diff --git a/app/compare/page.tsx b/app/compare/page.tsx
index eb53e37..1e303b6 100644
--- a/app/compare/page.tsx
+++ b/app/compare/page.tsx
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import { IBeamIcon } from "@/components/ui/ibeam-icon";
 import { StateSelector } from "@/components/compare/state-selector";
 import { ComparisonTable } from "@/components/compare/comparison-table";
 import { ComparisonSummary } from "@/components/compare/comparison-summary";
-import { STATE_REGISTRY } from "@/content/state-registry";
+import { STATE_INDEX } from "@/content/state-index";
 
 const LS_KEY = "ironforge_compare_states";
 
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ function loadSelected(): string[] {
     if (!Array.isArray(parsed)) return [];
     return parsed
       .filter((c): c is string => typeof c === "string" && /^[A-Z]{2}$/.test(c))
-      .filter((c) => !!STATE_REGISTRY[c])
+      .filter((c) => !!STATE_INDEX[c])
       .slice(0, 3);
   } catch {
     return [];
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ export default function ComparePage() {
             <p className="text-xs">
               Comparing:{" "}
               {selected
-                .map((c) => STATE_REGISTRY[c]?.name ?? c)
+                .map((c) => STATE_INDEX[c]?.name ?? c)
                 .join(" vs. ")}
             </p>
           )}
diff --git a/app/wizard/summary/page.tsx b/app/wizard/summary/page.tsx
index 182fe9b..66d5791 100644
--- a/app/wizard/summary/page.tsx
+++ b/app/wizard/summary/page.tsx
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import { PHASE_DEFINITIONS, getPhaseContent } from "@/content/phases";
 import type { StateCode } from "@/content/phases";
 import type { UserState } from "@/lib/types/wizard";
 import { DEFAULT_STATE } from "@/lib/types/wizard";
-import { STATE_REGISTRY } from "@/content/state-registry";
+import { STATE_INDEX } from "@/content/state-index";
 import {
   toProgressJson,
   toProgressCsv,
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ export default function SummaryPage() {
   if (!loaded || !userState.profile.state || !summary) return null;
 
   const stateCode = userState.profile.state as StateCode;
-  const stateData = STATE_REGISTRY[stateCode];
+  const stateData = STATE_INDEX[stateCode];
 
   const buildExport = (): ProgressExport => ({
     generatedAt: new Date().toISOString(),
diff --git a/components/capability/cap-statement-form.tsx b/components/capability/cap-statement-form.tsx
index 25de56b..12c8d73 100644
--- a/components/capability/cap-statement-form.tsx
+++ b/components/capability/cap-statement-form.tsx
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import {
   SUGGESTED_NAICS,
   emptyPastProject,
 } from "@/lib/types/cap-statement";
-import { STATE_REGISTRY } from "@/content/state-registry";
+import { STATE_INDEX } from "@/content/state-index";
 import { Plus, Trash2, Upload, X } from "lucide-react";
 
 interface Props {
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ export function CapStatementForm({ data, onChange }: Props) {
     reader.readAsDataURL(file);
   }
 
-  const states = Object.values(STATE_REGISTRY).sort((a, b) =>
+  const states = Object.values(STATE_INDEX).sort((a, b) =>
     a.name.localeCompare(b.name),
   );
 
diff --git a/components/compare/state-selector.tsx b/components/compare/state-selector.tsx
index 9dc1309..f5a52a8 100644
--- a/components/compare/state-selector.tsx
+++ b/components/compare/state-selector.tsx
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@
 // Copyright (C) 2026 Steel-Tech / StructuPath
 import { useMemo, useState } from "react";
 import { ChevronDown, Plus, X, Search } from "lucide-react";
-import { STATE_REGISTRY } from "@/content/state-registry";
+import { STATE_INDEX } from "@/content/state-index";
 
-const ALL_STATES = Object.values(STATE_REGISTRY).sort((a, b) =>
+const ALL_STATES = Object.values(STATE_INDEX).sort((a, b) =>
   a.name.localeCompare(b.name),
 );
 
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ export function StateSelector({
 
