Banned Books by State 2026

The State with the Most Book Bans

Florida has more book bans than any other state in the country by a wide margin. According to 2025 data (the most recent figures available as of 2026) the state has recorded 8,837 district-level book bans, with more than 2,300 added in just one year. These bans are driven largely by school district decisions, meaning the same book can be removed in dozens of districts at once—causing totals to climb quickly across a large and decentralized school system.

For students and parents, this creates a patchwork of access. A book that is available in one Florida district may be completely unavailable just a few miles away. Most challenges target books dealing with race, gender identity, sexuality, or difficult chapters of U.S. history, though the specific titles vary by district. As a result, Florida’s numbers reflect not just how many books are challenged, but how often those challenges are repeated across local school boards.

Other States With Large Numbers of Banned Books

Behind Florida, a few states also show high levels of district-level book banning. Iowa comes next with 3,798 bans reported in 2025, followed closely by Texas with 3,745. These totals reflect repeated challenges across many school districts, meaning the same title might be removed in several places. Tennessee is also notable, with 2,016 bans, and Pennsylvania follows with 737. For families in these states, that often means books that might be available in one school or community may be missing entirely in another nearby — even if students are reading the same curriculum.

The books most commonly challenged in these states vary, but many focus on topics like race, gender identity, sexuality, and historical experiences. High ban totals don’t necessarily mean those books are illegal to read; rather, they show how often local education boards are choosing to remove them from school libraries and reading lists.

Reasons Books Become Banned

Most book bans start with parents worrying about what their kids are being exposed to. Books are often challenged for including sexual content, strong language, or discussions around gender identity, race, or trauma. Even when a book is widely praised or age-appropriate to some readers, a small group of concerned parents can push for its removal if they feel it crosses a line. In many cases, the goal isn’t to ban reading altogether—it’s to keep certain topics out of school libraries and classrooms.

Politics and local values also play a big role. Some books are removed because they challenge how history is taught or address issues like racism, discrimination, or LGBTQ+ identity in ways that clash with community beliefs. Most bans don’t come from state governments but from local school districts responding to complaints, which is why the same book might be banned in one county and freely available in the next. These debates have intensified in recent years, and book challenges have become more frequent—and more emotionally charged—across the country.