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Putnam
Tax Exempt Income
Funds


Prospectus

9 | 30 | 23







FUND SYMBOLS CLASS A CLASS B CLASS C CLASS R6 CLASS Y
Putnam Massachusetts Tax Exempt Income Fund PXMAX PMABX PMMCX PMATX PMAYX
Putnam Minnesota Tax Exempt Income Fund PXMNX PMTBX PMOCX PMVTX PMNYX
Putnam New Jersey Tax Exempt Income Fund PTNJX PNJBX PNJCX PNJRX PNJYX
Putnam Ohio Tax Exempt Income Fund PXOHX POXBX POOCX POHRX POTYX
Putnam Pennsylvania Tax Exempt Income Fund PTEPX PPNBX PPNCX PPTRX PPTYX




Fund summaries 2
What are each fund’s main investment strategies and related risks? 27
Who oversees and manages the funds? 36
How do the funds price their shares? 38
How do I buy fund shares? 38
How do I sell or exchange fund shares? 47
Policy on excessive short-term trading 50
Distribution plan and payments to dealers 52
Fund distributions and taxes 54
Financial highlights 56
Appendix 68




Investment Category: Tax-Exempt

This prospectus explains what you should know about these mutual funds before you invest. Please read it carefully.

These securities have not been approved or disapproved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) nor has the SEC passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any statement to the contrary is a crime.



 



Fund summaries



Putnam MASSACHUSETTS Tax Exempt Income Fund

Goal

Putnam Massachusetts Tax Exempt Income Fund seeks as high a level of current income exempt from federal income tax and Massachusetts personal income tax as we believe is consistent with preservation of capital.

Fees and expenses

The following tables describe the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Putnam funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How do I buy fund shares? beginning on page 38 of the fund’s prospectus, in the Appendix to the fund’s prospectus, and in How to buy shares beginning on page II-1 of the fund’s statement of additional information (SAI).

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Share class Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption proceeds, whichever is lower)
Class A 4.00% 1.00%*
Class B None 5.00%**
Class C None 1.00%***
Class R6 None None
Class Y None None

Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Share class Management fees Distribution and service (12b-1) fees Other
expenses
Total annual fund operating
expenses
Class A 0.43% 0.25% 0.14% 0.82%
Class B 0.43% 0.85% 0.14% 1.42%
Class C 0.43% 1.00% 0.14% 1.57%
Class R6 0.43% 0.13% 0.56%
Class Y 0.43% 0.14% 0.57%
* Applies only to certain redemptions of shares bought with no initial sales charge.
** This charge is phased out over six years.
*** This charge is eliminated after one year.
2    Prospectus



 



Example

The following hypothetical example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then, except as indicated, redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. It assumes a 5% return on your investment each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Share class 1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class A $480 $651 $837 $1,373
Class B $645 $749 $976 $1,539
Class B (no redemption) $145 $449 $776 $1,539
Class C $260 $496 $855 $1,666
Class C (no redemption) $160 $496 $855 $1,666
Class R6 $57 $179 $313 $701
Class Y $58 $183 $318 $714

Portfolio turnover

The fund pays transaction-related costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when the fund’s shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or the above example, affect fund performance. The fund’s turnover rate in the most recent fiscal year was 21%.

Investments, risks, and performance

Investments

We invest mainly in bonds that pay interest that is exempt from federal income tax and Massachusetts personal income tax (but that may be subject to federal alternative minimum tax (AMT)), are investment-grade in quality, and have intermediate- to long-term maturities (i.e., three years or longer). Under normal circumstances, we invest at least 80% of the fund’s net assets in tax-exempt investments. Tax-exempt investments are issued by or for states, territories or possessions of the United States or by their political subdivisions, agencies, authorities or other government entities, and the income from these investments is exempt from both federal and Massachusetts personal income tax. This investment policy cannot be changed without the approval of the fund’s shareholders. We may consider, among other factors, credit, interest rate and prepayment risks, as well as general market conditions, when deciding whether to buy or sell investments.

Risks

It is important to understand that you can lose money by investing in the fund.

Prospectus    3



 



The value of investments in the fund’s portfolio may fall or fail to rise over extended periods of time for a variety of reasons, including general economic, political or financial market conditions, investor sentiment and market perceptions, government actions, geopolitical events or changes, outbreaks of infectious illnesses or other widespread public health issues, and factors related to a specific issuer, geography, industry or sector. These and other factors may lead to increased volatility and reduced liquidity in the fund’s portfolio holdings, may negatively impact the fund’s performance, and may exacerbate other risks to which the fund is subject.

The risks associated with bond investments include interest rate risk, which is the risk that the value of the fund’s investments is likely to fall if interest rates rise. Bond investments also are subject to credit risk, which is the risk that the issuers of the fund’s investments may default on payment of interest or principal. Bond investments may be more susceptible to downgrades or defaults during economic downturns or other periods of economic stress. Interest rate risk is generally greater for longer-term bonds, and credit risk is generally greater for below-investment-grade bonds, which can be more sensitive to changes in markets, credit conditions, and interest rates, and may be considered speculative. Since the fund invests in tax-exempt bonds, which, to be treated as tax-exempt under the Internal Revenue Code, may be issued only by limited types of issuers for limited types of projects, the fund’s investments may be focused in certain market segments. Consequently, the fund may be more vulnerable to fluctuations in the values of the securities it holds than a fund that invests more broadly. The fund’s performance will be closely tied to the economic and political conditions in Massachusetts, and can be more volatile than the performance of a more geographically diversified fund. To the extent the fund invests in securities of issuers located outside of Massachusetts, the fund may also be exposed to the risks affecting other states. Interest the fund receives might be taxable.

There is no guarantee that the investment techniques, analyses, or judgments that we apply in making investment decisions for the fund will produce the intended outcome or that the investments we select for the fund will perform as well as other securities that were not selected for the fund. We, or the fund’s other service providers, may experience disruptions or operating errors that could negatively impact the fund.

The fund may not achieve its goal, and it is not intended to be a complete investment program. An investment in the fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Performance

The performance information below gives some indication of the risks associated with an investment in the fund by showing the fund’s performance year to year and over time. The bar chart does not reflect the impact of sales charges. If it did, performance would be lower. Please remember that past performance is not necessarily an indication of future results. Monthly performance figures for the fund are available at putnam.com.

