail abortion medication, both in-state and out-of-state, are protected under California shield laws.
State agencies and California law enforcement may not cooperate with out-of-state actions seeking to restrict or criminalize abortion, such as:
- Investigating abortion care that is legal in California
- Requests/subpoenas for medical records or patient data
- Out-of-state extradition requests related to legal abortions in California
People may not collect, use, or disclose your (or your patients') personal information when you are located near or at your facility.
Protections for your practice
Your California license, privileges, and malpractice insurance are protected if you provide abortion care that is legal in California, while in California, for patients from states where abortion is not legal.
Insurance companies are prohibited from making liability coverage changes against providers who perform abortions that are legal in California but illegal in another state.
