Legal Definitions - interstate

The term interstate refers to anything that involves or crosses the boundaries between two or more different U.S. states. It applies to activities, commerce, transportation, or legal matters that connect individuals, businesses, or governments located in separate states.

• Example 1: A national shipping company transports packages daily from its distribution center in Georgia to various customers located in Florida, Alabama, and South Carolina.

  Explanation: This activity is considered interstate because the packages are moved *between* multiple different states (Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and South Carolina), involving commerce and transportation across state lines.

• Example 2: A software developer living in Oregon enters into a contract to provide services for a tech startup headquartered in Washington state.

  Explanation: This contractual relationship is interstate because it involves parties (the developer and the startup) who are residents of *different states* (Oregon and Washington). If a dispute were to arise, it might be handled under legal principles governing interstate transactions.

• Example 3: A federal agency is tasked with regulating the flow of natural gas through pipelines that originate in Texas and deliver gas to consumers in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Missouri.

  Explanation: The natural gas pipelines and the commerce they facilitate are considered interstate because they physically extend across and connect *multiple states*, making them subject to federal oversight that governs activities between states.