Duty to Retreat States 2026

Duty to Retreat Self-Defense Laws

States in the U.S. take different approaches to self-defense laws. In some states, individuals must attempt to retreat from a dangerous situation if it is safe to do so before using deadly force. In others, the law allows individuals to stand their ground and defend themselves without first trying to withdraw.

Many states also apply the castle doctrine, which generally allows people to use force to defend themselves in their homes without a duty to retreat. Because self-defense laws are determined at the state level, these legal standards vary across the country, as shown in the table above.

States With Duty to Retreat Laws

In duty to retreat states, individuals must attempt to safely withdraw from a threatening situation before using deadly force if retreat is reasonably possible. This requirement generally applies in public places where a person is lawfully present.

States classified as duty to retreat jurisdictions include Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin.

Stand Your Ground and Castle Doctrine States

Many states have adopted laws that remove the duty to retreat before using force in self-defense. In stand your ground states, individuals may defend themselves without first attempting to withdraw if they reasonably believe force is necessary to prevent harm.

Other states rely primarily on the castle doctrine, which generally allows individuals to use force to defend themselves in their homes or other private spaces without a duty to retreat. These approaches differ from duty to retreat laws but serve a similar purpose of defining when force may be used in self-defense.