4    Prospectus



 



Annual total returns for class A shares before sales charges

Year-to-date performance through 6/30/23 2.69%

Best calendar quarter 12/31/22 3.95%

Worst calendar quarter 3/31/22 -6.08%

p5teifproreturnschart.jpg

Year-to-date performance
through 6/30/23
2.69%
Best calendar quarter
Q4 2022
3.95%
Worst calendar quarter
Q1 2022
-6.08%

Average annual total returns after sales charges (for periods ended 12/31/22)

Share class 1 year 5 years 10 years
Class A before taxes -13.67% -0.33% 0.98%
Class A after taxes on distributions -13.67% -0.34% 0.95%
Class A after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares -7.28% 0.30% 1.35%
Class B before taxes -14.94% -0.49% 0.89%
Class C before taxes -11.61% -0.27% 0.76%
Class R6 before taxes* -9.82% 0.74% 1.63%
Class Y before taxes -9.80% 0.73% 1.62%
Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index (no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) -8.53% 1.25% 2.13%
* Performance for class R6 shares prior to their inception (5/22/18) is derived from the historical performance of class Y shares and has not been adjusted for the lower investor servicing fees applicable to class R6 shares; had it, returns would have been higher.
All Bloomberg indices are provided by Bloomberg Index Services Limited.
BLOOMBERG® is a trademark and service mark of Bloomberg Finance L.P. and its affiliates (collectively “Bloomberg”). Bloomberg or Bloomberg’s licensors, own all proprietary rights in the Bloomberg Indices. Neither Bloomberg nor Bloomberg’s licensors approve or endorse this material, or guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information herein, or make any warranty, express or implied, as to the results to be obtained therefrom, and to the maximum extent allowed by law, neither shall have any liability or responsibility for injury or damages arising in connection therewith.
After-tax returns reflect the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are shown for class A shares only and will vary for other classes. These after-tax returns do not apply if you hold your fund shares through a 401(k) plan, an IRA, or another tax-advantaged arrangement.
Class B and C share performance reflects conversion to class A shares after eight years.
Prospectus    5



 



Your fund’s management

Investment advisor

Putnam Investment Management, LLC

Portfolio managers

Paul Drury
Portfolio Manager, portfolio manager
of the fund since 2002

Garrett Hamilton
Portfolio Manager, portfolio manager
of the fund since 2016

Sub-advisor

Putnam Investments Limited*

* Though the investment advisor has retained the services of Putnam Investments Limited (PIL), PIL does not currently manage any assets of the fund.

On May 31, 2023, Franklin Resources, Inc. (“Franklin Resources”) and Great-West Lifeco Inc., the parent company of Putnam U.S. Holdings I, LLC (“Putnam Holdings”), announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for a subsidiary of Franklin Resources to acquire Putnam Holdings in a stock and cash transaction.

As part of this transaction, Putnam Investment Management, LLC (“Putnam Management”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Putnam Holdings and investment manager to the Putnam family of funds (the “Putnam Funds”), including your fund, would become an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Franklin Resources.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of applicable regulatory approvals. Subject to such approvals and the satisfaction of these conditions, the transaction is currently expected to be consummated in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, consummation of the transaction will result in the automatic termination of the investment management contract between each Putnam Fund and Putnam Management and any related sub-management and sub-advisory contracts, where applicable. In anticipation of this automatic termination, on June 23, 2023, the Board of Trustees of the Putnam Funds approved a new investment management contract between each Putnam Fund and Putnam Management (and new sub-management and sub-advisory contracts, if applicable), which will be presented to the shareholders of each Putnam Fund for their approval at shareholder meetings currently expected to occur in October 2023. Proxy solicitation materials related to these meetings have been made available to shareholders that held shares of the fund at the close of business on July 24, 2023.

For important information about the purchase and sale of fund shares, tax information, and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to Important Additional Information About All Funds beginning on page 26.

6    Prospectus



 





Putnam MINNESOTA Tax Exempt Income Fund

Goal

Putnam Minnesota Tax Exempt Income Fund seeks as high a level of current income exempt from federal income tax and Minnesota personal income tax as we believe is consistent with preservation of capital.

Fees and expenses

The following tables describe the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Putnam funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How do I buy fund shares? beginning on page 38 of the fund’s prospectus, in the Appendix to the fund’s prospectus, and in How to buy shares beginning on page II-1 of the fund’s statement of additional information (SAI).

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Share class Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption proceeds, whichever is lower)
Class A 4.00% 1.00%*
Class B None 5.00%**
Class C None 1.00%***
Class R6 None None
Class Y None None

Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Share class Management fees Distribution and service (12b-1) fees Other
expenses
Total annual fund operating
expenses
Class A 0.43% 0.25% 0.22% 0.90%
Class B 0.43% 0.85% 0.22% 1.50%
Class C 0.43% 1.00% 0.22% 1.65%
Class R6 0.43% 0.17% 0.60%
Class Y 0.43% 0.22% 0.65%
* Applies only to certain redemptions of shares bought with no initial sales charge.
** This charge is phased out over six years.
*** This charge is eliminated after one year.
Prospectus    7



 



Example

The following hypothetical example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then, except as indicated, redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. It assumes a 5% return on your investment each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Share class 1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class A $488 $676 $879 $1,464
Class B $653 $774 $1,018 $1,628
Class B (no redemption) $153 $474 $818 $1,628
Class C $268 $520 $897 $1,754
Class C (no redemption) $168 $520 $897 $1,754
Class R6 $61 $192 $335 $750
Class Y $66 $208 $362 $810

Portfolio turnover

The fund pays transaction-related costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when the fund’s shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or the above example, affect fund performance. The fund’s turnover rate in the most recent fiscal year was 16%.

Investments, risks, and performance

Investments

We invest mainly in bonds that pay interest that is exempt from federal income tax and Minnesota personal income tax (but that may be subject to federal alternative minimum tax (AMT)), are investment-grade in quality, and have intermediate- to long-term maturities (i.e., three years or longer). Under normal circumstances, we invest at least 80% of the fund’s net assets in tax-exempt investments. Tax-exempt investments are issued by or for states, territories or possessions of the United States or by their political subdivisions, agencies, authorities or other government entities, and the income from these investments is exempt from both federal and Minnesota personal income tax. This investment policy cannot be changed without the approval of the fund’s shareholders. We may consider, among other factors, credit, interest rate and prepayment risks, as well as general market conditions, when deciding whether to buy or sell investments.

Risks

It is important to understand that you can lose money by investing in the fund.

8    Prospectus



 



The value of investments in the fund’s portfolio may fall or fail to rise over extended periods of time for a variety of reasons, including general economic, political or financial market conditions, investor sentiment and market perceptions, government actions, geopolitical events or changes, outbreaks of infectious illnesses or other widespread public health issues, and factors related to a specific issuer, geography, industry or sector. These and other factors may lead to increased volatility and reduced liquidity in the fund’s portfolio holdings, may negatively impact the fund’s performance, and may exacerbate other risks to which the fund is subject.

