:disabled CSS pseudo-class

Baseline Widely available

This feature is well established and works across many devices and browser versions. It’s been available across browsers since July 2015.

The :disabled CSS pseudo-class represents any disabled element. An element is disabled if it can't be activated (selected, clicked on, typed into, etc.) or accept focus. The element also has an enabled state, in which it can be activated or accept focus.

Try it

label {
  display: block;
  margin-top: 1em;
}

*:disabled {
  background-color: dimgrey;
  color: linen;
  opacity: 1;
}
<form>
  <label for="name">Name:</label>
  <input id="name" name="name" type="text">

  <label for="emp">Employed:</label>
  <select id="emp" name="emp" disabled="">
    <option>No</option>
    <option>Yes</option>
  </select>

  <label for="empDate">Employment Date:</label>
  <input id="empDate" name="empDate" type="date" disabled="">

  <label for="resume">Resume:</label>
  <input id="resume" name="resume" type="file">
</form>

Syntax

css
:disabled {
  /* ... */
}

Examples

This example shows a basic shipping form. It uses the JavaScript change event to let the user enable/disable the billing fields.

HTML

html
<form action="#">
  <fieldset id="shipping">
    <legend>Shipping address</legend>
    <input type="text" placeholder="Name" />
    <input type="text" placeholder="Address" />
    <input type="text" placeholder="Zip Code" />
  </fieldset>
  <br />
  <fieldset id="billing">
    <legend>Billing address</legend>
    <label for="billing-checkbox">Same as shipping address:</label>
    <input type="checkbox" id="billing-checkbox" checked />
    <br />
    <input type="text" placeholder="Name" disabled />
    <input type="text" placeholder="Address" disabled />
    <input type="text" placeholder="Zip Code" disabled />
  </fieldset>
</form>

CSS

css
input[type="text"]:disabled {
  background: #cccccc;
}

JavaScript

Toggle the disabled input fields when the checkbox is clicked

js
const checkbox = document.querySelector("#billing-checkbox");
const billingItems = document.querySelectorAll('#billing input[type="text"]');

checkbox.addEventListener("change", () => {
  billingItems.forEach((item) => {
    item.disabled = !item.disabled;
  });
});

Result

Check/un-check the checkbox to change the styling on the billing fields.

Specifications

Specification
HTML
# selector-disabled
Selectors Level 4
# disabled-pseudo

Browser compatibility

desktop mobile
Chrome
Edge
Firefox
Opera
Safari
Chrome Android
Firefox for Android
Opera Android
Safari on iOS
Samsung Internet
WebView Android
WebView on iOS
:disabled
Chrome – Full support
Chrome 1 (Release date: 2008-12-11)
footnote Full support
Edge – Full support
Edge 12 (Release date: 2015-07-29)
footnote
footnote Before Edge 79, Edge did not recognize :disabled on the <fieldset> element.
Firefox – Full support
Firefox 1 (Release date: 2004-11-09)
footnote Full support
Opera – Full support
Opera 9 (Release date: 2006-06-20)
footnote Full support
Safari – Full support
Safari 3.1 (Release date: 2008-03-18)
footnote Full support
Chrome Android – Full support
Chrome Android 18 (Release date: 2012-06-27)
footnote Full support
Firefox for Android – Full support
Firefox for Android 4 (Release date: 2011-03-29)
footnote Full support
Opera Android – Full support
Opera Android 10.1 (Release date: 2010-11-09)
footnote Full support
Safari on iOS – Full support
Safari on iOS 2 (Release date: 2008-07-11)
footnote Full support
Samsung Internet – Full support
Samsung Internet 1 (Release date: 2013-04-27)
footnote Full support
WebView Android – Full support
WebView Android 2 (Release date: 2009-10-26)
footnote Full support
WebView on iOS – Full support
WebView on iOS 2 (Release date: 2008-07-11)
footnote Full support

Legend

Tip: you can click/tap on a cell for more information.

Full support
Full support
See implementation notes.

See also