[
  {
    "jurisdiction_code": "CA",
    "jurisdiction_name": "California",
    "rule_id": "noncompete.enforceability",
    "rule_statement": "Banned — virtually all employee non-competes void under Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 16600; SB 699 (2024) makes even out-of-state-signed agreements unenforceable for CA workers",
    "value": "green",
    "value_unit": "enforceability_band",
    "value_days": null,
    "effective_from": "",
    "effective_to": "",
    "citation_text": "Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 16600; Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 16600.1 (AB 1076); Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 16600.5 (SB 699)",
    "citation_url": "https://www.laborandemploymentlawcounsel.com/2023/09/heads-carolina-tails-california-expanded-non-compete-prohibitions-cross-state-lines/",
    "last_verified": "2026-10-26",
    "change_type": "initial"
  },
  {
    "jurisdiction_code": "CA",
    "jurisdiction_name": "California",
    "rule_id": "noncompete.enforcement_factors",
    "rule_statement": "Non-competes almost never enforced — void as restraints on trade Exceptions limited to sale-of-business / partnership dissolution / LLC interest termination Since 2024, merely asking a worker to sign (or attempting to enforce) a void non-compete is itself a civil violation Customer non-solicitation provisions have also been treated as void restraints in some CA decisions (confirm with a licensed attorney)",
    "value": "see_statement",
    "value_unit": "narrative_factors",
    "value_days": null,
    "effective_from": "",
    "effective_to": "",
    "citation_text": "Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 16600; Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 16600.1 (AB 1076); Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 16600.5 (SB 699)",
    "citation_url": "https://www.laborandemploymentlawcounsel.com/2023/09/heads-carolina-tails-california-expanded-non-compete-prohibitions-cross-state-lines/",
    "last_verified": "2026-10-26",
    "change_type": "initial"
  },
  {
    "jurisdiction_code": "CA",
    "jurisdiction_name": "California",
    "rule_id": "noncompete.recent_change",
    "rule_statement": "SB 699 (effective Jan 1, 2024): any contract void under § 16600 is unenforceable regardless of where or when signed; employers may not enter into or attempt to enforce such agreements (a civil violation); employees/applicants get a private right of action for injunctive relief, damages, and attorneys' fees. AB 1076 required employers to notify employees by Feb 14, 2024 that void non-competes would not be enforced (penalty up to $2,500 per violation). AB 692 takes effect Jan 1, 2027, barring 'stay-or-pay' TRAPs/debt obligations tied to departure.",
    "value": "recent_change",
    "value_unit": "change_note",
    "value_days": null,
    "effective_from": "",
    "effective_to": "",
    "citation_text": "Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 16600; Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 16600.1 (AB 1076); Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 16600.5 (SB 699)",
    "citation_url": "https://www.laborandemploymentlawcounsel.com/2023/09/heads-carolina-tails-california-expanded-non-compete-prohibitions-cross-state-lines/",
    "last_verified": "2026-10-26",
    "change_type": "initial"
  },
  {
    "jurisdiction_code": "TX",
    "jurisdiction_name": "Texas",
    "rule_id": "noncompete.enforceability",
    "rule_statement": "Generally enforceable if reasonable — employer-friendly state; non-compete must be ancillary to an otherwise enforceable agreement and reasonably limited in time, geography, and scope",
    "value": "red",
    "value_unit": "enforceability_band",
    "value_days": null,
    "effective_from": "",
    "effective_to": "",
    "citation_text": "Tex. Bus. & Com. Code §§ 15.50–15.52 (Covenants Not to Compete Act); Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 15.50 (physician covenants); Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 15.501 (dentists, nurses, physician assistants)",
    "citation_url": "https://hanshawkennedy.com/articles/what-makes-a-non-compete-enforceable-under-texas-law/",
    "last_verified": "2026-10-26",
    "change_type": "initial"
  },
  {
    "jurisdiction_code": "TX",
    "jurisdiction_name": "Texas",
    "rule_id": "noncompete.enforcement_factors",
    "rule_statement": "Ancillary to an otherwise enforceable agreement (must be tied to real consideration — confidential info, trade secrets, goodwill; can't float alone) Reasonable in time, geographic area, and scope — no greater restraint than necessary to protect goodwill or business interest Courts must reform (not void) overbroad covenants under § 15.51, but employer recovery may be limited if drafting overreached Health-care workers (since Sept 2025): hard caps — 1 year, 5 miles, buyout ≤ annual pay",
    "value": "see_statement",
    "value_unit": "narrative_factors",
    "value_days": null,
    "effective_from": "",
    "effective_to": "",
    "citation_text": "Tex. Bus. & Com. Code §§ 15.50–15.52 (Covenants Not to Compete Act); Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 15.50 (physician covenants); Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 15.501 (dentists, nurses, physician assistants)",
    "citation_url": "https://hanshawkennedy.com/articles/what-makes-a-non-compete-enforceable-under-texas-law/",
    "last_verified": "2026-10-26",
    "change_type": "initial"
  },
  {
    "jurisdiction_code": "TX",
    "jurisdiction_name": "Texas",
    "rule_id": "noncompete.recent_change",
    "rule_statement": "SB 1318 (effective Sept 1, 2025): rewrote health-care non-compete rules. For physicians — buyout capped at the physician's total annual salary and wages at termination; max 1 year; max 5-mile radius from primary practice location; terms must be clearly and conspicuously in writing; void if the physician is involuntarily discharged without good cause; patient-list/records access and acute-illness continuity preserved. New § 15.501 extends the same caps (1 year, 5 miles, capped buyout, conspicuous writing) to dentists, nurses, and physician assistants. Applies to covenants entered into or renewed on or after Sept 1, 2025 — pre-existing agreements stay under prior law until renewal.",