The risks associated with bond investments include interest rate risk, which is the risk that the value of the fund’s investments is likely to fall if interest rates rise. Bond investments also are subject to credit risk, which is the risk that the issuers of the fund’s investments may default on payment of interest or principal. Bond investments may be more susceptible to downgrades or defaults during economic downturns or other periods of economic stress. Interest rate risk is generally greater for longer-term bonds, and credit risk is generally greater for below-investment-grade bonds, which can be more sensitive to changes in markets, credit conditions, and interest rates, and may be considered speculative. Since the fund invests in tax-exempt bonds, which, to be treated as tax-exempt under the Internal Revenue Code, may be issued only by limited types of issuers for limited types of projects, the fund’s investments may be focused in certain market segments. Consequently, the fund may be more vulnerable to fluctuations in the values of the securities it holds than a fund that invests more broadly. The fund’s performance will be closely tied to the economic and political conditions in Minnesota, and can be more volatile than the performance of a more geographically diversified fund. To the extent the fund invests in securities of issuers located outside of Minnesota, the fund may also be exposed to the risks affecting other states. Interest the fund receives might be taxable.

There is no guarantee that the investment techniques, analyses, or judgments that we apply in making investment decisions for the fund will produce the intended outcome or that the investments we select for the fund will perform as well as other securities that were not selected for the fund. We, or the fund’s other service providers, may experience disruptions or operating errors that could negatively impact the fund.

The fund may not achieve its goal, and it is not intended to be a complete investment program. An investment in the fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Performance

The performance information below gives some indication of the risks associated with an investment in the fund by showing the fund’s performance year to year and over time. The bar chart does not reflect the impact of sales charges. If it did, performance would be lower. Please remember that past performance is not necessarily an indication of future results. Monthly performance figures for the fund are available at putnam.com.

Prospectus    9



 



Annual total returns for class A shares before sales charges

Year-to-date performance through 6/30/23 2.29%

Best calendar quarter 12/31/22 3.75%

Worst calendar quarter 3/31/22 -5.29%

p10teifproreturnschart.jpg

Year-to-date performance
through 6/30/23
2.29%
Best calendar quarter
Q4 2022
3.75%
Worst calendar quarter
Q1 2022
-5.29%

Average annual total returns after sales charges (for periods ended 12/31/22)

Share class 1 year 5 years 10 years
Class A before taxes -12.15% -0.18% 1.11%
Class A after taxes on distributions -12.15% -0.24% 1.06%
Class A after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares -6.45% 0.34% 1.42%
Class B before taxes -13.47% -0.33% 1.03%
Class C before taxes -10.01% -0.11% 0.89%
Class R6 before taxes* -8.22% 0.90% 1.79%
Class Y before taxes -8.14% 0.88% 1.77%
Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index (no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) -8.53% 1.25% 2.13%
* Performance for class R6 shares prior to their inception (5/22/18) is derived from the historical performance of class Y shares and has not been adjusted for the lower investor servicing fees applicable to class R6 shares; had it, returns would have been higher.
All Bloomberg indices are provided by Bloomberg Index Services Limited.
BLOOMBERG® is a trademark and service mark of Bloomberg Finance L.P. and its affiliates (collectively “Bloomberg”). Bloomberg or Bloomberg’s licensors, own all proprietary rights in the Bloomberg Indices. Neither Bloomberg nor Bloomberg’s licensors approve or endorse this material, or guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information herein, or make any warranty, express or implied, as to the results to be obtained therefrom, and to the maximum extent allowed by law, neither shall have any liability or responsibility for injury or damages arising in connection therewith.
After-tax returns reflect the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are shown for class A shares only and will vary for other classes. These after-tax returns do not apply if you hold your fund shares through a 401(k) plan, an IRA, or another tax-advantaged arrangement.
Class B and C share performance reflects conversion to class A shares after eight years.
10    Prospectus



 



Your fund’s management

Investment advisor

Putnam Investment Management, LLC

Portfolio managers

Paul Drury
Portfolio Manager, portfolio manager
of the fund since 2002

Garrett Hamilton
Portfolio Manager, portfolio manager
of the fund since 2016

Sub-advisor

Putnam Investments Limited*

* Though the investment advisor has retained the services of Putnam Investments Limited (PIL), PIL does not currently manage any assets of the fund.

On May 31, 2023, Franklin Resources, Inc. (“Franklin Resources”) and Great-West Lifeco Inc., the parent company of Putnam U.S. Holdings I, LLC (“Putnam Holdings”), announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for a subsidiary of Franklin Resources to acquire Putnam Holdings in a stock and cash transaction.

As part of this transaction, Putnam Investment Management, LLC (“Putnam Management”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Putnam Holdings and investment manager to the Putnam family of funds (the “Putnam Funds”), including your fund, would become an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Franklin Resources.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of applicable regulatory approvals. Subject to such approvals and the satisfaction of these conditions, the transaction is currently expected to be consummated in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, consummation of the transaction will result in the automatic termination of the investment management contract between each Putnam Fund and Putnam Management and any related sub-management and sub-advisory contracts, where applicable. In anticipation of this automatic termination, on June 23, 2023, the Board of Trustees of the Putnam Funds approved a new investment management contract between each Putnam Fund and Putnam Management (and new sub-management and sub-advisory contracts, if applicable), which will be presented to the shareholders of each Putnam Fund for their approval at shareholder meetings currently expected to occur in October 2023. Proxy solicitation materials related to these meetings have been made available to shareholders that held shares of the fund at the close of business on July 24, 2023.

For important information about the purchase and sale of fund shares, tax information, and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to Important Additional Information About All Funds beginning on page 26.

Prospectus    11



 





Putnam NEW JERSEY Tax Exempt Income Fund

Goal

Putnam New Jersey Tax Exempt Income Fund seeks as high a level of current income exempt from federal income tax and New Jersey personal income tax as we believe is consistent with preservation of capital.

Fees and expenses

The following tables describe the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Putnam funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How do I buy fund shares? beginning on page 38 of the fund’s prospectus, in the Appendix to the fund’s prospectus, and in How to buy shares beginning on page II-1 of the fund’s statement of additional information (SAI).

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Share class Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption proceeds, whichever is lower)
Class A 4.00% 1.00%*
Class B None 5.00%**
Class C None 1.00%***
Class R6 None None
Class Y None None

Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Share class Management fees Distribution and service (12b-1) fees Other
expenses
Total annual fund operating
expenses
Class A 0.43% 0.25% 0.18% 0.86%
Class B 0.43% 0.85% 0.18% 1.46%
Class C 0.43% 1.00% 0.18% 1.61%
Class R6 0.43% 0.16% 0.59%
Class Y 0.43% 0.18% 0.61%
* Applies only to certain redemptions of shares bought with no initial sales charge.
** This charge is phased out over six years.
*** This charge is eliminated after one year.
12    Prospectus



 



Example

The following hypothetical example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then, except as indicated, redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. It assumes a 5% return on your investment each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Share class 1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class A $484 $663 $858 $1,418
Class B $649 $762 $997 $1,584
Class B (no redemption) $149 $462 $797 $1,584
Class C $264 $508 $876 $1,710
Class C (no redemption) $164 $508 $876 $1,710
Class R6 $60 $189 $329 $738
Class Y $62 $195 $340 $762

Portfolio turnover

The fund pays transaction-related costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when the fund’s shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or the above example, affect fund performance. The fund’s turnover rate in the most recent fiscal year was 18%.

