All the US states where bestiality is still legal

Most people would be shocked to find that bestiality is legal in four US states. Wyoming, New Mexico, Hawaii, and West Virginia do not have laws prohibiting the sexual assault of animals.

In those states, sexual assault against an animal can be prosecuted as animal abuse but there is no law outright addressing it. For the other 46 states, the seriousness of the crime varies. Some see it as a misdemeanor while others classify it as a felony.

States where bestiality is legal iStock

Bestiality law dates back to the Colonial period with about 19 states having statues that date back to then. But the laws have needed updating as technology and farming have advanced.

Bestiality law covers a range of issues from human to animal sexual acts to the artificial insemination of animals. This has proven to be tricky as most dairy and meat farmers must do so to produce enough milk and meat for demand in the US.

Both Hawaii and Wyoming are in the process of creating and outlawing bestiality.