       <div className="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-3 gap-3">
         {slots.map((code, idx) => {
-          const state = code ? STATE_REGISTRY[code] : null;
+          const state = code ? STATE_INDEX[code] : null;
           const isOpen = openSlot === idx;
           const isAddSlot = !state;
           const disabled = isAddSlot && idx > selected.length;
diff --git a/components/estimator/estimate-results.tsx b/components/estimator/estimate-results.tsx
index 1976aec..41a1e15 100644
--- a/components/estimator/estimate-results.tsx
+++ b/components/estimator/estimate-results.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 // Copyright (C) 2026 Steel-Tech / StructuPath
 import { formatCurrency, formatCurrencyPrecise } from "@/lib/estimator/calculate";
 import type { EstimateInput, EstimateResult } from "@/lib/types/estimator";
-import { STATE_REGISTRY } from "@/content/state-registry";
+import { STATE_INDEX } from "@/content/state-index";
 
 interface Props {
   input: EstimateInput;
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ interface Props {
 export function EstimateResults({ input, result }: Props) {
   const { labor, materials, equipment, overhead, summary } = result;
   const stateName = input.state
-    ? STATE_REGISTRY[input.state]?.name || input.state
+    ? STATE_INDEX[input.state]?.name || input.state
     : "—";
 
   // Slice percentages for the stacked bar.
diff --git a/components/gc-directory/gc-search-filters.tsx b/components/gc-directory/gc-search-filters.tsx
index 2010502..a299f8a 100644
--- a/components/gc-directory/gc-search-filters.tsx
+++ b/components/gc-directory/gc-search-filters.tsx
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import {
   type ProjectType,
   type GcSize,
 } from "@/content/gc-directory";
-import { STATE_REGISTRY } from "@/content/state-registry";
+import { STATE_INDEX } from "@/content/state-index";
 
 export interface GcFilters {
   search: string;
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ interface GcSearchFiltersProps {
   resultCount: number;
 }
 
-const STATES = Object.values(STATE_REGISTRY).sort((a, b) =>
+const STATES = Object.values(STATE_INDEX).sort((a, b) =>
   a.name.localeCompare(b.name),
 );
 
diff --git a/components/onboarding/onboarding-chat.tsx b/components/onboarding/onboarding-chat.tsx
index 40b5949..9f02243 100644
--- a/components/onboarding/onboarding-chat.tsx
+++ b/components/onboarding/onboarding-chat.tsx
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import { MarkdownRenderer } from "@/components/ui/markdown-renderer";
 import { MatrixRain } from "@/components/ui/matrix-rain";
 import { TronGrid } from "@/components/ui/tron-grid";
 import { DecryptedText } from "@/components/ui/decrypted-text";
-import { STATE_REGISTRY } from "@/content/state-registry";
+import { STATE_INDEX } from "@/content/state-index";
 import { saveUserState } from "@/lib/store/user-profile";
 import type { UserProfile } from "@/lib/types/wizard";
 import { DEFAULT_PROFILE, DEFAULT_STATE } from "@/lib/types/wizard";
@@ -201,8 +201,8 @@ export function OnboardingChat({ onExit }: OnboardingChatProps) {
    */
   function fallbackQuestionFor(nextStage: Stage, updated: UserProfile): string {
     const stateName =
-      updated.state && STATE_REGISTRY[updated.state]
-        ? STATE_REGISTRY[updated.state].name
+      updated.state && STATE_INDEX[updated.state]
+        ? STATE_INDEX[updated.state].name
         : "";
     switch (nextStage) {
       case "experience":
@@ -224,8 +224,8 @@ export function OnboardingChat({ onExit }: OnboardingChatProps) {
 
