Cursive GeneratorStates That Require Schools to Teach Cursive
Cursive requirements by state are listed for each row in the dataset. Required means a law or standards document requires cursive to be taught in public schools. Recommended means state guidance encourages cursive. Local means no statewide mandate is recorded. The row source is included.
The dataset records 26 states that require cursive writing: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia. A statute, an academic standard, or both can require schools to teach cursive. Alabama requires cursive handwriting instruction in grades 2 through 5 by statute. Arizona's standards require cursive in grades 3 through 5. Massachusetts places cursive in its 2017 ELA framework for grades 3 and 4. Virginia updated its English Standards of Learning in 2024.
Grade Bands for States Requiring Cursive Instruction
Grade bands for states requiring cursive instruction vary across the United States. Arkansas expects cursive from kindergarten through grade 3, and Illinois expects it from kindergarten through grade 5. California education law requires cursive in grades 1 through 6. Texas requires cursive in grades 2 and 3. Louisiana requires it in grades 3 through 12. North Carolina's Back to Basics law, signed in 2013, required schools to teach cursive handwriting from kindergarten through grade 5. When a state requires cursive writing instruction, use the grade-band field as the benchmark for planning.
Cursive Mandates and the Resurgence in State Laws
Recent state laws show a resurgence of attention to cursive by state legislatures. California's Assembly Bill 446 was signed in 2023 and took effect in January 2024. Kentucky's SB 167 was signed in 2024. Idaho's Senate Bill 1044 applies from 2025-26. New Jersey's P.L. 2025, c.284 applies from 2026-27. Pennsylvania's Act 2 of 2026 and Florida's SB 182 (2026) are on the required list. A final vote can put a cursive bill into education code, and the enacting source may be a statute or standards. Cursive status is a state-level decision; use the row source for the law or standards.
Using the tracker
Each row names the state, whether cursive is required, the grade band, the statute or standard, and a primary source with the date it was checked. Rows change when a legislature acts, so the verification date matters more than the year in the title. For the practice itself, the alphabet pages show every letter's stroke order, the worksheets hub prints practice sheets by grade, and the guide on how to teach cursive gives an order of instruction that fits a short daily block.