Is Doxxing Illegal? A State-by-State Guide (2026)

Doxxing, publishing someone's personal identifying information with intent to harass, threaten, or incite others to harm them, is not a single federal crime in the United States. Whether it's illegal, and what you can actually do about it, depends heavily on which state you're in. This guide covers every state with a doxxing-specific statute, what each one actually covers, and what your options are if you live somewhere without one.

Key Takeaways

• There is no federal doxxing law. Prosecution or civil recovery depends entirely on state law, and most states still don't have a doxxing-specific statute — general harassment or stalking laws are your only option there.
• As of mid-2026, at least 10 states have an enacted, doxxing-specific statute covering the general public: California, Texas, Nevada, Washington, Illinois, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, and (narrowly) Louisiana for officials only.
• New Jersey's Daniel's Law is the strongest single doxxing protection in the country, but it only covers a specific protected class, active and retired judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement officers (and their families), not the general public.
• New York's proposed doxxing law (S9658) has not passed as of mid-2026 — it remains in Senate committee, despite recurring news coverage that sometimes implies it's already law.
• The laws vary enormously in what they actually require: some are criminal only, some are civil only (meaning you can sue but police won't file charges), and some require you to prove actual resulting harm, not just that the information was published.

Why Doxxing Is Legally Complicated

Doxxing sits at an uncomfortable intersection of privacy law and the First Amendment. Publishing someone's address, phone number, or workplace is not inherently illegal; a lot of that information is already public record. What makes doxxing legally actionable, where it's actionable at all, is usually the *intent* behind the publication: intent to harass, to facilitate harm, to incite others to threaten or stalk the person.

That intent requirement is also why doxxing laws are relatively new and narrow. Lawmakers have to draft them carefully to avoid criminalizing legitimate speech (investigative journalism, public-interest reporting on public officials) while still reaching genuinely malicious publication of private information.

States With an Enacted, General-Public Doxxing Law

California — Civil Only

Law: AB 1979, the Doxing Victims Recourse Act (Chapter 557, Statutes of 2024)

Type: Civil only — no new crime was created

What it covers: Publishing someone's personal identifying information with intent to cause them to fear for their safety or to enable others to harm them. Victims can sue for damages and injunctive relief, and can use a pseudonym in the lawsuit to avoid further exposure.

What it doesn't do: It does not create a criminal charge — police cannot arrest someone for doxxing under this law. Your remedy is a civil lawsuit.

Texas — Criminal Only, Narrow Scope

Law: Penal Code §42.074, effective September 2023, amended in 2025 to add electronic communications

Type: Criminal only

What it covers: Posting someone's address or phone number online with intent to cause harm. The 2025 amendment extended this to cover disclosures made via electronic communication generally, not just website posting.

What it doesn't cover: Photos, employer information, or a third party inciting others to harass someone, the statute is narrowly limited to address/phone number disclosure with harmful intent.

Nevada — Both Criminal and Civil

Law: NRS 200.730 (from AB 296, 2021)

Type: Both — misdemeanor-to-felony tiers depending on severity, plus a civil action for damages

What it covers: Disclosing personal identifying information with intent to incite harassment, stalking, or violence against the person.

Washington — Civil Only, High Bar for Harm

Law: RCW 4.24.792 (HB 1335), effective July 2023

Type: Civil only

What it covers: Publishing someone's information without consent, with intent or knowledge that it will cause harm, where the disclosure actually results in physical injury, reasonable fear, or substantial disruption to daily life. Statutory damages start at $5,000 per violation, with actual and punitive damages available on top.

Note: The requirement to show actual resulting harm (not just that the information was posted) is a meaningfully higher bar than some other states' laws.

Illinois — Civil Only

Law: 740 ILCS 195, the Civil Liability for Doxing Act (Public Act 103-0439), effective January 2024

Type: Civil only

What it covers: Applies to the general public. Requires intent to harm or harass, that bodily injury or stalking was reasonably likely to result, and that actual significant harm occurred. A Will County court awarded the first reported verdict under this Act in March 2026, roughly $45,900 in damages, an early signal that the statute has real teeth in practice, not just on paper.

Kentucky — Both Criminal and Civil, Broad Scope

Law: KRS §525.085 (SB 267), effective June 2021

Type: Both — one of the earliest and broadest doxxing statutes, applying to the general public

What it covers: Includes a private civil cause of action with punitive damages and attorney's fees available, in addition to criminal liability.

Alabama — Criminal Only

Law: Ala. Code §13A-11-38 (2023)

Type: Criminal — misdemeanor, elevating to felony on repeat offenses

What it covers: General public, including specific protections for public servants.

