State-recognized tribes in the United States

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State recognized tribes in the United States are organizations that identify as Native American tribes or heritage groups that do not meet the criteria for federally recognized Indian tribes but have been recognized by a process established under assorted state government laws for varying purposes or by governor's executive orders. State recognition does not dictate whether or not they are recognized as Native American tribes by continually existing tribal nations. Individual states confer state recognition "for their various internal state government purposes." Members of a state recognized tribe are still subject to state law and government, and the tribe does not have sovereign control over its affairs. State recognition confers few benefits under federal law. It is not the same as federal recognition, which is the federal government's acknowledgment of a tribe as a dependent sovereign nation. Some states have provided laws related to state recognition that provide some protection of autonomy for tribes that are not recognized by the federal government. For example, in Connecticut, state law recognizing certain tribes also protects reservations and limited self government rights for state recognized tribes. Such state recognition has at times been opposed by federally recognized tribes. For instance, the Cherokee Nation opposes state recognized tribes, as well as Cherokee heritage groups and others with no documented descent who claim Cherokee identity. Other groups that identify as being Native American tribes but lack federal or state recognition are listed in the List of organizations that self identify as Native American tribes.

Most state recognized tribes are located in the Eastern United States, including the three of largest state recognized tribes in the US, the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama, and the United Houma Nation of Louisiana, each of which has more than ten thousand members. In late 2007 about 16 states had recognized 62 tribes. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, only 14 states recognize tribes at the state level by 2017.

The United States Constitution, as interpreted by the Supreme Court, gives ultimate authority with regard to matters affecting the American Indian tribes to the United States federal government. Under US federal law and regulations, an American Indian tribe is a group of Native Americans with self government authority. This defines those tribes recognized by the federal government. By 2021, 574 tribes had been recognized by the federal government, often as a result of the process of treaties setting up reservations in the 19th century. Under the United States Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 (IACA), members of state recognized tribes may exhibit as identified "Native American" or "American Indian" artists. In addition to citizens of federally recognized tribes and tribally designated artisans, IACA says that members of "any Indian group that has been formally recognized as an Indian tribe by a State legislature or by a State commission or similar organization legislatively vested with State tribal recognition authority" can exhibition as a "Native American" or "American Indian" artist. Other federal Indian legislation does not apply to state recognized tribes. For example, the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 does not apply to these organizations.

Typically, the state legislature or state agencies involved in cultural or Native American affairs make the formal recognition by criteria they establish, often with Native American representatives, and sometimes based on federal criteria. Statutes that clearly identify criteria for recognition or that explicitly recognize certain tribes remove ambiguity from their status.

The following is a list of tribes recognized by various states but not by the U. S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. Tribes originally recognized by states that have since gained federal recognition have been deleted from the list below. The list includes state recognized tribes that have petitioned for federal recognition.

By the Davis Strong Act of 1984, the state established the Alabama Indian Affairs Commission to acknowledge and represent Native American citizens in the state. At that time, it recognized seven tribes that did not have federal recognition. The commission members, representatives of the tribes, have created rules for tribal recognition, which were last updated in 2003, under which three more tribes have been recognized. Cher O Creek Intra Tribal Indians. Cherokee Tribe of Northeast Alabama (formerly Cherokees of Jackson County, Alabama). MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians. Piqua Shawnee Tribe. Eastern Pequot Indians of Connecticut. Letter of Intent to Petition 06/28/1978; Final Determination Against Federal Acknowledgement of the Golden Hill Paugussett Tribe (2004)
Schaghticoke Tribal Nation. Nanticoke Indian Association, Inc.

Florida has an office to manage Indian affairs: Florida Governor's Council on Indian Affairs, Inc. In 2007, the state legislature formally recognized the following as American Indian tribes of Georgia:

Cherokee of Georgia Tribal Council. Also known as Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe East of the Mississippi, Inc.

Coharie Intra tribal Council, Inc. Letter of Intent to Petition 3/13/1981. Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. Meherrin Nation. Beaver Creek Indians. Edisto Natchez Kusso Tribe of South Carolina. State recognized in 2006. As of 2023, South Carolina recognizes four "state recognized groups" and one "special interest organization." Eastern Cherokee, Southern Iroquois, and United Tribes of South Carolina; Natchez Tribe of South Carolina;
and the Pee Dee Indian Nation of Beaver Creek.