Which states allow high school NIL? All but four.
The short answer, as of August 1, 2026: every state permits some form of high-school NIL except Alabama, Hawaii, Mississippi, and Wyoming. That's 46 states, plus Washington, D.C.
We're going to do something unusual on this page and show our work — because when we went to re-check this, every national NIL tracker we looked at was wrong. So instead of borrowing a number, we read the four holdout states' own rulebooks. Those citations are below. If you want to argue with the list, argue with the handbooks.
The four states that still say no
| State | The rule, in its own words | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | The bluntest of the four. The amateur rule lists, among the acts that forfeit amateur standing: "The state of Mississippi does not allow NIL contracts for high school students." | MHSAA 2026–27 Handbook, Rule 2.39.2 |
| Hawaii | A student forfeits amateur status by "having entered into a name image likeness contract related to that sport." Note the nuance: it's sport-specific — losing amateur status in one sport doesn't end eligibility in another. | HHSAA Administrative Regulations, revised October 2025 |
| Alabama | No NIL permission exists. The words "NIL" and "likeness" appear nowhere in the handbook; the amateur rule governs: "An amateur is one who does not use his/her knowledge of athletics or athletic skill for gain." | AHSAA 2026–27 Handbook, Rule I §8 |
| Wyoming | Also silent on NIL, with amateur standards that forfeit eligibility for "capitalizing on athletic fame by receiving money, gifts of monetary value, or merchandise." A 2025 proposal to permit NIL passed a first reading but did not advance. | WHSAA 2026–27 Handbook, Rule 5.7 |
Handbooks, in order: Mississippi · Hawaii · Alabama · Wyoming.
Three states flipped since late 2025
Indiana — the newest, and the one everyone still gets wrong
The IHSAA board voted in May 2026 to permit NIL, and the rule is now printed in the association's own rulebook as Rule 5-7, "Personal Branding Activity." It takes effect with the 2026–27 school year — which started this month. Under 5-7.2(b), students "may develop and monetize their personal brand through social media, personal appearances, and endorsements unrelated to their school athletic participation."
Prohibited under 5-7.3: any use of school name, nickname, mascot, logo or uniform; gambling and gaming; alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and banned substances; sexually explicit material; firearms — and NIL collectives. Source: IHSAA 2026–27 By-Laws.
If you're in Indiana and a tracker told you no, the tracker is out of date. Check the bylaw.
Michigan — January 2026
The MHSAA Representative Council approved an expansion of Personal Branding Activities effective January 27, 2026 (MHSAA press release).
Ohio — November 2025
OHSAA member schools passed the NIL referendum in November 2025 (OHSAA announcement). Worth watching: Ohio House Bill 661, introduced in February 2026, would ban NIL for Ohio middle- and high-school athletes and reverse that vote. It fell short in 2026 and has been discussed for reintroduction. It's the first serious rollback attempt anywhere — if you're in Ohio, this is the one to keep an eye on.
Why we stopped linking a national tracker
We used to point readers to a well-known national NIL tracker. We've removed that link, and here's the honest reason: when we re-checked it this month it had last been updated in August 2025, still listed Michigan and Ohio as prohibiting, and disagreed with Mississippi's own handbook. A second tracker, updated more recently, still said Indiana prohibits — because it predates the May 2026 vote.
None of that is a knock on the people maintaining them. Fifty associations changing rules on their own calendars is genuinely hard to track. It just means a national scoreboard is the wrong tool for a decision this consequential. The state association is the only source that is never out of date, because it is the rule.
Florida parents: you're a yes
Florida allows high-school NIL under FHSAA Bylaw 9.9, in force since the 2024–25 school year and unchanged as of the FHSAA board's June 2026 meeting. Your athlete needs the GA1 Affidavit of Amateurism, your consent, and the standard guardrails — no pay for athletic performance, no school marks, no banned categories. The details are in our Florida NIL rules guide, and the association's own materials are at FHSAA NIL Resources.
One more thing: allowed is not the same as simple
Even in the 46 yes-states, the rules vary sharply — on parental consent, on whether a deal can reference the school at all, on which product categories are off-limits, and on whether an agent is permitted. "My state allows it" is the beginning of the homework, not the end of it. And whatever your state says, the money is still taxable: see NIL taxes for minors.
NIL for Kids is an independent educational resource by Teddy Dupay (FHSAA Hall of Famer) — not affiliated with the FHSAA, NCAA, or any state athletic association, and not legal advice. State rules change frequently; the four prohibitions above were verified against each association's current published handbook on August 1, 2026, and the count of 46 states plus D.C. is derived from that four-state list rather than from a third-party tracker. We did not individually re-verify all 46 permitting states. Always confirm with your own state association before signing anything. Last reviewed August 1, 2026.