Georgia — Criminal Only

Law: SB 27, the Anti-Doxing Act, effective July 2025

Type: Criminal — creates doxing and "aggravated doxing" offenses, misdemeanor escalating to felony

What it covers: General public.

Missouri — Criminal Only

Law: RSMo §565.240

Type: Criminal — class C misdemeanor, elevated to a felony if the victim is a law enforcement officer, judge, prosecutor, or their family member

What it covers: General public, with enhanced penalties for protected professions.

Louisiana — Officials Only, Not General Public

Law: 2025 act, effective February 2026

Type: Both civil and criminal (misdemeanor, up to 90 days/$1,000 per violation for non-compliance)

What it covers: A broad list of officials, statewide elected officials, legislators, Public Service Commission members, current and retired district attorneys, assistant DAs, and investigators, and their families, can demand takedown of their personal information and pursue civil or criminal remedies for noncompliance. This is not a general-public doxxing law — private citizens without one of these official roles are not covered.

States With Narrow, Protected-Class-Only Laws

Several additional states protect specific categories of people, usually judges, law enforcement, or other public officials, rather than the general public. If you don't fall into one of these protected categories, these laws won't help you:

New Jersey's Daniel's Law Deserves Special Mention

Daniel's Law is the strongest individual doxxing-adjacent protection in the country, but its power comes specifically from its narrow scope. It imposes strict liability, meaning a plaintiff doesn't need to prove the discloser's intent or state of mind, just that the protected person's home address or phone number was disclosed after a written request to remove it. That's a dramatically lower bar than states requiring proof of harmful intent and resulting harm. It has driven extensive litigation against data brokers (the *Atlas Data Privacy* cases), and its constitutionality was argued before the New Jersey Supreme Court in March 2026, still valid law as of this writing, but worth checking for updates given the active challenge.

If you're a judge, prosecutor, or law enforcement officer (or immediate family member) in New Jersey, this is meaningfully stronger protection than what most states offer the general public. If you're not in one of those protected categories, it does not apply to you.

States Without a Doxxing-Specific Law

Most states, including Montana and many others, have no standalone doxxing statute at all. If you live in one of these states, your options are:

• General harassment or stalking statutes, which may apply if the doxxing is part of a broader pattern of harassing conduct, but typically weren't drafted with online information-publication specifically in mind.
• Civil claims for intentional infliction of emotional distress or invasion of privacy, which existed before doxxing-specific laws and remain available, though they carry a higher proof burden and were not designed for this fact pattern.
• Platform-level reporting, most social media platforms have their own doxxing/personal-information policies that can result in content removal even where no state law applies.
• Data broker removal, since much of what gets weaponized in a doxxing incident (home address, phone number) originates from people-search sites regardless of which state you're in — removing that underlying exposure reduces what's available to be doxxed with in the first place.

What's Still Pending: New York's S9658

New York's proposed doxxing law, S9658, would create a civil private right of action for doxxing victims. As of mid-2026, it remains in the Senate Codes Committee and has not passed either chamber. If you're a New York resident, do not assume this law is currently in effect; check the bill's status directly on nysenate.gov before relying on it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is doxxing a federal crime?

No. There is no federal doxxing statute. Whether doxxing is criminal, actionable civilly, or neither depends entirely on the law of the state where it occurred or where you live, and most states still have no doxxing-specific law at all.

Which state has the strongest doxxing law?

For the general public, Illinois, Kentucky, and Nevada have some of the broadest coverage (both criminal and/or civil remedies, applying to anyone, not just officials). For a specific protected class, New Jersey's Daniel's Law is unusually strong because it imposes strict liability rather than requiring proof of harmful intent, but it only covers judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement officers and their families.

Is doxxing illegal in New York?

Not under a doxxing-specific statute, S9658 has not passed as of mid-2026. New York residents currently have to rely on general harassment, stalking, or civil privacy claims rather than a dedicated doxxing law.

Can I sue someone for doxxing me if my state has no doxxing law?

Possibly, through general claims like intentional infliction of emotional distress or invasion of privacy, but these predate doxxing-specific statutes and carry a higher burden of proof since they weren't designed around this exact fact pattern. Consult a local attorney about whether your situation fits an existing cause of action.

Does removing my data from data broker sites help even without a doxxing law?

Yes. Much of what makes doxxing effective, a current home address, phone number, family members' names, comes from people-search sites like Whitepages, Spokeo, and similar brokers. Reducing that underlying exposure limits what information is available to be weaponized, regardless of what legal remedy you'd have after the fact.

Related Guides

• How to Get an AWDTSG Post About You Removed
• Doxxing Prevention Guide
• What Is Daniel's Law?
• Protect a Domestic Abuse Survivor's Address
• The 2026 US State Privacy Laws: Every Data Removal Right by State
• Complete Data Broker Opt-Out Guide