Ind. Code » Title 16
Indiana Code

Ind. Code § 16-34-2-1 (2026)

Required circumstances of legal abortion

✓ current as of May 2026
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     Sec. 1. (a) Abortion shall in all instances be a criminal act, except when performed under the following circumstances:

(1) Except as prohibited in IC 16-34-4, before the earlier of viability of the fetus or twenty (20) weeks of postfertilization age of the fetus, if:

(A) for reasons based upon the professional, medical judgment of the pregnant woman's physician, if either:

(i) the abortion is necessary when reasonable medical judgment dictates that performing the abortion is necessary to prevent any serious health risk to the pregnant woman or to save the pregnant woman's life; or

(ii) the fetus is diagnosed with a lethal fetal anomaly;

(B) the abortion is performed by the physician in a hospital licensed under IC 16-21 or an ambulatory outpatient surgical center (as defined in IC 16-18-2-14) that has a majority ownership by a hospital licensed under IC 16-21;

(C) the woman submitting to the abortion has filed her consent with her physician. However, if in the judgment of the physician the abortion is necessary to preserve the life of the woman, her consent is not required;

(D) the woman submitting to the abortion has filed with her physician the written consent of her parent or legal guardian if required under section 4 of this chapter; and

(E) before the abortion, the attending physician shall certify in writing to the hospital or ambulatory outpatient surgical center in which the abortion is to be performed, that:

(i) in the attending physician's reasonable medical judgment, performing the abortion is necessary to prevent any serious health risk to the pregnant woman or to save the pregnant woman's life; or

(ii) the fetus has been diagnosed with a lethal fetal anomaly.

All facts and reasons supporting the certification shall be set forth by the physician in writing and attached to the certificate.

However, under this article, an abortion inducing drug may not be dispensed, prescribed, administered, or otherwise given to a pregnant woman after eight (8) weeks of postfertilization age. A physician must dispense the abortion inducing drug in person and have the pregnant woman consume the drug in the presence of the physician. A physician shall examine a pregnant woman in person before prescribing or dispensing an abortion inducing drug. The physician shall provide the pregnant woman with a copy of the manufacturer's instruction sheets and require that the pregnant woman sign the manufacturer's patient agreement form. A physician shall also provide, orally and in writing, along with other discharge information, the following statement: "Some evidence suggests that the effects of Mifepristone may be avoided, ceased, or reversed if the second pill, Misoprostol, has not been taken. Immediately contact the following for more information at (insert applicable abortion inducing drug reversal Internet web site and corresponding hotline number)." The physician shall retain a copy of the signed patient agreement form, and the signed physician's agreement form required by the manufacturer, in the patient's file. As used in this subdivision, "in person" does not include the use of telehealth or telemedicine services.

(2) Except as prohibited by IC 16-34-4, during the first ten (10) weeks of postfertilization age of the fetus, if:

(A) the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest;

(B) all the circumstances and provisions required for legal abortion set forth in subdivision (1)(C) through (1)(D) are present and adhered to;

(C) the abortion is performed in a hospital licensed under IC 16-21 or ambulatory outpatient surgical center (as defined in IC 16-18-2-14) that has a majority ownership by a hospital licensed under IC 16-21; and

(D) before the abortion, the attending physician shall certify in writing to the ambulatory outpatient surgical center or hospital in which the abortion is to be performed, after proper examination, the abortion is being performed at the woman's request because the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. All facts and reasons supporting the certification shall be set forth by the physician in writing and attached to the certificate.

(3) Except as provided in subsection (b) or as prohibited by IC 16-34-4, at the earlier of viability of the fetus or twenty (20) weeks of postfertilization age and any time after, for reasons based upon the professional, medical judgment of the pregnant woman's physician if:

(A) based on reasonable medical judgment, performing the abortion is necessary to prevent any serious health risk to the pregnant woman or to save the pregnant woman's life;

(B) all the circumstances and provisions required for legal abortion set forth in subdivision (1)(C) through (1)(D) are present and adhered to;

(C) the abortion is performed in a hospital licensed under IC 16-21;

(D) the abortion is performed in compliance with section 3 of this chapter; and

(E) before the abortion, the attending physician shall certify in writing to the hospital in which the abortion is to be performed, that in the attending physician's reasonable medical judgment, performing the abortion is necessary to prevent any serious health risk to the pregnant woman or to save the pregnant woman's life. All facts and reasons supporting the certification shall be set forth by the physician in writing and attached to the certificate.

     (b) A person may not knowingly or intentionally perform a partial birth abortion unless a physician reasonably believes that:

(1) performing the partial birth abortion is necessary to save the mother's life; and

(2) no other medical procedure is sufficient to save the mother's life.

