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ACA State Individual Mandate Penalty Checklist

A quick checklist for residents of New Jersey, California, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and DC to check whether their state's health insurance mandate penalty applies to them.

Health Insurance3 min readReviewed 2026-09-22

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Short answer

The federal individual mandate penalty is $0, but New Jersey, California, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and DC each still charge their own. Checking your state, your household's income against the filing threshold, and any exemptions is the fastest way to know where you stand.

Use this before you call.

Not sure if your state's mandate applies to you? Call GetFastRates.com to talk through your options.

Confirm whether your state is one of the five with its own mandate.

Check your household income against your state's tax filing threshold.

Review your state's specific exemption list before assuming a penalty applies.

Estimate the potential penalty if none of the exemptions clearly fit.

Call for help comparing that estimate against real coverage options.

Only a handful of states currently have a penalty

New Jersey, California, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Washington DC are currently the only jurisdictions charging their own individual mandate penalty. If you don't live in one of these, this specific penalty generally doesn't apply to you.

Household income below the filing threshold is a common exemption

Most of these states exempt households whose income falls below the tax filing threshold from the mandate penalty entirely -- worth checking before assuming a flat per-person amount applies.

Short coverage gaps, financial hardship, and religious objections are other common exemption categories
Each state's exact exemption list and dollar figures differ and adjust most years

Common questions about this topic

Does the federal government still charge a penalty for no health insurance?

No -- the federal individual mandate penalty has been $0 since the 2019 tax year. Only specific states still charge their own.

What if I moved states partway through the year?

Mandate penalties are generally based on your state of residence and coverage status during specific months, so a partial-year move can affect the calculation -- worth reviewing your specific dates rather than assuming a full-year penalty.

Tools that can help

ACA Subsidy EstimatorEstimate marketplace subsidy amounts based on your household and income.COBRA vs. Marketplace Cost ComparisonCompare COBRA continuation costs against ACA Marketplace options.Can I Get Health Insurance Right Now?Check whether your situation qualifies for a Special Enrollment Period.

Trusted public sources

These links are provided for general public information. They do not replace a personal coverage review.

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