Methods Of Execution

Authorized Methods by State

StateAuthorized Methods
AlabamaEffective 7/​1/​18, lethal injec­tion will be admin­is­tered unless the pris­on­er affir­ma­tive­ly choos­es nitro­gen hypox­ia or elec­tro­cu­tion ​“in writ­ing and deliv­ered to the war­den of the cor­rec­tion­al facil­i­ty with­in 30 days after the cer­tifi­cate of judg­ment pur­suant to a deci­sion by the Alabama Supreme Court affirm­ing the sen­tence of death.” ​“If elec­tro­cu­tion or nitro­gen hypox­ia are held uncon­sti­tu­tion­al, the method of exe­cu­tion shall be lethal injec­tion.” If lethal injec­tion ​“is held uncon­sti­tu­tion­al or oth­er­wise becomes unavail­able, the method of exe­cu­tion shall be by nitro­gen hypox­ia.” (Ala. Code § 15 – 18-82.1) ​“If elec­tro­cu­tion, nitro­gen hypox­ia, and lethal injec­tion are all held to be uncon­sti­tu­tion­al …, then all per­sons sen­tenced to death for a cap­i­tal crime shall be exe­cut­ed by any con­sti­tu­tion­al method of exe­cu­tion based on the sole dis­cre­tion of the Commissioner of the Department of Corrections.” (Ala. Code § 15 – 18-82.1.c)
ArizonaAuthorizes lethal injec­tion for per­sons sen­tenced after 11/​15/​92; those sen­tenced before that date may select lethal injec­tion or lethal gas. If a per­son does not choose, lethal injec­tion will be used. (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 13 – 757)
ArkansasLethal injec­tion is the method unless it is ​“inval­i­dat­ed by a final and unap­peal­able court order” and then the exe­cu­tion shall be elec­tro­cu­tion. (Ark. Code Ann. § 5 – 4‑617)
CaliforniaProvides that lethal injec­tion be admin­is­tered unless the pris­on­er requests lethal gas. If a per­son does not choose, lethal injec­tion will be used. (Cal. Penal Code § 3604)
Colorado*Lethal injec­tion is the sole method. (Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18 – 1.3 – 1202)
Delaware**Lethal Injection is the sole method. (Del. Code Ann. tit. 11 § 4209) Hanging was an alter­na­tive for those whose offense occurred pri­or to 6/​13/​86, but as of July 2003 no inmates on death row were eli­gi­ble to choose this alter­na­tive and Delaware dis­man­tled its gallows.
FloridaLethal injec­tion will be admin­is­tered unless the pris­on­er affir­ma­tive­ly choos­es elec­tro­cu­tion ” in writ­ing and deliv­ered to the war­den of the cor­rec­tion­al facil­i­ty with­in 30 days after the issuance of man­date pur­suant to a deci­sion by the Florida Supreme Court affirm­ing the sen­tence of death.” If lethal injec­tion or elec­tro­cu­tion is found to be uncon­sti­tu­tion­al, then any con­sti­tu­tion­al method will be admin­is­tered. (Fla. Stat. Ann. § 922.105)
GeorgiaLethal injec­tion is the sole method. (Ga. Code Ann. § 17 – 10-38) (On October 5, 2001, the Georgia Supreme Court held that the elec­tric chair was cru­el and unusu­al pun­ish­ment and struck down the state’s use of the method.)
IdahoLethal injec­tion is the sole method as of July 1, 2009. (Idaho Code Ann. § 19 – 2716)
IndianaLethal injec­tion is the sole method. (Ind. Code Ann. § 35 – 38‑6 – 1)
KansasLethal injec­tion is the sole method. (Kan. Stat. Ann. § 22 – 4001)
KentuckyAuthorizes lethal injec­tion for those con­vict­ed after March 31, 1998; those who com­mit­ted the offense before that date may select lethal injec­tion or elec­tro­cu­tion. If no choice is made ​“at least twen­ty (20) days before the sched­uled exe­cu­tion, the method shall be by lethal injec­tion.” (Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 431.220)
LouisianaEffective 7/​1/​2024, autho­rizes lethal injec­tion, nitro­gen hypox­ia, or elec­tro­cu­tion. ​“Upon receipt of the war­rant com­mand­ing the [Secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections] to cause the exe­cu­tion of the per­son con­demned as pro­vid­ed by law, the sec­re­tary shall, with­in sev­en days, pro­vide writ­ten notice to the con­demned per­son of the man­ner of exe­cu­tion.” (La. Stat. Ann. § 15:569)
MississippiAuthorizes use of nitro­gen hypox­ia if either lethal injec­tion is held uncon­sti­tu­tion­al or ​“oth­er­wise unavail­able”; then autho­rizes elec­tro­cu­tion if nitro­gen hypox­ia and lethal injec­tion are held uncon­sti­tu­tion­al or ​“oth­er­wise unavail­able”; final­ly autho­rizes fir­ing squad if nitro­gen hypox­ia, lethal injec­tion, and elec­tro­cu­tion are held uncon­sti­tu­tion­al or ​“oth­er­wise unavail­able.” (Miss. Code Ann. § 99 – 19-51)
MissouriAuthorizes lethal injec­tion or lethal gas; the statute leaves unclear who decides what method to use, the inmate or the Director of the Missouri Department of Corrections. (Mo. Ann. Stat. § 546.720)
MontanaLethal injec­tion is the sole method. (Mont. Code Ann. § 46 – 19-103)
NebraskaLethal injec­tion is the sole method. (Neb. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 83 – 964) (Electrocution was the sole method until the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled the method uncon­sti­tu­tion­al in February 2008. In May 2009, the Nebraska Legislature approved lethal injection.)