Investments, risks, and performance

Investments

We invest mainly in bonds that pay interest that is exempt from federal income tax and New Jersey personal income tax (but that may be subject to federal alternative minimum tax (AMT)), are investment-grade in quality, and have intermediate- to long-term maturities (i.e., three years or longer). Under normal circumstances, we invest at least 80% of the fund’s net assets in tax-exempt investments. Tax-exempt investments are issued by or for states, territories or possessions of the United States or by their political subdivisions, agencies, authorities or other government entities, and the income from these investments is exempt from both federal and New Jersey personal income tax. This investment policy cannot be changed without the approval of the fund’s shareholders. We may consider, among other factors, credit, interest rate and prepayment risks, as well as general market conditions, when deciding whether to buy or sell investments.

Risks

It is important to understand that you can lose money by investing in the fund.

Prospectus    13



 



The value of investments in the fund’s portfolio may fall or fail to rise over extended periods of time for a variety of reasons, including general economic, political or financial market conditions, investor sentiment and market perceptions, government actions, geopolitical events or changes, outbreaks of infectious illnesses or other widespread public health issues, and factors related to a specific issuer, geography, industry or sector. These and other factors may lead to increased volatility and reduced liquidity in the fund’s portfolio holdings, may negatively impact the fund’s performance, and may exacerbate other risks to which the fund is subject.

The risks associated with bond investments include interest rate risk, which is the risk that the value of the fund’s investments is likely to fall if interest rates rise. Bond investments also are subject to credit risk, which is the risk that the issuers of the fund’s investments may default on payment of interest or principal. Bond investments may be more susceptible to downgrades or defaults during economic downturns or other periods of economic stress. Interest rate risk is generally greater for longer-term bonds, and credit risk is generally greater for below-investment-grade bonds, which can be more sensitive to changes in markets, credit conditions, and interest rates, and may be considered speculative. Since the fund invests in tax-exempt bonds, which, to be treated as tax-exempt under the Internal Revenue Code, may be issued only by limited types of issuers for limited types of projects, the fund’s investments may be focused in certain market segments. Consequently, the fund may be more vulnerable to fluctuations in the values of the securities it holds than a fund that invests more broadly. The fund’s performance will be closely tied to the economic and political conditions in New Jersey, and can be more volatile than the performance of a more geographically diversified fund. To the extent the fund invests in securities of issuers located outside of New Jersey, the fund may also be exposed to the risks affecting other states. Interest the fund receives might be taxable.

There is no guarantee that the investment techniques, analyses, or judgments that we apply in making investment decisions for the fund will produce the intended outcome or that the investments we select for the fund will perform as well as other securities that were not selected for the fund. We, or the fund’s other service providers, may experience disruptions or operating errors that could negatively impact the fund.

The fund may not achieve its goal, and it is not intended to be a complete investment program. An investment in the fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Performance

The performance information below gives some indication of the risks associated with an investment in the fund by showing the fund’s performance year to year and over time. The bar chart does not reflect the impact of sales charges. If it did, performance would be lower. Please remember that past performance is not necessarily an indication of future results. Monthly performance figures for the fund are available at putnam.com.

14    Prospectus



 



Annual total returns for class A shares before sales charges

Year-to-date performance through 6/30/23 2.89%

Best calendar quarter 12/31/22 4.41%

Worst calendar quarter 3/31/22 -5.89%

p15teifproreturnschart.jpg

Year-to-date performance
through 6/30/23
2.89%
Best calendar quarter
Q4 2022
4.41%
Worst calendar quarter
Q1 2022
-5.89%

Average annual total returns after sales charges (for periods ended 12/31/22)

Share class 1 year 5 years 10 years
Class A before taxes -12.43% 0.26% 1.22%
Class A after taxes on distributions -12.43% 0.24% 1.19%
Class A after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares -6.37% 0.84% 1.60%
Class B before taxes -13.80% 0.10% 1.13%
Class C before taxes -10.35% 0.32% 1.00%
Class R6 before taxes* -8.51% 1.35% 1.88%
Class Y before taxes -8.53% 1.33% 1.88%
Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index (no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) -8.53% 1.25% 2.13%
* Performance for class R6 shares prior to their inception (5/22/18) is derived from the historical performance of class Y shares and has not been adjusted for the lower investor servicing fees applicable to class R6 shares; had it, returns would have been higher.
All Bloomberg indices are provided by Bloomberg Index Services Limited.
BLOOMBERG® is a trademark and service mark of Bloomberg Finance L.P. and its affiliates (collectively “Bloomberg”). Bloomberg or Bloomberg’s licensors, own all proprietary rights in the Bloomberg Indices. Neither Bloomberg nor Bloomberg’s licensors approve or endorse this material, or guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information herein, or make any warranty, express or implied, as to the results to be obtained therefrom, and to the maximum extent allowed by law, neither shall have any liability or responsibility for injury or damages arising in connection therewith.
After-tax returns reflect the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are shown for class A shares only and will vary for other classes. These after-tax returns do not apply if you hold your fund shares through a 401(k) plan, an IRA, or another tax-advantaged arrangement.
Class B and C share performance reflects conversion to class A shares after eight years.
Prospectus    15



 



Your fund’s management

Investment advisor

Putnam Investment Management, LLC

Portfolio managers

Paul Drury
Portfolio Manager, portfolio manager
of the fund since 2002

Garrett Hamilton
Portfolio Manager, portfolio manager
of the fund since 2016

Sub-advisor

Putnam Investments Limited*

* Though the investment advisor has retained the services of Putnam Investments Limited (PIL), PIL does not currently manage any assets of the fund.

On May 31, 2023, Franklin Resources, Inc. (“Franklin Resources”) and Great-West Lifeco Inc., the parent company of Putnam U.S. Holdings I, LLC (“Putnam Holdings”), announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for a subsidiary of Franklin Resources to acquire Putnam Holdings in a stock and cash transaction.