     (c) A person may not knowingly or intentionally perform a dismemberment abortion unless reasonable medical judgment dictates that performing the dismemberment abortion is necessary:

(1) to prevent any serious health risk to the mother; or

(2) to save the mother's life.

     (d) Telehealth and telemedicine may not be used to provide any abortion, including the writing or filling of a prescription for any purpose that is intended to result in an abortion.

[Pre-1993 Recodification Citation: 35-1-58.5-2.]

As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.17. Amended by P.L.145-1997, SEC.2; P.L.193-2011, SEC.8; P.L.136-2013, SEC.5; P.L.213-2016, SEC.13; P.L.205-2018, SEC.7; P.L.93-2019, SEC.3; P.L.218-2021, SEC.4; P.L.179-2022(ss), SEC.21.

 

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 41 cases (12 in the last 5 years), 1995–2026 · leading case: Humphreys v. Clinic for Women, Inc., 796 N.E.2d 247 (Ind. 2003).
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Humphreys v. Clinic for Women, Inc., 796 N.E.2d 247 (Ind. 2003). · cites it 12× “Indiana Code section 16-34-2-1(a)(1)(B) states that, "if in the judgment of the physician the abortion is necessary to preserve the life of the woman, her consent is not required.”
Planned Parenthood of Ind. & Ky., Inc. v. Comm'r of the Ind. State Dep't of Health, 896 F.3d 809 (7th Cir. 2018). · cites it 4× “Ind. Code § 16-34-2-1 .1(a)(1)-(2). A woman seeking an abortion must also receive a color copy of a brochure, authored and distributed by the Indiana State Department of Health, that contains all of this same information.”
Clinic for Women, Inc. v. Brizzi, 837 N.E.2d 973 (Ind. 2005). · cites it 8× “Ind. Code § 16-34-2-1 .1. [1] It is often argued that one of the practical consequences of the requirement that the oral advisements be given to the woman in person 18 hours (or 24 as in Pennsylvania) before an abortion is performed is that the woman must make two trips to the…”
Planned Parenthood of Indiana & Kentucky, Inc. v. Comm'r, Indiana State Dep't of Health, 265 F. Supp. 3d 859 (S.D. Ind. 2017). · cites it 6× “” Ind. Code § 16-34-2-1 .1(a)(1)(K). The State presents evidence that these provisions were passed in light of technological developments that allow the diagnosis or potential diagnosis of fetal disabilities to be made early in a pregnancy.”
A Woman's Choice-East Side Women's Clinic v. Newman, 904 F. Supp. 1434 (S.D. Ind. 1995). · cites it 7× “Ind.Code §§ 16-34-2-1, 16-34-2-7. Public Law 187 contains an exception to the disclosure and waiting period requirements when a woman faces a “medical emergency.”
Clinic for Women, Inc. v. Brizzi, 814 N.E.2d 1042 (Ind. Ct. App. 2004). · cites it 8× “org/library/manuscripts/ collection — guides/m0709.”
Planned Parenthood of Indiana & Kentucky, Inc. v. Comm'r, Indiana State Dep't of Health, 273 F. Supp. 3d 1013 (S.D. Ind. 2017). · cites it 4× “Ind. Code § 16-34-2-1 .1 (repealed). The new ultrasound law changed the timing, but not the substance, of this requirement.”
Planned Parenthood of Indiana, Inc. v. Comm'r of Indiana State Dep't of Health, 699 F.3d 962 (7th Cir. 2012). “” Ind. Code § 16-34-2-1 .1(a)(1)(E), (G). These aspects of the case are not at issue in this appeal.”
EMW Women's Surgical Ctr. v. Andrew Beshear, 920 F.3d 421 (6th Cir. 2019). “0111 ; Ind. Code § 16-34-2-1 .1 ; Iowa Code § 146A.”
Box v. Planned Parenthood of Indiana & Kentucky, Inc., 139 S. Ct. 1780 (2019). “See Ind. Code §§ 16-34-2-1 .1(a)(1)(K), 16-34-3-4(a), 16-34- 4-4, 16-34-4-5, 16-34-4-6, 16-34-4-7, 16-34- 4-8, 16-41-16-4(d), 16-41-16-5 (2018).”
