Ask five parents whether schools teach cursive and you'll get five different answers. That's because cursive requirements in the US are a patchwork. Some states mandate it. Some recommend it. Some leave it entirely to individual districts. And the rules keep changing.
This guide breaks down where every state stands on cursive instruction as of 2026, explains the legislation driving these changes, and helps you figure out what your child's school should be teaching.
The Short Version
As of early 2026, at least 24 states require cursive writing instruction in public schools. Several more have pending legislation. The trend is clearly moving toward more cursive, not less.
The typical requirement: students must learn to read and write cursive by the end of 5th grade. Some states start the requirement in 3rd grade. A few start as early as 2nd.
How We Got Here
In 2010, the Common Core State Standards were adopted by most US states. Cursive was notably absent. The standards mentioned 'keyboarding skills' but said nothing about handwriting beyond basic legibility in the early grades.
This wasn't an accident. The Common Core authors decided to leave cursive as a local decision. But many districts interpreted the omission as a signal that cursive didn't matter. Within a few years, cursive instruction was disappearing from classrooms across the country.
The backlash came fast. Parents noticed their kids couldn't read birthday cards from grandparents. Teachers reported declining fine motor skills. Researchers published studies showing cognitive benefits of handwriting that typing couldn't replicate.
Starting around 2014, state legislatures began passing cursive mandates. The movement has accelerated every year since.
States That Require Cursive Instruction
The following states have laws or state standards that specifically require cursive handwriting instruction in public schools. Requirements vary in specifics - some mandate specific grade levels, while others leave timing to districts.
Southeastern States
- Alabama - Required by end of 3rd grade. One of the earliest states to reinstate the mandate (2016).
- Arkansas - Required in grades 3-6. Passed in 2015.
- Florida - Required as part of language arts standards. Students should write legibly in cursive by grade 4.
- Georgia - Required in grades 3-5 as part of state ELA standards.
- Louisiana - Required by 3rd grade since 2016. One of the strongest mandates in the country.
- Mississippi - Required in grades 3-4 under state standards.
- North Carolina - Required by end of 5th grade. Reinstated in 2013.
- South Carolina - Required in elementary grades. Updated standards in 2023.
- Tennessee - Required in grades 2-4 under state curriculum.
- Virginia - Required as part of the Standards of Learning framework. Cursive instruction in grades 2-3.
Midwestern and Plains States
- Illinois - Required by Public Act 100-0548, signed 2017. Schools must offer cursive instruction.
- Indiana - Required by state standards. Students learn cursive in grades 2-3.
- Kansas - Required under state ELA standards adopted in 2017.
- Minnesota - Required as part of English language arts benchmarks.
- Ohio - Required under state academic content standards. Cursive introduced in grade 3.
- Oklahoma - Required in elementary grades under state standards.
Western and Other States
- Arizona - Required under state standards revision (2024). Students learn cursive starting in grade 3.
- California - Required by AB 446, signed into law in 2023. Schools must provide cursive instruction in grades 1-6.
- Hawaii - Required under state content standards as of 2024.
- New York - Required under state Next Generation Standards. Cursive instruction in grades 3-4.
- Texas - Required under the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Cursive taught in grades 2-4.
- Utah - Required under state core standards in elementary grades.
States with Pending or Recommended Legislation
Several states have cursive-related bills working through their legislatures, or include cursive as a recommendation rather than a mandate.
- Colorado - Bill introduced in 2025 session to require cursive by 4th grade. Status: committee review.
- Connecticut - Cursive recommended but not required in state standards.
- Idaho - Legislation proposed in 2025 to require cursive instruction in grades 3-5.
- Kentucky - Cursive included in recommended best practices but not mandated.
- Maine - Cursive bill introduced in 2024. Passed committee but stalled in full legislature.
- Michigan - Cursive recommended in state standards. Multiple bills proposed but none passed as of early 2026.
- Missouri - Bill requiring cursive by 5th grade passed the House in 2025. Awaiting Senate vote.
- New Jersey - Legislation introduced to require cursive starting in 2nd grade. In committee.
- Pennsylvania - Cursive bill introduced in 2024 session. Strong bipartisan support, awaiting floor vote.
- West Virginia - Cursive included in state standards as recommended but not mandated.
States with No Cursive Requirement
The remaining states don't specifically require cursive handwriting instruction. This doesn't mean cursive isn't taught - many individual districts and schools teach it by choice. It just means there's no state-level mandate.
Notable states without a cursive requirement include Alaska, Delaware, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
In these states, whether your child learns cursive depends entirely on the district and sometimes the individual teacher. If cursive is important to you, check with your school directly.
What 'Required' Actually Means
State requirements vary in strength and specificity. Some mandates are strong and specific:
- Louisiana requires that students demonstrate the ability to write legibly in cursive by the end of 3rd grade. Schools must provide direct instruction.
- California's law requires cursive instruction in grades 1 through 6, with specific benchmarks at each level.
- Texas includes detailed cursive skills in its grade-level TEKS standards, with specific objectives for grades 2, 3, and 4.
Others are weaker:
- Some states mention cursive in standards but don't specify how much time to devote to it.
- A few states 'require' cursive but have no enforcement mechanism - schools can technically ignore it.
- Recommended standards carry even less weight. They're suggestions, not mandates.
The presence of a state requirement doesn't guarantee your child will get quality cursive instruction. It does mean the school has a legal obligation to provide it, which gives parents standing to push for it.
Why States Are Bringing Cursive Back
The legislative trend toward cursive mandates is driven by several factors.
Neuroscience research keeps confirming that handwriting - and cursive specifically - activates brain regions that typing doesn't. Studies from Johns Hopkins, Indiana University, and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology have all shown cognitive benefits unique to connected handwriting.
Parent advocacy has been a major driver. In state after state, parents have lobbied legislators after seeing their children unable to sign their own names or read handwritten notes. These stories resonate with lawmakers.
Historical literacy is another argument. Students who can't read cursive can't read primary source documents - letters from historical figures, original manuscripts, family records. Several state bills specifically cite this as a justification.
And there's the practical matter of signatures. While digital signatures are increasingly common, many legal documents, the SAT essay, and the AP exam free-response sections still benefit from cursive fluency.
What Parents Can Do
If Your State Requires Cursive
Ask your child's teacher when cursive instruction starts and how much time is devoted to it. Some schools technically meet the requirement with minimal instruction. If you feel the instruction is inadequate, reference the specific state law or standard and discuss it with the principal.
If Your State Doesn't Require Cursive
You have a few options. First, check whether your district teaches it anyway - many do. If not, you can supplement at home. Free resources like CursiveLetters.com provide video lessons, printable worksheets, and practice guides for every letter. Fifteen minutes of daily practice at home is enough for most kids to learn the complete cursive alphabet in 2-3 months.
You can also advocate for cursive at the school or district level. Contact your school board, attend meetings, and cite the research. Several states added cursive requirements specifically because parents pushed for them.
The Trend Is Clear
More states are requiring cursive, not fewer. The number has grown from about a dozen states in 2015 to at least 24 in 2026, with several more likely to join in the next few years. The research supporting cursive's cognitive benefits keeps growing, and parent demand shows no signs of slowing down.
Whether your state requires cursive or not, the skill is worth learning. And if the trend continues, there's a good chance your state will mandate it eventually anyway.