As part of this transaction, Putnam Investment Management, LLC (“Putnam Management”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Putnam Holdings and investment manager to the Putnam family of funds (the “Putnam Funds”), including your fund, would become an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Franklin Resources.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of applicable regulatory approvals. Subject to such approvals and the satisfaction of these conditions, the transaction is currently expected to be consummated in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, consummation of the transaction will result in the automatic termination of the investment management contract between each Putnam Fund and Putnam Management and any related sub-management and sub-advisory contracts, where applicable. In anticipation of this automatic termination, on June 23, 2023, the Board of Trustees of the Putnam Funds approved a new investment management contract between each Putnam Fund and Putnam Management (and new sub-management and sub-advisory contracts, if applicable), which will be presented to the shareholders of each Putnam Fund for their approval at shareholder meetings currently expected to occur in October 2023. Proxy solicitation materials related to these meetings have been made available to shareholders that held shares of the fund at the close of business on July 24, 2023.

For important information about the purchase and sale of fund shares, tax information, and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to Important Additional Information About All Funds beginning on page 26.

16    Prospectus



 





Putnam OHIO Tax Exempt Income Fund

Goal

Putnam Ohio Tax Exempt Income Fund seeks as high a level of current income exempt from federal income tax and Ohio personal income tax as we believe is consistent with preservation of capital.

Fees and expenses

The following tables describe the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Putnam funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How do I buy fund shares? beginning on page 38 of the fund’s prospectus, in the Appendix to the fund’s prospectus, and in How to buy shares beginning on page II-1 of the fund’s statement of additional information (SAI).

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Share class Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption proceeds, whichever is lower)
Class A 4.00% 1.00%*
Class B None 5.00%**
Class C None 1.00%***
Class R6 None None
Class Y None None

Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Share class Management fees Distribution and service (12b-1) fees Other
expenses
Total annual fund operating
expenses
Class A 0.43% 0.25% 0.23% 0.91%
Class B 0.43% 0.85% 0.23% 1.51%
Class C 0.43% 1.00% 0.23% 1.66%
Class R6 0.43% 0.19% 0.62%
Class Y 0.43% 0.23% 0.66%
* Applies only to certain redemptions of shares bought with no initial sales charge.
** This charge is phased out over six years.
*** This charge is eliminated after one year.
Prospectus    17



 



Example

The following hypothetical example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then, except as indicated, redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. It assumes a 5% return on your investment each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Share class 1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class A $489 $679 $884 $1,475
Class B $654 $777 $1,024 $1,640
Class B (no redemption) $154 $477 $824 $1,640
Class C $269 $523 $902 $1,766
Class C (no redemption) $169 $523 $902 $1,766
Class R6 $63 $199 $346 $774
Class Y $67 $211 $368 $822

Portfolio turnover

The fund pays transaction-related costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when the fund’s shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or the above example, affect fund performance. The fund’s turnover rate in the most recent fiscal year was 23%.

Investments, risks, and performance

Investments

We invest mainly in bonds that pay interest that is exempt from federal income tax and Ohio personal income tax (but that may be subject to federal alternative minimum tax (AMT)), are investment-grade in quality, and have intermediate- to long-term maturities (i.e., three years or longer). Under normal circumstances, we invest at least 80% of the fund’s net assets in tax-exempt investments. Tax-exempt investments are issued by or for states, territories or possessions of the United States or by their political subdivisions, agencies, authorities or other government entities, and the income from these investments is exempt from both federal and Ohio personal income tax. This investment policy cannot be changed without the approval of the fund’s shareholders. We may consider, among other factors, credit, interest rate and prepayment risks, as well as general market conditions, when deciding whether to buy or sell investments.

Risks

It is important to understand that you can lose money by investing in the fund.

18    Prospectus



 



The value of investments in the fund’s portfolio may fall or fail to rise over extended periods of time for a variety of reasons, including general economic, political or financial market conditions, investor sentiment and market perceptions, government actions, geopolitical events or changes, outbreaks of infectious illnesses or other widespread public health issues, and factors related to a specific issuer, geography, industry or sector. These and other factors may lead to increased volatility and reduced liquidity in the fund’s portfolio holdings, may negatively impact the fund’s performance, and may exacerbate other risks to which the fund is subject.

The risks associated with bond investments include interest rate risk, which is the risk that the value of the fund’s investments is likely to fall if interest rates rise. Bond investments also are subject to credit risk, which is the risk that the issuers of the fund’s investments may default on payment of interest or principal. Bond investments may be more susceptible to downgrades or defaults during economic downturns or other periods of economic stress. Interest rate risk is generally greater for longer-term bonds, and credit risk is generally greater for below-investment-grade bonds, which can be more sensitive to changes in markets, credit conditions, and interest rates, and may be considered speculative. Since the fund invests in tax-exempt bonds, which, to be treated as tax-exempt under the Internal Revenue Code, may be issued only by limited types of issuers for limited types of projects, the fund’s investments may be focused in certain market segments. Consequently, the fund may be more vulnerable to fluctuations in the values of the securities it holds than a fund that invests more broadly. The fund’s performance will be closely tied to the economic and political conditions in Ohio, and can be more volatile than the performance of a more geographically diversified fund. To the extent the fund invests in securities of issuers located outside of Ohio, the fund may also be exposed to the risks affecting other states. Interest the fund receives might be taxable.

There is no guarantee that the investment techniques, analyses, or judgments that we apply in making investment decisions for the fund will produce the intended outcome or that the investments we select for the fund will perform as well as other securities that were not selected for the fund. We, or the fund’s other service providers, may experience disruptions or operating errors that could negatively impact the fund.

The fund may not achieve its goal, and it is not intended to be a complete investment program. An investment in the fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Performance

The performance information below gives some indication of the risks associated with an investment in the fund by showing the fund’s performance year to year and over time. The bar chart does not reflect the impact of sales charges. If it did, performance would be lower. Please remember that past performance is not necessarily an indication of future results. Monthly performance figures for the fund are available at putnam.com.

