State desk
Ranks 7th of 50 on the Liberty Index.
Where Indiana stands on 12 policies, sourced from our 50-state trackers, with the latest headlines from 12 Indiana outlets.
12 policies · each strip is all 50 states, grouped by rule · Indiana in red. Free to cite with attribution.
No permit required to carry a handgun since 2022; optional licenses remain available for reciprocity.
Indiana is 1 of 29 states with this rule
15 · Shall-Issue Permit6 · Restrictive: Permit Required
Indiana taxes individual income at a single flat rate of 2.95 percent, ranking 38 of 41 among the states that tax income. Fifteen states use a single-rate structure.
Indiana is 1 of 15 states with this rule
8 · No Income Tax1 · Capital Gains Only26 · Graduated Brackets
Indiana charges 63.10 cents per gallon in state tax, ranking 3 of 50, which is among the highest in the country. With the federal 18.40 cents added, a driver pays 81.50 cents per gallon in tax. Diesel is taxed at 64.00 cents.
Indiana is 1 of 17 states with this rule
16 · Near the Middle17 · Among the Lowest
Retains the death penalty.
Indiana is 1 of 23 states with this rule
4 · Retains it, executions paused23 · Abolished
Right-to-work by statute since 2012.
Indiana is 1 of 26 states with this rule
24 · No Right-to-Work Law
State minimum wage matches the federal rate at $7.25.
Indiana is 1 of 12 states with this rule
30 · Above the Federal Floor3 · Below Federal, So Federal Applies5 · No State Minimum Wage Law
Voters must show an accepted photo ID; without one, a provisional ballot counts only if they return with ID within days.
Indiana is 1 of 10 states with this rule
14 · Photo ID Requested4 · Strict Non-Photo ID8 · ID Requested (No Photo)14 · No Document Required
Choice Scholarship voucher removed its income cap in 2025, making nearly all K-12 students eligible.
Indiana is 1 of 17 states with this rule
16 · Limited Program17 · No Private-Choice Program
NCSL lists Indiana among states recognizing, by statute or court case, that there is no duty to retreat in any place where a person is lawfully present. Self-defense law here also shields a person from civil suit for damages.
Indiana is 1 of 31 states with this rule
7 · Recognized by Court Decision12 · Not Listed by NCSL
Voters must have a qualifying excuse, such as absence or disability, to vote absentee by mail.
Indiana is 1 of 13 states with this rule
8 · All-Mail29 · No-Excuse Absentee
Indiana's unemployment rate was 3.4% in September 2026, seasonally adjusted, up 0.1 percentage points from 3.3% in August. It ranks 14th lowest of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.), down from 13th. A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 3.7%. The U.S. rate was 4.2%.
Data retrieved from the BLS public API on October 30, 2026. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.
Elected statewide to a four-year term.
Indiana is 1 of 43 states with this rule
5 · Appointed by the governor1 · Chosen by the legislature1 · Appointed by the state supreme court