    "value": "recent_change",
    "value_unit": "change_note",
    "value_days": null,
    "effective_from": "",
    "effective_to": "",
    "citation_text": "Tex. Bus. & Com. Code §§ 15.50–15.52 (Covenants Not to Compete Act); Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 15.50 (physician covenants); Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 15.501 (dentists, nurses, physician assistants)",
    "citation_url": "https://hanshawkennedy.com/articles/what-makes-a-non-compete-enforceable-under-texas-law/",
    "last_verified": "2026-10-26",
    "change_type": "initial"
  },
  {
    "jurisdiction_code": "WA",
    "jurisdiction_name": "Washington",
    "rule_id": "noncompete.enforceability",
    "rule_statement": "Currently: banned below inflation-adjusted income thresholds (RCW 49.62). TRANSITION STATE: near-total RETROACTIVE ban effective June 30, 2027 — from that date virtually all non-competes become void regardless of when signed",
    "value": "yellow",
    "value_unit": "enforceability_band",
    "value_days": null,
    "effective_from": "",
    "effective_to": "",
    "citation_text": "Wash. Rev. Code §§ 49.62.010–49.62.070 (current threshold regime; 2020 law, amended 2024); ESHB 1155 (2026) — amends RCW 49.62; effective June 30, 2027",
    "citation_url": "https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/washington-state-expands-ban-on-6927250/",
    "last_verified": "2026-10-26",
    "change_type": "initial"
  },
  {
    "jurisdiction_code": "WA",
    "jurisdiction_name": "Washington",
    "rule_id": "noncompete.enforcement_factors",
    "rule_statement": "BEFORE June 30, 2027: does the worker earn above the inflation-adjusted threshold (employee vs. independent contractor)? Plus 18-month presumptive max, written disclosure before hire, independent consideration for mid-employment signings ON/AFTER June 30, 2027: virtually all non-competes are void — retroactive to agreements signed at any time What survives the 2027 ban: sale-of-business covenants (≥1% ownership), narrow non-solicits (current customers, 18 months), NDAs, trade secrets, legitimate education-cost repayment Employer conduct risk: after 2027, even attempting to enforce or claiming a worker is bound triggers the $5,000 penalty",
    "value": "see_statement",
    "value_unit": "narrative_factors",
    "value_days": null,
    "effective_from": "",
    "effective_to": "",
    "citation_text": "Wash. Rev. Code §§ 49.62.010–49.62.070 (current threshold regime; 2020 law, amended 2024); ESHB 1155 (2026) — amends RCW 49.62; effective June 30, 2027",
    "citation_url": "https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/washington-state-expands-ban-on-6927250/",
    "last_verified": "2026-10-26",
    "change_type": "initial"
  },
  {
    "jurisdiction_code": "WA",
    "jurisdiction_name": "Washington",
    "rule_id": "noncompete.income_threshold",
    "rule_statement": "Earnings threshold: $126,858.83/yr for employees and $317,147.09/yr for independent contractors in 2026 (adjusted annually for inflation by WA Dept. of Labor & Industries). Non-competes below these thresholds are void today. Note: there is also a separate moonlighting rule (RCW 49.62.070) for employees earning less than twice the state minimum wage (~$34.26/hr in 2026).",
    "value": "$126,858.83/yr for employees and $317,147.09/yr for independent contractors in 2026 (adjusted annually for inflation by WA Dept. of Labor & Industries). Non-competes below these thresholds are void today. Note: there is also a separate moonlighting rule (RCW 49.62.070) for employees earning less than twice the state minimum wage (~$34.26/hr in 2026).",
    "value_unit": "earnings_threshold",
    "value_days": null,
    "effective_from": "",
    "effective_to": "",
    "citation_text": "Wash. Rev. Code §§ 49.62.010–49.62.070 (current threshold regime; 2020 law, amended 2024); ESHB 1155 (2026) — amends RCW 49.62; effective June 30, 2027",
    "citation_url": "https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/washington-state-expands-ban-on-6927250/",
    "last_verified": "2026-10-26",
    "change_type": "initial"
  },
  {
    "jurisdiction_code": "WA",
    "jurisdiction_name": "Washington",
    "rule_id": "noncompete.recent_change",
    "rule_statement": "ESHB 1155 — signed by Gov. Ferguson March 23, 2026; EFFECTIVE JUNE 30, 2027 (this is the verified date, not July 1). It renders virtually ALL noncompetition covenants void and unenforceable, RETROACTIVELY — applying regardless of when signed (proceedings commenced before the effective date use existing law). It bans: entering into, enforcing, attempting/threatening to enforce, or representing that a worker is bound. Covers forfeiture-for-competition clauses and performer/performance-space exclusivity. Exceptions: non-competes tied to sale of business (buyer/seller of ≥1% ownership), narrow customer non-solicits (18-month max), NDAs, trade secrets, education-repayment. Employers must make reasonable efforts to give written notice to affected current/former workers by Oct. 1, 2027. Violations: greater of actual damages or $5,000 statutory penalty + attorneys' fees; the AG may also sue. Until June 30, 2027, the current threshold regime continues to govern.",
    "value": "recent_change",
    "value_unit": "change_note",
    "value_days": null,
    "effective_from": "2027-06-30",
    "effective_to": "",
    "citation_text": "Wash. Rev. Code §§ 49.62.010–49.62.070 (current threshold regime; 2020 law, amended 2024); ESHB 1155 (2026) — amends RCW 49.62; effective June 30, 2027",
    "citation_url": "https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/washington-state-expands-ban-on-6927250/",
    "last_verified": "2026-10-26",
    "change_type": "initial"
  }
]