Prospectus    19



 



Annual total returns for class A shares before sales charges

Year-to-date performance through 6/30/23 2.45%

Best calendar quarter 12/31/22 4.26%

Worst calendar quarter 3/31/22 -5.63%

p20teifproreturnschart.jpg

Year-to-date performance
through 6/30/23
2.45%
Best calendar quarter
Q4 2022
4.26%
Worst calendar quarter
Q1 2022
-5.63%

Average annual total returns after sales charges (for periods ended 12/31/22)

Share class 1 year 5 years 10 years
Class A before taxes -12.71% -0.15% 1.02%
Class A after taxes on distributions -12.73% -0.21% 0.99%
Class A after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares -6.70% 0.44% 1.40%
Class B before taxes -13.99% -0.29% 0.92%
Class C before taxes -10.66% -0.10% 0.81%
Class R6 before taxes* -8.80% 0.95% 1.70%
Class Y before taxes -8.84% 0.90% 1.68%
Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index (no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) -8.53% 1.25% 2.13%
* Performance for class R6 shares prior to their inception (5/22/18) is derived from the historical performance of class Y shares and has not been adjusted for the lower investor servicing fees applicable to class R6 shares; had it, returns would have been higher.
All Bloomberg indices are provided by Bloomberg Index Services Limited.
BLOOMBERG® is a trademark and service mark of Bloomberg Finance L.P. and its affiliates (collectively “Bloomberg”). Bloomberg or Bloomberg’s licensors, own all proprietary rights in the Bloomberg Indices. Neither Bloomberg nor Bloomberg’s licensors approve or endorse this material, or guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information herein, or make any warranty, express or implied, as to the results to be obtained therefrom, and to the maximum extent allowed by law, neither shall have any liability or responsibility for injury or damages arising in connection therewith.
After-tax returns reflect the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are shown for class A shares only and will vary for other classes. These after-tax returns do not apply if you hold your fund shares through a 401(k) plan, an IRA, or another tax-advantaged arrangement.
Class B and C share performance reflects conversion to class A shares after eight years.
20    Prospectus



 



Your fund’s management

Investment advisor

Putnam Investment Management, LLC

Portfolio managers

Paul Drury
Portfolio Manager, portfolio manager
of the fund since 2002

Garrett Hamilton
Portfolio Manager, portfolio manager
of the fund since 2016

Sub-advisor

Putnam Investments Limited*

* Though the investment advisor has retained the services of Putnam Investments Limited (PIL), PIL does not currently manage any assets of the fund.

On May 31, 2023, Franklin Resources, Inc. (“Franklin Resources”) and Great-West Lifeco Inc., the parent company of Putnam U.S. Holdings I, LLC (“Putnam Holdings”), announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for a subsidiary of Franklin Resources to acquire Putnam Holdings in a stock and cash transaction.

As part of this transaction, Putnam Investment Management, LLC (“Putnam Management”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Putnam Holdings and investment manager to the Putnam family of funds (the “Putnam Funds”), including your fund, would become an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Franklin Resources.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of applicable regulatory approvals. Subject to such approvals and the satisfaction of these conditions, the transaction is currently expected to be consummated in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, consummation of the transaction will result in the automatic termination of the investment management contract between each Putnam Fund and Putnam Management and any related sub-management and sub-advisory contracts, where applicable. In anticipation of this automatic termination, on June 23, 2023, the Board of Trustees of the Putnam Funds approved a new investment management contract between each Putnam Fund and Putnam Management (and new sub-management and sub-advisory contracts, if applicable), which will be presented to the shareholders of each Putnam Fund for their approval at shareholder meetings currently expected to occur in October 2023. Proxy solicitation materials related to these meetings have been made available to shareholders that held shares of the fund at the close of business on July 24, 2023.

For important information about the purchase and sale of fund shares, tax information, and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to Important Additional Information About All Funds beginning on page 26.

Prospectus    21



 





Putnam PENNSYLVANIA Tax Exempt Income Fund

Goal

Putnam Pennsylvania Tax Exempt Income Fund seeks as high a level of current income exempt from federal income tax and Pennsylvania personal income tax as we believe is consistent with preservation of capital.

Fees and expenses

The following tables describe the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Putnam funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How do I buy fund shares? beginning on page 38 of the fund’s prospectus, in the Appendix to the fund’s prospectus, and in How to buy shares beginning on page II-1 of the fund’s statement of additional information (SAI).

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Share class Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption proceeds, whichever is lower)
Class A 4.00% 1.00%*
Class B None 5.00%**
Class C None 1.00%***
Class R6 None None
Class Y None None

Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Share class Management fees Distribution and service (12b-1) fees Other
expenses
Total annual fund operating
expenses
Class A 0.43% 0.25% 0.19% 0.87%
Class B 0.43% 0.85% 0.19% 1.47%
Class C 0.43% 1.00% 0.19% 1.62%
Class R6 0.43% 0.16% 0.59%
Class Y 0.43% 0.19% 0.62%
* Applies only to certain redemptions of shares bought with no initial sales charge.
** This charge is phased out over six years.
*** This charge is eliminated after one year.
22    Prospectus



 



Example

The following hypothetical example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then, except as indicated, redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. It assumes a 5% return on your investment each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Share class 1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class A $485 $666 $863 $1,430
Class B $650 $765 $1,003 $1,595
Class B (no redemption) $150 $465 $803 $1,595
Class C $265 $511 $881 $1,721
Class C (no redemption) $165 $511 $881 $1,721
Class R6 $60 $189 $329 $738
Class Y $63 $199 $346 $774

Portfolio turnover

The fund pays transaction-related costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when the fund’s shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or the above example, affect fund performance. The fund’s turnover rate in the most recent fiscal year was 19%.

Investments, risks, and performance

Investments

We invest mainly in bonds that pay interest that is exempt from federal income tax and Pennsylvania personal income tax (but that may be subject to federal alternative minimum tax (AMT)), are investment-grade in quality, and have intermediate- to long-term maturities (i.e., three years or longer). Under normal circumstances, we invest at least 80% of the fund’s net assets in tax-exempt investments. Tax-exempt investments are issued by or for states, territories or possessions of the United States or by their political subdivisions, agencies, authorities or other government entities, and the income from these investments is exempt from both federal and Pennsylvania personal income tax. This investment policy cannot be changed without the approval of the fund’s shareholders. We may consider, among other factors, credit, interest rate and prepayment risks, as well as general market conditions, when deciding whether to buy or sell investments.

Risks

It is important to understand that you can lose money by investing in the fund.

Prospectus    23



 



The value of investments in the fund’s portfolio may fall or fail to rise over extended periods of time for a variety of reasons, including general economic, political or financial market conditions, investor sentiment and market perceptions, government actions, geopolitical events or changes, outbreaks of infectious illnesses or other widespread public health issues, and factors related to a specific issuer, geography, industry or sector. These and other factors may lead to increased volatility and reduced liquidity in the fund’s portfolio holdings, may negatively impact the fund’s performance, and may exacerbate other risks to which the fund is subject.

The risks associated with bond investments include interest rate risk, which is the risk that the value of the fund’s investments is likely to fall if interest rates rise. Bond investments also are subject to credit risk, which is the risk that the issuers of the fund’s investments may default on payment of interest or principal. Bond investments may be more susceptible to downgrades or defaults during economic downturns or other periods of economic stress. Interest rate risk is generally greater for longer-term bonds, and credit risk is generally greater for below-investment-grade bonds, which can be more sensitive to changes in markets, credit conditions, and interest rates, and may be considered speculative. Since the fund invests in tax-exempt bonds, which, to be treated as tax-exempt under the Internal Revenue Code, may be issued only by limited types of issuers for limited types of projects, the fund’s investments may be focused in certain market segments. Consequently, the fund may be more vulnerable to fluctuations in the values of the securities it holds than a fund that invests more broadly. The fund’s performance will be closely tied to the economic and political conditions in Pennsylvania, and can be more volatile than the performance of a more geographically diversified fund. To the extent the fund invests in securities of issuers located outside of Pennsylvania, the fund may also be exposed to the risks affecting other states. Interest the fund receives might be taxable.