   function buildSummary(p: UserProfile): string {
     const stateName =
-      p.state && STATE_REGISTRY[p.state]
-        ? STATE_REGISTRY[p.state].name
+      p.state && STATE_INDEX[p.state]
+        ? STATE_INDEX[p.state].name
         : "—";
     const lines = [
       "**Here's your profile:**",
diff --git a/components/wizard/progress-sidebar.tsx b/components/wizard/progress-sidebar.tsx
index af72bed..cfc66be 100644
--- a/components/wizard/progress-sidebar.tsx
+++ b/components/wizard/progress-sidebar.tsx
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 import { PHASE_DEFINITIONS, getPhaseContent } from "@/content/phases";
 import type { StateCode } from "@/content/phases";
 import type { WizardProgress } from "@/lib/types/wizard";
-import { STATE_REGISTRY } from "@/content/state-registry";
+import { STATE_INDEX } from "@/content/state-index";
 import Link from "next/link";
 import { ChevronLeft, ChevronRight, Check, Circle, GitCompare } from "lucide-react";
 import { IBeamIcon } from "@/components/ui/ibeam-icon";
@@ -177,8 +177,8 @@ export function ProgressSidebar({
           </Link>
           <div className="flex items-center justify-between text-[10px] font-mono text-text-muted">
             <span>
-              {STATE_REGISTRY[userState]
-                ? `${STATE_REGISTRY[userState].emoji} ${STATE_REGISTRY[userState].name.toUpperCase()}`
+              {STATE_INDEX[userState]
+                ? `${STATE_INDEX[userState].emoji} ${STATE_INDEX[userState].name.toUpperCase()}`
                 : userState}
             </span>
             <Link
diff --git a/content/state-index.test.ts b/content/state-index.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d7e2be2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/content/state-index.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+// Copyright (C) 2026 Steel-Tech / StructuPath
+import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest";
+import { STATE_REGISTRY } from "@/content/state-registry";
+import { STATE_INDEX, STATE_LIST } from "@/content/state-index";
+
+// state-index.ts is GENERATED from the registry (scripts/gen-state-index.ts).
+// These tests fail if it drifts — e.g. a state added to the registry without
+// regenerating the index — so the lightweight client copy can't go stale.
+describe("state-index sync with state-registry", () => {
+  it("covers exactly the same state codes", () => {
+    expect(Object.keys(STATE_INDEX).sort()).toEqual(
+      Object.keys(STATE_REGISTRY).sort(),
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("matches code/name/emoji for every state", () => {
+    for (const [code, data] of Object.entries(STATE_REGISTRY)) {
+      expect(STATE_INDEX[code]).toEqual({
+        code: data.code,
+        name: data.name,
+        emoji: data.emoji,
+      });
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("STATE_LIST holds every state, sorted by name", () => {
+    expect(STATE_LIST).toHaveLength(Object.keys(STATE_REGISTRY).length);
+    const names = STATE_LIST.map((s) => s.name);
+    expect(names).toEqual([...names].sort((a, b) => a.localeCompare(b)));
+  });
+});
diff --git a/content/state-index.ts b/content/state-index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..56e847e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/content/state-index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+// Copyright (C) 2026 Steel-Tech / StructuPath
+//
+// GENERATED from content/state-registry.ts — do not edit by hand.
+// A lightweight {code, name, emoji} index for dropdowns and name/emoji display.
+// Components that don't need full StateData import this instead of the registry,
+// keeping the ~26KB registry data out of their client bundles.
+// Regenerate: npx tsx scripts/gen-state-index.ts
+// content/state-index.test.ts asserts this stays in sync with the registry.
+
+export interface StateSummary {
+  code: string;
+  name: string;
+  emoji: string;
+}
+
+export const STATE_INDEX: Record<string, StateSummary> = {
+  AK: { code: "AK", name: "Alaska", emoji: "🐻" },
+  AL: { code: "AL", name: "Alabama", emoji: "🏈" },
+  AR: { code: "AR", name: "Arkansas", emoji: "💎" },
+  AZ: { code: "AZ", name: "Arizona", emoji: "🌵" },
+  CA: { code: "CA", name: "California", emoji: "🌴" },
+  CO: { code: "CO", name: "Colorado", emoji: "⛰️" },
+  CT: { code: "CT", name: "Connecticut", emoji: "🏛️" },
+  DE: { code: "DE", name: "Delaware", emoji: "🦀" },
