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26 bans

USA ✕

Everything banned or restricted in the USA, from apps and websites to books, movies, food and everyday activities. Use the category filter to narrow it down.

USABannedKinder Surprise eggsBanned in the US because a 1938 food law forbids candy with a non-edible object inside. CBP seizes the eggs at the border, but Kinder Joy, with its toy in a separate half, is legal.Food & DrinkSince 1938Details →USABannedLawn dartsBanned by the Consumer Product Safety Commission after injuries and deaths among children.ProductsSince 1988Details →USABannedTraditional haggisTraditional haggis is banned in the US because a 1971 USDA rule bars livestock lungs from human food. Lung-free haggis made in the US is legal to sell.Food & DrinkSince 1971Details →USARestrictedA Clockwork Orange (Anthony Burgess)A 1962 dystopian novel by Anthony Burgess that topped PEN America's most banned list for 2024-25, with bans in 23 school districts. Challenged over violence and language; not banned nationwide.BooksSince 1973Details →USARestrictedGender Queer by Maia KobabePulled from some US school systems, including in Florida and Texas, over its LGBTQ+ themes and illustrated sexual content. It topped the ALA's most-challenged list from 2021 to 2023.BooksSince 2021Details →USARestrictedSean StricklandStrickland said he was banned from UFC Freedom 250 over his criticism of President Trump. The UFC denied any ban, but police removed him from the White House fan fest on June 14, 2026 and told him not to return.Activities & LawsSince 2026Details →USARestrictedStevia (Leaf & Crude Extracts)The FDA blocked stevia imports in 1991 as an unsafe food additive. Purified extracts were cleared in 2008, but whole-leaf and crude stevia still can't be sold as sweeteners in the US.Food & DrinkSince 1991Details →USABannedBrominated vegetable oil (BVO)Banned in US food and drinks since 2 August 2024 by the FDA, with a compliance deadline of 2 August 2025. The UK banned it in 1997 and the EU in 2008.Food & DrinkSince 2024-08-02Details →USARestrictedA Court of Thorns and Roses (Sarah J. Maas)A 2015 romantasy novel by Sarah J. Maas, among the first 13 books removed from all Utah public schools in 2024 and banned in 16 school districts in 2024-25. Not banned nationwide.BooksSince 2023Details →USARestrictedAll Boys Aren’t Blue (George M. Johnson)A memoir by George M. Johnson, named the most challenged book in the US in 2024 by the ALA. Removed from school libraries in many districts over its LGBTQ+ content; not banned nationwide.BooksSince 2021Details →USARestrictedFallout by Ellen HopkinsRemoved from school libraries in a growing number of US districts, starting with Utah's Alpine district in 2022, over its frank treatment of drug addiction and sex. PEN America counted 19 bans in 2025–26.BooksSince 2022Details →USARestrictedLast Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda LoRemoved or restricted in several US school districts over its LGBTQ+ romance and sexual content, despite winning the 2021 National Book Award.BooksSince 2022Details →USARestrictedMaus (Art Spiegelman)Removed from the curriculum by a Tennessee school board in January 2022, which led to a sales surge.BooksSince 2022Details →USARestrictedNew Huawei and ZTE equipmentThe FCC stopped approving new telecom equipment from these companies on national-security grounds.ProductsSince 2022Details →USARestrictedNineteen Minutes (Jodi Picoult)A 2007 novel about a school shooting, named the most commonly banned book in US schools in 2023-24 by PEN America. Removed in 50+ districts; not banned nationwide.BooksSince 2008Details →USARestrictedRaw milk (interstate sales)Selling raw milk across state lines has been banned since 9 September 1987 under 21 CFR 1240.61. Sales inside a state depend on state law; aged raw-milk cheese is exempt.Food & DrinkSince 1987-09-09Details →USARestrictedRed Dye No. 3FDA revoked approval on 15 January 2025 under the Delaney Clause after cancer findings in male rats. Food makers must stop using it by 15 January 2027; California's ban also starts in 2027.Food & DrinkSince 2025-01-15Details →USARestrictedStorm and Fury (Jennifer L. Armentrout)A YA fantasy novel by Jennifer L. Armentrout, listed among PEN America's most banned books of 2024-25 with 16 recorded bans. Removed from some school libraries over sexual content; not banned nationwide.BooksSince 2023Details →USARestrictedThe Bluest Eye (Toni Morrison)One of the most often challenged books in US schools; removed in a number of districts.BooksDetails →USARestrictedThe Fault in Our Stars by John GreenPulled from Riverside, California middle schools in 2014 over sexual content, crude language and its focus on death, then moved to the adult section of an Indiana public library in 2023 before that policy was paused.BooksSince 2014Details →USARestrictedThe Giver (Lois Lowry)Challenged in U.S. schools since 1994 over infanticide, euthanasia, suicide and puberty themes. Some districts pulled or limited it, but there is no national ban and it is still widely taught.BooksSince 1994Details →USARestrictedThe Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)The Hunger Games is not illegal in the USA, but some public school districts have removed or age-restricted it after parent complaints about violence and age suitability.BooksSince 2010Details →USARestrictedTricks (Ellen Hopkins)A 2009 novel in verse by Ellen Hopkins about five teens who fall into prostitution. Banned from all Utah public schools since March 2025 and still on the statewide list; not banned nationwide.BooksSince 2025Details →USABan liftedAbsintheBanned in the US in 1912 over fears about thujone, then legal again in 2007 once makers showed their absinthe was 'thujone-free' (under 10 ppm). Labels still face strict rules.Food & DrinkBanned 1912Details →USABan liftedClaude Fable 5 and Mythos 5 (Anthropic)Suspended in June 2026 after a US export control order. Fable 5 returned on July 1.Apps & WebsitesBanned 2026Details →USABan liftedTikTokA 2024 law forced ByteDance to sell or face a ban. TikTok went dark for about 14 hours in January 2025, then a mostly US-owned joint venture took over US operations on 22 January 2026.Apps & WebsitesBanned 2025-01-19Details →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is banned in the USA?

the USA bans or restricts 23 things in our list, including Kinder Surprise eggs (1938), Lawn darts (1988), Traditional haggis (1971) and A Clockwork Orange (Anthony Burgess) (1973).

Which categories have the most bans in the USA?

In our list: Books (14), Food & Drink (7), Apps & Websites (2).

Have any of these bans been lifted?

Yes, including Absinthe (1912), Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5 (Anthropic) (2026) and TikTok (2025-01-19). Lifted bans stay on the list, marked "Ban lifted", so you can see how the rules changed.

Is this list up to date?

We review entries regularly and add new bans as they happen. Laws change, so check an official government source before you travel or act on this information.

Laws change often and many bans have exceptions. This list is for general information, not legal or travel advice. Check official government sources before you travel. Last updated: 01/11/2026.