There is no guarantee that the investment techniques, analyses, or judgments that we apply in making investment decisions for the fund will produce the intended outcome or that the investments we select for the fund will perform as well as other securities that were not selected for the fund. We, or the fund’s other service providers, may experience disruptions or operating errors that could negatively impact the fund.

The fund may not achieve its goal, and it is not intended to be a complete investment program. An investment in the fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Performance

The performance information below gives some indication of the risks associated with an investment in the fund by showing the fund’s performance year to year and over time. The bar chart does not reflect the impact of sales charges. If it did, performance would be lower. Please remember that past performance is not necessarily an indication of future results. Monthly performance figures for the fund are available at putnam.com.

24    Prospectus



 



Annual total returns for class A shares before sales charges

Year-to-date performance through 6/30/23 2.24%

Best calendar quarter 12/31/22 4.02%

Worst calendar quarter 3/31/22 -5.90%

p25teifproreturnschart.jpg

Year-to-date performance
through 6/30/23
2.24%
Best calendar quarter
Q4 2022
4.02%
Worst calendar quarter
Q1 2022
-5.90%

Average annual total returns after sales charges (for periods ended 12/31/22)

Share class 1 year 5 years 10 years
Class A before taxes -13.68% -0.01% 1.19%
Class A after taxes on distributions -13.69% -0.02% 1.18%
Class A after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares -7.25% 0.57% 1.56%
Class B before taxes -14.96% -0.16% 1.08%
Class C before taxes -11.56% 0.06% 0.97%
Class R6 before taxes* -9.73% 1.10% 1.87%
Class Y before taxes -9.85% 1.05% 1.84%
Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index (no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) -8.53% 1.25% 2.13%
* Performance for class R6 shares prior to their inception (5/22/18) is derived from the historical performance of class Y shares and has not been adjusted for the lower investor servicing fees applicable to class R6 shares; had it, returns would have been higher.
All Bloomberg indices are provided by Bloomberg Index Services Limited.
BLOOMBERG® is a trademark and service mark of Bloomberg Finance L.P. and its affiliates (collectively “Bloomberg”). Bloomberg or Bloomberg’s licensors, own all proprietary rights in the Bloomberg Indices. Neither Bloomberg nor Bloomberg’s licensors approve or endorse this material, or guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information herein, or make any warranty, express or implied, as to the results to be obtained therefrom, and to the maximum extent allowed by law, neither shall have any liability or responsibility for injury or damages arising in connection therewith.
After-tax returns reflect the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are shown for class A shares only and will vary for other classes. These after-tax returns do not apply if you hold your fund shares through a 401(k) plan, an IRA, or another tax-advantaged arrangement.
Class B and C share performance reflects conversion to class A shares after eight years.
Prospectus    25



 



Your fund’s management

Investment advisor

Putnam Investment Management, LLC

Portfolio managers

Paul Drury
Portfolio Manager, portfolio manager
of the fund since 2002

Garrett Hamilton
Portfolio Manager, portfolio manager
of the fund since 2016

Sub-advisor

Putnam Investments Limited*

* Though the investment advisor has retained the services of Putnam Investments Limited (PIL), PIL does not currently manage any assets of the fund.

On May 31, 2023, Franklin Resources, Inc. (“Franklin Resources”) and Great-West Lifeco Inc., the parent company of Putnam U.S. Holdings I, LLC (“Putnam Holdings”), announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for a subsidiary of Franklin Resources to acquire Putnam Holdings in a stock and cash transaction.

As part of this transaction, Putnam Investment Management, LLC (“Putnam Management”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Putnam Holdings and investment manager to the Putnam family of funds (the “Putnam Funds”), including your fund, would become an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Franklin Resources.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of applicable regulatory approvals. Subject to such approvals and the satisfaction of these conditions, the transaction is currently expected to be consummated in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, consummation of the transaction will result in the automatic termination of the investment management contract between each Putnam Fund and Putnam Management and any related sub-management and sub-advisory contracts, where applicable. In anticipation of this automatic termination, on June 23, 2023, the Board of Trustees of the Putnam Funds approved a new investment management contract between each Putnam Fund and Putnam Management (and new sub-management and sub-advisory contracts, if applicable), which will be presented to the shareholders of each Putnam Fund for their approval at shareholder meetings currently expected to occur in October 2023. Proxy solicitation materials related to these meetings have been made available to shareholders that held shares of the fund at the close of business on July 24, 2023.

Important Additional Information About All Funds

Purchase and sale of fund shares

You can open an account, purchase and/or sell fund shares, or exchange them for shares of another Putnam fund by contacting your financial professional or by calling Putnam Investor Services at 1-800-225-1581. Purchases of class B shares are closed to

26    Prospectus



 



new and existing investors except by exchange from class B shares of another Putnam fund or through dividend and/or capital gains reinvestment.

When opening an account, you must complete and mail a Putnam account application, along with a check made payable to the fund, to: Putnam Investments, P.O. Box 219697, Kansas City, MO 64121-9697. The minimum initial investment of $500 is currently waived, although Putnam reserves the right to reject initial investments under $500 at its discretion. There is no minimum for subsequent investments.

You can sell your shares back to the fund or exchange them for shares of another Putnam fund any day the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. Shares may be sold or exchanged by mail, by phone, or, for exchanges only, online at putnam.com. Some restrictions may apply.

Tax information

The fund intends to distribute income that is exempt from federal income tax and personal income tax of the state identified in the fund’s name, but distributions will be subject to federal income tax to the extent attributable to other income, including income earned by the fund on investments in taxable securities or capital gains realized on the disposition of its investments.

Financial intermediary compensation

If you purchase the fund through a broker/dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank or financial professional), the fund and its related companies may pay that intermediary for the sale of fund shares and related services. Please bear in mind that these payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker/dealer or other intermediary to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your advisor or visit your advisor’s website for more information.

What are each fund’s main investment strategies and related risks?

This section contains greater detail on each fund’s main investment strategies and the related risks you would face as a fund shareholder. It is important to keep in mind that risk and reward generally go hand in hand; the higher the potential reward, the greater the risk.