NevadaLethal injec­tion is the sole method. (Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. §176.355)
New Hampshire***Lethal injec­tion but allows hang­ing ​“if for any rea­son the com­mis­sion­er [of cor­rec­tions] finds it to be imprac­ti­cal to car­ry out the pun­ish­ment of death by admin­is­tra­tion of the required lethal sub­stance or sub­stances, the sen­tence of death may be car­ried out by hang­ing.” (N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 630.5)
New MexicoLethal injec­tion was the sole method. New Mexico abol­ished the death penal­ty in 2009. However, the act is not retroac­tive, leav­ing two peo­ple on the state’s death row.
North CarolinaLethal injec­tion is the sole method. (N.C. Gen. Stat. Ann. § 15 – 188)
OhioLethal injec­tion is the sole method. (Ohio Rev. Code. Ann. § 2949.22)
OklahomaAuthorizes use of nitro­gen hypox­ia if either lethal injec­tion is held uncon­sti­tu­tion­al or ​“oth­er­wise unavail­able”; then autho­rizes elec­tro­cu­tion if nitro­gen hypox­ia and lethal injec­tion are held uncon­sti­tu­tion­al or ​“oth­er­wise unavail­able”; final­ly autho­rizes fir­ing squad if nitro­gen hypox­ia, lethal injec­tion, and elec­tro­cu­tion are held uncon­sti­tu­tion­al or ​“oth­er­wise unavail­able.” (Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 22 § 1014)
OregonLethal injec­tion is the sole method. (Or. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 137.473)
PennsylvaniaLethal injec­tion is the sole method. (61 Pa. Stat. and Cons. Stat. Ann. § 4304)
South CarolinaA per­son con­vict­ed of a cap­i­tal crime and hav­ing imposed upon him the sen­tence of death shall suf­fer the penal­ty by elec­tro­cu­tion or, at the elec­tion of the con­vict­ed per­son, by fir­ing squad or lethal injec­tion, if it is avail­able at the time of elec­tion, under the direc­tion of the Director of the Department of Corrections. The elec­tion for death by elec­tro­cu­tion, fir­ing squad, or lethal injec­tion must be made in writ­ing four­teen days before each exe­cu­tion date or it is waived. If the con­vict­ed per­son receives a stay of exe­cu­tion or the exe­cu­tion date has passed for any rea­son, then the elec­tion expires and must be renewed in writ­ing four­teen days before a new exe­cu­tion date. If the con­vict­ed per­son waives the right of elec­tion, then the penal­ty must be admin­is­tered by elec­tro­cu­tion.
(S.C. Code Ann. § 24 – 3‑530)
South DakotaLethal injec­tion is the sole method. (S.D. Codified Laws § 23A-27A-32.1)
TennesseeAuthorizes lethal injec­tion for those whose cap­i­tal offense occurred after December 31, 1998; those who com­mit­ted the offense before that date may select elec­tro­cu­tion by writ­ten waiv­er. If lethal injec­tion is held to be uncon­sti­tu­tion­al or if the lethal sub­stances are unavail­able, then elec­tro­cu­tion will be used. If both lethal injec­tion and elec­tro­cu­tion is held to be uncon­sti­tu­tion­al, then ​“any con­sti­tu­tion­al method of exe­cu­tion” will be used. (Tenn. Code Ann. § 40 – 23-114)
TexasLethal injec­tion is the sole method.
UtahAuthorizes the use of the fir­ing squad if lethal-injec­tion drugs are unavail­able or if lethal injec­tion is held to be uncon­sti­tuiton­al. Also, if a pris­on­er was sen­tenced to death before May 3, 2004, he may chose fir­ing squad as the method of exe­cu­tion. (Utah Code Ann. § 77 – 18‑5.5)
Virginia****Allows pris­on­ers to choose between lethal injec­tion and elec­tro­cu­tion. ​“In the event the pris­on­er refus­es to make a choice at least 15 days pri­or to the sched­uled exe­cu­tion, the method of exe­cu­tion shall be by lethal injec­tion.” (Va. Code Ann. § 53.1 – 234)
Washington*****Provides that lethal injec­tion be admin­is­tered unless the inmate requests hang­ing. (Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 10.95.180)
WyomingAuthorizes lethal gas if lethal injec­tion is held to be uncon­sti­tu­tion­al. (Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7 – 13-904)
U.S. MilitaryLethal injec­tion is the sole method.
U.S. GovernmentLethal injec­tion is the sole method. (28 C.F.R. § 26.3)

*Colorado abol­ished the death penal­ty prospec­tive­ly on March 23, 2020, and those on death row at that time had their sentences commuted.

**In 2016, the Delaware Supreme Court has declared its cap­i­tal sen­tenc­ing pro­ce­dures uncon­sti­tu­tion­al and has resen­tenced all death-row pris­on­ers to life without parole.

***New Hampshire abol­ished the death penal­ty in May 2019, but the repeal may not apply retroac­tive­ly, leav­ing a pris­on­er on death row fac­ing possible execution.

****Virginia abol­ished the death penal­ty on March 24, 2021, and those on death row at that time had their sentences commuted.

*****In 2018, the Washington Supreme Court has declared its cap­i­tal sen­tenc­ing pro­ce­dures uncon­sti­tu­tion­al and has resen­tenced all death-row pris­on­ers to life with­out parole. In April 2023, Governor Jay Inslee signed leg­is­la­tion remov­ing cap­i­tal pun­ish­ment statutes from state law.

Sources

Bureau of Justice Statistics, Capital Punishment 2011; updat­ed by DPIC.