Only three states have active mask mandates.

In 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many states had mandates requiring people to remain six feet apart and to wear masks while out in public. These rules were implemented to prevent the spread of the virus that had begun circulating globally, and they helped keep many hospitals from becoming completely overwhelmed by sick people while experts worked to develop a vaccine for the illness.

Since then, mask mandates have become more common, especially during cold and flu season.

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Thanks to their proven record for keeping germs at bay, many states use mask mandates when they are seeing a spike in certain illnesses, like COVID and the common flu.

Curious what states have mask mandates as of December 2025? Take a look at the list below, where you'll see which states are requiring masks, and what type of germs lawmakers are hoping to prevent the spread of, using this tried-and-true method for keeping people around the world healthy during an outbreak.

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As of the time of publication, only three states had active mask mandates, according to Newsweek, and they included New Jersey, California, and New York.

New Jersey's mask mandates appear to have been issued at a provider level, which means that many hospitals and doctors' offices are requiring patients and visitors to wear masks while they are on the premises. Not only does this help keep sick people from spreading germs, but it can also help prevent healthy people from picking them up when they visit.

In California, the mask mandates appear to be issued at a county level, according to Newsweek. For example, Sonoma County has issued a mask mandate, and it began on Nov. 1, 2025.

As for New York, the mandate was issued by the New York State Department of Health on Dec. 2, and this mandate is directed towards staff at health care facilities or related agencies who haven't yet received their flu vaccine. The mandate applies to those working directly with patients and residents, though.

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These mask mandates may not come as a surprise to anyone who has been following the news, since a lot of attention has been paid to several different viruses making the rounds this cold and flu season. In fact, many experts warned that this year may be a bad one for germs, especially when it comes to the highly contagious winter vomiting disease, norovirus.

But that's not all people are trying to protect themselves against. According to Today, the mutated strain of influenza A is also surging.

When seasonal illnesses like the flu start spiking, hospitals can quickly become overrun by patients, which means places in highly populated areas (like New York, New Jersey, and California) could have to turn sick and injured patients away.

Not only that, but when fast-spreading viruses start to run rampant, they can easily take down people who work closely together in offices and other settings, which can cause businesses to have to close their doors due to a lack of staff.