THIS ARTICLE IS FOR: ✅ Self-Serve
Stage: Trial / Onboarding / Live
Owner: CS
Last updated: 2026-01-20
TL;DR
The State Filter targets companies by U.S. state or Canadian province.
It is a highly restrictive filter and should be used sparingly.
Only use it when legal, licensing, compliance, or physical delivery rules require it.
If your service is remote or nationwide, do not use this filter.
When you’d use this / Why it matters
The State Filter exists for geographically restricted offers.
Used incorrectly, it unnecessarily shrinks your Total Addressable Market (TAM) and limits scaling.
For most modern B2B, SaaS, and remote services, state-level targeting is not needed.
The golden question before using the State Filter
Before applying this filter, ask:
Am I legally restricted to one state or province?
Does my industry require state-level licensing?
Is my service tied to state-specific laws or incentives?
Do I need to be physically present to deliver the service?
👉 If the answer is “no,” do not use the State Filter.
👉 If the answer is “yes,” the State Filter is appropriate.
Step-by-step: How to use the State Filter
Go to Search → Filters in ListKit.
Select the State filter.
Choose the relevant U.S. state or Canadian province.
Pair it with the Country filter to avoid ambiguity.
Layer additional filters:
Industry
Company size
Job titles
Keywords
Run your search.
States and provinces are matched using standard abbreviations.
How states and provinces appear in ListKit
🇺🇸 United States (examples)
CA = California
NY = New York
TX = Texas
FL = Florida
WA = Washington
🇨🇦 Canada (examples)
ON = Ontario
QC = Quebec
BC = British Columbia
AB = Alberta
MB = Manitoba
All U.S. states and Canadian provinces are supported.
When you should use the State Filter
1. Legal or compliance restrictions
Examples:
Financial services licensed per state
Insurance limited to specific states
Attorneys restricted to their licensed jurisdiction
Healthcare services regulated locally
2. State-level programs or incentives
Examples:
Solar or energy incentives tied to a specific state
State-funded grants or programs
Government contracts limited to one state
3. Physical or in-person services
Examples:
Commercial cleaning in California
Local IT support in New York
Real estate services in Florida
Contractors operating only in Texas
4. State-only recruiting
If roles must be filled within a single state, state filtering ensures company HQ relevance.
When you should NOT use the State Filter
Do not use this filter if:
Your service is remote
You can sell nationwide or internationally
You want to maximize TAM
You are scaling outbound campaigns
👉 State filtering dramatically reduces volume. Use it only when a rule forces you to.
Example use cases
Example 1: Regulated financial services
Licensed only in California
Filter: State = CA
Example 2: Solar agency
Incentives apply only in New York
Filter: State = NY
Example 3: Local IT provider
Operates exclusively in Texas
Filter: State = TX
Example 4: Healthcare compliance
Must target companies in Quebec
Filter: Province = QC
Expected outcome
You should now see companies accurately restricted to a specific state or province, without accidentally excluding valid prospects due to broader geography.
Troubleshooting / FAQs
Q: Is State better than Country for targeting?
No. State should only be used when legally or operationally required.
Q: Can I use State just to “test locally”?
No. This skews results and limits TAM unnecessarily.
Q: Should I always pair State with Country?
Yes. This avoids confusion and improves accuracy.
Q: Does State affect credit usage?
No. Credits are based on exports, not geography.
Callouts
If ListKit runs campaigns for you (Managed Program)
What ListKit handles:
Applying state-level restrictions only when required
Ensuring compliance-based targeting is accurate
What you should do:
Clearly confirm any licensing, legal, or geographic limits
How to request changes:
Share restrictions with your account manager
If you use ListKit self-serve (DIY)
Steps in the product:
Search → Filters → State
Select the required state or province
Pair with Country and refine with ICP filters
Final takeaway
The State Filter is not a growth tool, it’s a compliance tool.
Use it only when you must restrict targeting due to:
Legal requirements
Licensing
Compliance rules
Physical delivery constraints
State-based incentives
If none of these apply → don’t use it.
Go national or international and expand your ICP instead.