diff --git a/app/models/address.rb b/app/models/address.rb
index 0b867ddf1..116ebad99 100644
--- a/app/models/address.rb
+++ b/app/models/address.rb
@@ -6,14 +6,11 @@ class Address < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   validates :address_1,
             :city,
-            :state_province,
             :postal_code,
             :country,
             presence: { message: I18n.t('errors.messages.blank_for_address') }
 
-  validates :state_province,
-            presence: { message: I18n.t('errors.messages.blank_for_address') },
-            state_province: true
+  validates :state_province, state_province: true
 
   validates :country, length: { maximum: 2, minimum: 2 }
 
diff --git a/app/models/mail_address.rb b/app/models/mail_address.rb
index eb0ae639f..343d99344 100644
--- a/app/models/mail_address.rb
+++ b/app/models/mail_address.rb
@@ -6,15 +6,12 @@ class MailAddress < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   validates :address_1,
             :city,
-            :state_province,
             :postal_code,
             :country,
             :location,
             presence: { message: I18n.t('errors.messages.blank_for_mail_address') }
 
-  validates :state_province,
-            presence: { message: I18n.t('errors.messages.blank_for_address') },
-            state_province: true
+  validates :state_province, state_province: true
 
   validates :country, length: { maximum: 2, minimum: 2 }
 
diff --git a/app/validators/state_province_validator.rb b/app/validators/state_province_validator.rb
index c29faedf4..91cfa22d9 100644
--- a/app/validators/state_province_validator.rb
+++ b/app/validators/state_province_validator.rb
@@ -2,11 +2,10 @@ class StateProvinceValidator < ActiveModel::EachValidator
   COUNTRIES_NEEDING_VALIDATION = %w(US CA).freeze
 
   def validate_each(record, attribute, value)
-    return if value.blank?
     return unless COUNTRIES_NEEDING_VALIDATION.include?(record.country)
     default_message = I18n.t('errors.messages.invalid_state_province')
 
-    unless value.size == 2
+    unless value.present? && value.size == 2
       record.errors[attribute] << (options[:message] || default_message)
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/features/admin/locations/update_address_spec.rb b/spec/features/admin/locations/update_address_spec.rb
index 097c3bed7..fe7a4addf 100644
--- a/spec/features/admin/locations/update_address_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/admin/locations/update_address_spec.rb
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
     update_street_address(address_1: '123', city: 'fair', state_province: '',
                           postal_code: '12345', country: 'US')
     click_button 'Save changes'
-    expect(page).to have_content "State can't be blank for Address"
+    expect(page).to have_content t('errors.messages.invalid_state_province')
   end
 
   scenario 'with an empty zip' do
diff --git a/spec/features/admin/locations/update_mail_address_spec.rb b/spec/features/admin/locations/update_mail_address_spec.rb
index eea5efd06..d3c7e6bae 100644
--- a/spec/features/admin/locations/update_mail_address_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/admin/locations/update_mail_address_spec.rb
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@
     update_mailing_address(address_1: '123', city: 'fair', state_province: '',
                            postal_code: '12345', country: 'US')
     click_button 'Save changes'
-    expect(page).to have_content "State can't be blank for Mail Address"
+    expect(page).to have_content t('errors.messages.invalid_state_province')
   end
 
   scenario 'with an empty zip' do
diff --git a/spec/models/address_spec.rb b/spec/models/address_spec.rb
index b559e0b57..d46f2a562 100644
--- a/spec/models/address_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/address_spec.rb
@@ -16,7 +16,10 @@
 
   it { is_expected.to validate_presence_of(:address_1).with_message("can't be blank for Address") }
   it { is_expected.to validate_presence_of(:city).with_message("can't be blank for Address") }
-  it { is_expected.to validate_presence_of(:state_province).with_message("can't be blank for Address") }
+  it do
+    is_expected.to validate_presence_of(:state_province).
+      with_message(t('errors.messages.invalid_state_province'))
+  end
   it { is_expected.to validate_presence_of(:postal_code).with_message("can't be blank for Address") }
   it { is_expected.to validate_presence_of(:country).with_message("can't be blank for Address") }
 
@@ -93,12 +96,11 @@
     end
 
     context 'when country is not CA or US' do
-      it 'validates presence' do
-        address = build(:address, country: 'UK', state_province: '')
+      it 'does not validate presence' do
+        address = build(:address, country: 'ES', state_province: '')
         address.save
 
-        expect(address.errors[:state_province].first).
-          to eq t('errors.messages.blank_for_address')
+        expect(address.errors[:state_province]).to be_empty
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/models/mail_address_spec.rb b/spec/models/mail_address_spec.rb
index 4025a55a1..2c1a5c600 100644
--- a/spec/models/mail_address_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/mail_address_spec.rb
@@ -17,7 +17,10 @@
 
   it { is_expected.to validate_presence_of(:address_1).with_message("can't be blank for Mail Address") }
   it { is_expected.to validate_presence_of(:city).with_message("can't be blank for Mail Address") }
-  it { is_expected.to validate_presence_of(:state_province).with_message("can't be blank for Mail Address") }
+  it do
+    is_expected.to validate_presence_of(:state_province).
+      with_message(t('errors.messages.invalid_state_province'))
+  end
   it { is_expected.to validate_presence_of(:postal_code).with_message("can't be blank for Mail Address") }
   it { is_expected.to validate_presence_of(:country).with_message("can't be blank for Mail Address") }
 
@@ -87,12 +90,11 @@
     end
 
     context 'when country is not CA or US' do
-      it 'validates presence' do
+      it 'does not validate presence' do
         mail_address = build(:mail_address, country: 'UK', state_province: '')
         mail_address.save
 
-        expect(mail_address.errors[:state_province].first).
-          to eq t('errors.messages.blank_for_mail_address')
+        expect(mail_address.errors[:state_province]).to be_empty
       end
     end
   end