States, cities & tribes
state preemption
A state law overriding local ordinances on a subject, sometimes barring localities from regulating it at all.
In full
Preemption can be express, in a statute that says localities may not act, or implied where state regulation is comprehensive. It has become a major front in policy conflict between state legislatures and their largest cities, covering minimum wages, tenant protections, firearms rules, and public health measures.
Where to go next
Keep going
Browse every term in the glossary, or see the vocabulary in motion in the How government works walkthroughs.
A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.