+  FL: { code: "FL", name: "Florida", emoji: "🌞" },
+  GA: { code: "GA", name: "Georgia", emoji: "🍑" },
+  HI: { code: "HI", name: "Hawaii", emoji: "🌺" },
+  IA: { code: "IA", name: "Iowa", emoji: "🌽" },
+  ID: { code: "ID", name: "Idaho", emoji: "🥔" },
+  IL: { code: "IL", name: "Illinois", emoji: "🏙️" },
+  IN: { code: "IN", name: "Indiana", emoji: "🏎️" },
+  KS: { code: "KS", name: "Kansas", emoji: "🌻" },
+  KY: { code: "KY", name: "Kentucky", emoji: "🐴" },
+  LA: { code: "LA", name: "Louisiana", emoji: "⚜️" },
+  MA: { code: "MA", name: "Massachusetts", emoji: "🎓" },
+  MD: { code: "MD", name: "Maryland", emoji: "🦀" },
+  ME: { code: "ME", name: "Maine", emoji: "🦞" },
+  MI: { code: "MI", name: "Michigan", emoji: "🏗️" },
+  MN: { code: "MN", name: "Minnesota", emoji: "❄️" },
+  MO: { code: "MO", name: "Missouri", emoji: "🏛️" },
+  MS: { code: "MS", name: "Mississippi", emoji: "🎸" },
+  MT: { code: "MT", name: "Montana", emoji: "🦌" },
+  NC: { code: "NC", name: "North Carolina", emoji: "🏔️" },
+  ND: { code: "ND", name: "North Dakota", emoji: "🦬" },
+  NE: { code: "NE", name: "Nebraska", emoji: "🌾" },
+  NH: { code: "NH", name: "New Hampshire", emoji: "🏔️" },
+  NJ: { code: "NJ", name: "New Jersey", emoji: "🏖️" },
+  NM: { code: "NM", name: "New Mexico", emoji: "🌶️" },
+  NV: { code: "NV", name: "Nevada", emoji: "🎰" },
+  NY: { code: "NY", name: "New York", emoji: "🗽" },
+  OH: { code: "OH", name: "Ohio", emoji: "🏈" },
+  OK: { code: "OK", name: "Oklahoma", emoji: "🌪️" },
+  OR: { code: "OR", name: "Oregon", emoji: "🌲" },
+  PA: { code: "PA", name: "Pennsylvania", emoji: "🔔" },
+  RI: { code: "RI", name: "Rhode Island", emoji: "⛵" },
+  SC: { code: "SC", name: "South Carolina", emoji: "🌴" },
+  SD: { code: "SD", name: "South Dakota", emoji: "🏔️" },
+  TN: { code: "TN", name: "Tennessee", emoji: "🎸" },
+  TX: { code: "TX", name: "Texas", emoji: "🤠" },
+  UT: { code: "UT", name: "Utah", emoji: "🏜️" },
+  VA: { code: "VA", name: "Virginia", emoji: "🏛️" },
+  VT: { code: "VT", name: "Vermont", emoji: "🍁" },
+  WA: { code: "WA", name: "Washington", emoji: "🌲" },
+  WI: { code: "WI", name: "Wisconsin", emoji: "🧀" },
+  WV: { code: "WV", name: "West Virginia", emoji: "⛏️" },
+  WY: { code: "WY", name: "Wyoming", emoji: "🤠" },
+};
+
+/** All states, sorted by name — for dropdowns. */
+export const STATE_LIST: StateSummary[] = Object.values(STATE_INDEX).sort(
+  (a, b) => a.name.localeCompare(b.name),
+);
diff --git a/scripts/gen-state-index.ts b/scripts/gen-state-index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6d39570
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/gen-state-index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+// Copyright (C) 2026 Steel-Tech / StructuPath
+//
+// Generates content/state-index.ts — a standalone lightweight {code, name,
+// emoji} index — from the full STATE_REGISTRY. Run: npx tsx scripts/gen-state-index.ts
+import { writeFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import { STATE_REGISTRY } from "../content/state-registry";
+
+const entries = Object.values(STATE_REGISTRY)
+  .sort((a, b) => a.code.localeCompare(b.code))
+  .map(
+    (s) =>
+      `  ${s.code}: { code: ${JSON.stringify(s.code)}, name: ${JSON.stringify(
+        s.name,
+      )}, emoji: ${JSON.stringify(s.emoji)} },`,
+  )
+  .join("\n");
+
+const out = `// SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later
+// Copyright (C) 2026 Steel-Tech / StructuPath
+//
+// GENERATED from content/state-registry.ts — do not edit by hand.
+// A lightweight {code, name, emoji} index for dropdowns and name/emoji display.
+// Components that don't need full StateData import this instead of the registry,
+// keeping the ~26KB registry data out of their client bundles.
+// Regenerate: npx tsx scripts/gen-state-index.ts
+// content/state-index.test.ts asserts this stays in sync with the registry.
+
+export interface StateSummary {
+  code: string;
+  name: string;
+  emoji: string;
+}
+
+export const STATE_INDEX: Record<string, StateSummary> = {
+${entries}
+};
+
+/** All states, sorted by name — for dropdowns. */
+export const STATE_LIST: StateSummary[] = Object.values(STATE_INDEX).sort(
+  (a, b) => a.name.localeCompare(b.name),
+);
+`;
+
+writeFileSync(new URL("../content/state-index.ts", import.meta.url), out);
+console.log(
+  `Wrote content/state-index.ts with ${Object.keys(STATE_REGISTRY).length} states`,
+);