Five years is a long time in politics, but it's an eternity in the legal world. If you’ve been trying to find a clear, up-to-date list of Jan 6 arrests by state, you probably know that the numbers have been a moving target since that cold Wednesday in 2021. For a while, the FBI was picking people up every single week. Then came the trials. Then the sentencing. And then, the massive curveball of 2025.
Honestly, the "list" looks a lot different today than it did even a year ago. When President Trump took office for his second term in January 2025, he followed through on a campaign promise that basically upended the largest criminal investigation in American history. He issued sweeping pardons for nearly 1,600 people.
So, where does that leave us?
It leaves us with a messy, complicated map of the United States. While the legal slate has been wiped clean for many, the records of who was arrested and where they came from haven't vanished. They’ve just shifted from "active criminal cases" to "historical data." If you’re looking for the breakdown of where these folks actually lived when the FBI came knocking, here is the real story.
The Big Three: Florida, Texas, and Pennsylvania
It’s no secret that some states saw way more action than others. If you look at the total list of Jan 6 arrests by state, three names consistently hover at the top: Florida, Texas, and Pennsylvania.
Florida has always been the "heavyweight" in this database. By the time the pardon pen hit the paper in early 2025, over 150 Floridians had been charged. That’s a massive chunk of the 1,570+ total arrests. You had people coming from everywhere—Miami, the Panhandle, Tampa.
Texas wasn't far behind. About 100 to 110 Texans were identified and arrested over the four-year span of the investigation. Pennsylvania usually rounds out the top three, often neck-and-neck with New York and California.
Why these states? Mostly math. They have huge populations and were hotbeds of political activity leading up to the events at the Capitol.
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But it wasn't just the big states.
People were arrested in 48 states. Only North Dakota, Nebraska, and Vermont managed to stay mostly off the federal radar for the better part of the investigation, though some data suggests a few individuals from those areas were eventually tied to the events through late-arriving tips.
Breaking Down the List of Jan 6 Arrests by State (The Raw Numbers)
Because of the 2025 pardons, the Department of Justice (DOJ) stopped updating the "active" prosecution list in the way they used to. However, based on the final reports from the Program on Extremism at George Washington University and the DOJ’s own archives, we can see the geographic spread of where the arrests actually happened.
The Southeast and Gulf Coast
Florida led the pack, but the rest of the South was heavily represented. Georgia saw dozens of arrests, including high-profile cases from the suburbs of Atlanta. North Carolina and Virginia also contributed significant numbers to the list, likely due to their proximity to D.C.
The Rust Belt and Northeast
Pennsylvania was the leader here. New York saw a high volume of arrests, particularly from Long Island and upstate areas. Ohio was another major contributor, with nearly 50 residents charged over the years.
The West and Pacific
California had a surprisingly high number of arrests—over 50—despite being a deep blue state. Most of these individuals traveled from Southern California or the Central Valley. Arizona and Washington state also saw double-digit arrest counts.
The Heartland
Texas, as mentioned, was the primary source of defendants in the middle of the country. Missouri and Michigan also saw significant FBI activity, with dozens of cases originating from those states.
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The "Blanket Pardon" Reality of 2025
You've gotta understand how much things changed on January 20, 2025.
Before that date, the DOJ had a 99.4% conviction rate for Jan 6 defendants. It was a legal juggernaut. But then, the new administration issued a "full, complete, and unconditional pardon" for the vast majority of the people on that list of Jan 6 arrests by state.
There were some notable exceptions, though.
The pardons didn't cover everyone. Most of the leadership of the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers—people like Enrique Tarrio and Stewart Rhodes—didn't get a full "get out of jail free" card. Instead, many of them had their sentences commuted to "time served." This meant they got to go home, but their convictions stayed on their records. For everyone else—the people charged with "parading" or "entering a restricted building"—the charges were essentially deleted.
Misconceptions About the Arrest List
One thing people get wrong all the time is thinking everyone on the list was a "violent rioter."
In reality, the list of Jan 6 arrests by state was incredibly diverse in terms of charges. A huge portion—roughly 800 people—were only charged with misdemeanors. These were folks who basically walked through an open door, took a selfie, and left.
Then you had the felony group. These were the cases involving assaults on police officers or conspiracy. By the end of 2024, over 560 people had been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. Even with the 2025 pardons, those names remain a part of the public record, even if the legal penalties have been dismissed.
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What’s Happening Now?
Even though the "Jan 6" cases are largely over in the federal sense, the story hasn't totally ended.
Recent reports from late 2025 and early 2026 show that at least 33 of the people who were originally on the arrest list have found themselves back in the legal system for unrelated crimes. We’re talking about everything from domestic disputes to more serious charges.
Also, the "Statute of Limitations" was a big deal for a while. Usually, the government has five years to charge most federal crimes. Since we are now in January 2026, the window for making new arrests for things like "unlawful entry" or "disorderly conduct" on Jan 6 has effectively slammed shut.
Actionable Insights: How to Use This Information
If you are researching a specific name or state for a background check or historical project, keep these things in mind:
- Pardons don't erase history: A pardon means the person isn't punished, but the arrest and the original charge are still part of the public record unless the record was specifically expunged.
- Check the DOJ Archive: The Department of Justice maintains an "Alpha" list of defendants. While they aren't adding new names, the old data is still there for reference.
- State vs. Federal: Almost all Jan 6 arrests were federal. If you’re looking in state-level court databases, you probably won't find them. You need to look at Pacer (the federal court system) or the District of Columbia’s federal court records.
- The 2026 Milestone: Now that we’ve hit the five-year mark, the era of new Jan 6 arrests is officially over. Any lists you find now are likely the final version of the "Class of Jan 6."
The map of these arrests tells a story of a deeply divided country, and while the legal battles have mostly subsided into pardons and commutations, the geographic data remains a fascinating look at where that day's events truly hit home.
If you're digging into this, start with the George Washington University Program on Extremism database; it's still the gold standard for seeing the full list of Jan 6 arrests by state without the political spin.
Next Steps for Your Research:
To get the most accurate historical snapshot, visit the DOJ’s official "Capitol Breach Investigation" page and cross-reference the names with the January 20, 2025, pardon list to see which cases were dismissed and which remained as permanent convictions. You can also use the FBI’s "Crime Data Explorer" to see how these federal arrests impacted local crime stats in states like Florida and Texas during the peak years of 2021-2023.