Bernard v. Individual Members of the Ind. Med. Licensing Bd., 392 F. Supp. 3d 935 (S.D. Ind. 2019). · cites it 2× “" HEA 1211, § 3 (internal subdivisions omitted) (to be codified at Ind. Code § 16-34-2-1 (c) ). II. D & E in Indiana All agree that HEA 1211 by its terms prohibits D & E, which is "the usual abortion method" in the second trimester of *940 pregnancy in the United States,…”
Planned Parenthood of Indiana & Kentucky, Inc. v. Comm'r, 194 F. Supp. 3d 818 (S.D. Ind. 2016). · cites it 2× “” Ind. Code § 16-34-2-1 .1(a)(1)(E). The State presents evidence that these provisions were passed in light of technological developments that allow the diagnosis or potential diagnosis of fetal disabilities to be made early in a pregnancy.”
Show all 41 citing cases →
— Ind. Code § 16-34-2-1(1)(B) — 1 case
A Woman's Choice-east Side Women's Clin. v. Newman, 132 F. Supp. 2d 1150 (S.D. Ind. 2001).
— Ind. Code § 16-34-2-1(2)(B) — 2 cases
A Woman's Choice-East Side Women's Clinic v. Newman, 132 F. Supp. 2d 1150 (S.D. Ind. 2001).
A Woman's Choice-east Side Women's Clin. v. Newman, 132 F. Supp. 2d 1150 (S.D. Ind. 2001).
— Ind. Code § 16-34-2-1(3) — 1 case
A Woman's Choice-East Side Women's Clinic v. Newman, 904 F. Supp. 1434 (S.D. Ind. 1995). “Ind.Code §§ 16-34-2-1, 16-34-2-7. Public Law 187 contains an exception to the disclosure and waiting period requirements when a woman faces a “medical emergency.”
— Ind. Code § 16-34-2-1(3)(C) — 1 case
A Woman's Choice-East Side Women's Clinic v. Newman, 904 F. Supp. 1434 (S.D. Ind. 1995). “Ind.Code §§ 16-34-2-1, 16-34-2-7. Public Law 187 contains an exception to the disclosure and waiting period requirements when a woman faces a “medical emergency.”
— Ind. Code § 16-34-2-1(B) — 1 case
Clinic for Women, Inc. v. Brizzi, 837 N.E.2d 973 (Ind. 2005). “Ind. Code § 16-34-2-1 .1. [1] It is often argued that one of the practical consequences of the requirement that the oral advisements be given to the woman in person 18 hours (or 24 as in Pennsylvania) before an abortion is performed is that the woman must make two trips to the…”
— Ind. Code § 16-34-2-1(a)(1) — 2 cases
Individual Members of the Med. Licensing Bd. of Indiana v. Anonymous 1 (Ind. Ct. App. 2024).
Angelique Lockett & Lanetra Lockett v. Planned Parenthood of Indiana, Inc., & Cathy McGee (Ind. Ct. App. 2015).
— Ind. Code § 16-34-2-1(a)(1)(B) — 2 cases
Humphreys v. Clinic for Women, Inc., 796 N.E.2d 247 (Ind. 2003). “Indiana Code section 16-34-2-1(a)(1)(B) states that, "if in the judgment of the physician the abortion is necessary to preserve the life of the woman, her consent is not required.”
Planned Parenthood Great Nw., Hawai'i, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky, Inc. v. Members of the Med. Licensing Bd. of Indiana (Ind. Ct. App. 2025).
— Ind. Code § 16-34-2-1(a)(2) — 1 case
Individual Members of the Med. Licensing Bd. of Indiana v. Anonymous 1 (Ind. Ct. App. 2024).
— Ind. Code § 16-34-2-1(a)(3) — 1 case
Individual Members of the Med. Licensing Bd. of Indiana v. Anonymous 1 (Ind. Ct. App. 2024).
— Ind. Code § 16-34-2-1(a)(3)(C) — 1 case
Humphreys v. Clinic for Women, Inc., 796 N.E.2d 247 (Ind. 2003). “Indiana Code section 16-34-2-1(a)(1)(B) states that, "if in the judgment of the physician the abortion is necessary to preserve the life of the woman, her consent is not required.”
— Ind. Code § 16-34-2-1(a)(8)(C) — 1 case
Humphreys v. Clinic for Women, Inc., 796 N.E.2d 247 (Ind. 2003). “Indiana Code section 16-34-2-1(a)(1)(B) states that, "if in the judgment of the physician the abortion is necessary to preserve the life of the woman, her consent is not required.”
— Ind. Code § 16-34-2-1(b) — 1 case
Humphreys v. Clinic for Women, Inc., 796 N.E.2d 247 (Ind. 2003). “Indiana Code section 16-34-2-1(a)(1)(B) states that, "if in the judgment of the physician the abortion is necessary to preserve the life of the woman, her consent is not required.”
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