As mentioned in the fund summaries, we pursue each fund’s goal by investing mainly in tax-exempt investments that are investment-grade in quality. Under normal circumstances, we invest at least 80% of a fund’s net assets in tax-exempt investments. This investment policy cannot be changed without the approval of a fund’s shareholders. Certain states may impose additional requirements on the composition of a fund’s portfolio in order for distributions from that fund to be exempt from state taxes.

Prospectus    27



 



Interest income from private activity bonds may be subject to federal AMT for individuals. As a policy that cannot be changed without the approval of fund shareholders, we cannot include these investments for the purpose of complying with the 80% investment policies described above. Corporate shareholders will be required to include all exempt interest dividends in determining their federal AMT. For more information, including possible state, local and other taxes, contact your tax advisor.

28    Prospectus



 



bonds to tender their notes at par, and (2) to have the fixed-rate bond held by the TOB trust transferred to the fund, causing the TOB trust to be liquidated. Each fund will look through to the underlying municipal bond held by a TOB trust for purposes of the fund’s 80% policy.

Some investments give the issuer the option to call or redeem an investment before its maturity date. If an issuer calls or redeems an investment during a time of declining interest rates, we might have to reinvest the proceeds in an investment offering a lower yield, and, therefore, a fund might not benefit from any increase in value as a result of declining interest rates.

We invest mostly in investment-grade debt investments. These are rated at least BBB or its equivalent at the time of purchase by a nationally recognized securities rating agency, or are unrated investments that we believe are of comparable quality. We may invest up to 25% of a fund’s total assets in non-investment-grade investments. However, we will not invest in investments that are rated lower than BB or its equivalent by each agency rating the investment, or are unrated securities that we believe are of comparable quality. We will not necessarily sell an investment if its rating is reduced after we buy it.

We may also invest in investments that are below-investment-grade (sometimes referred to as “junk bonds”), which can be more sensitive to changes in markets, credit conditions, and interest rates and may be considered speculative. These investments are rated below BBB or its equivalent, which reflects a greater possibility that the issuers may be unable to make timely payments of interest and principal and thus default. If default occurs, or is perceived as likely to occur, the value of the investment will usually be more volatile and is likely to fall. The value of a debt instrument may also be affected by changes in, or perceptions of, the financial condition of the issuer, borrower, counterparty, or other entity, or underlying collateral or assets, or changes in, or perceptions of, specific or general market, economic, industry, political, regulatory, geopolitical, environmental, public health, and other conditions. A default or expected default could also make it difficult for us to sell the investment at a price approximating the value we had previously placed

Prospectus    29



 



on it. Tax-exempt debt, particularly lower-rated tax-exempt debt, usually has a more limited market than taxable debt, which may at times make it difficult for us to buy or sell certain debt instruments or to establish their fair value. Credit risk is generally greater for investments that are required to make interest payments only at maturity rather than at intervals during the life of the investment.

Bond investments may be more susceptible to downgrades or defaults during economic downturns or other periods of economic stress, which in turn could affect the market values and marketability of many or all bond obligations of issuers in a state, U.S. territory, or possession. Financial strain (such as the type experienced by many tax-exempt debt issuers as a result of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and resulting actions by government authorities and other third parties to contain its spread) may make it less likely that issuers can meet their financial obligations when due and may adversely impact the value of their bonds, which could negatively impact the performance of the fund. It is difficult to predict the level of financial stress and duration of such stress issuers may experience.

We may buy investments that are insured as to the payment of principal and interest in the event the issuer defaults. Any reduction in the insurer’s ability to pay claims may adversely affect the value of insured investments and, consequently, the value of a fund’s shares.

Investing mostly in tax-exempt investments of a single state makes a fund more vulnerable to that state’s economy and to factors affecting tax-exempt issuers in that state than would be true for a more geographically diversified fund. These risks include:

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These risks are also present in the securities issued by any other state that the fund might invest in.

The Massachusetts Fund: The fund’s investments in Massachusetts municipal securities may be vulnerable to events adversely affecting the Massachusetts economy. These events include tax, legislative, or political changes as well as a deterioration in the state or local budgets. Although Massachusetts’s economy is relatively diverse, industries significant to the state’s economy, such as the education, technology, biotech, financial services or healthcare, could experience downturns or fail to develop as expected, hurting the local economy, and negatively impacting the fund’s performance. Massachusetts generally has a high degree of job stability and an educated work force due to its large concentration of colleges and universities, but the high cost of doing business in Massachusetts may serve as an impediment to job creation. Additionally, fluctuations in unemployment levels or in the state or national economy could result in decreased tax revenues, which could also impact the fund’s performance. Additionally, events such as epidemics or pandemics, and the significant uncertainty and stress to the financial resources they may cause to the state and its municipalities may impair the ability of the state and its municipalities to repay their obligations and could, amongst other things, exacerbate existing economic, political or other tensions.

The Minnesota Fund: The fund’s investments in Minnesota securities may be vulnerable to events adversely affecting the Minnesota economy. While the Minnesota economy is relatively diverse, including the agriculture, forestry, mining, manufacturing, retail, financial services, healthcare, and biomedical industries, a downturn in any of these could hurt Minnesota economic conditions. Minnesota businesses generally face a high cost of doing business, which also may negatively affect economic conditions in the state. Additionally, events affecting the global economy such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic may negatively affect Minnesota’s economic outlook and stress the state’s financial resources, which may impair the state’s ability to meet its financial obligations.

The New Jersey Fund: The fund’s investment in New Jersey municipal securities may be vulnerable to events adversely affecting the New Jersey economy. New Jersey’s diverse economic base, centered on the following core industry clusters: technology, transportation and logistics, health care, financial services, biopharmaceuticals, and advanced manufacturing, and supplemented by commercial agriculture in rural areas, could experience downturns or fail to develop as expected, hurting the local economy. Fluctuations in labor market growth, unemployment levels or in the state or national economy could result in decreased tax revenues. Additionally, events such as the pandemic spread of the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19, and the significant uncertainty and stress to the financial resources it may cause to the state and its municipalities may impair the ability of the state and its municipalities to repay their obligations and could, among other things, exacerbate existing economic, political or other tensions.

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The Ohio Fund: The fund’s investments in Ohio municipal securities may be vulnerable to events adversely affecting Ohio and its economy as a whole, or industry segments in that economy or geographic areas within the State, including events such as the global pandemic spread of the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19. Ohio ranks fourth among the states in manufacturing and fifth in durable goods with manufacturing responsible for 15.7% of Ohio’s preliminary 2022 gross state product (GSP), the production of durable goods responsible for 23.0% of Ohio’s preliminary 2022 GSP and business services sectors, including finance, insurance and real estate responsible for 33.6% of Ohio’s preliminary 2022 GSP. Ohio is the ninth largest exporting state with 2022 merchandise exports totaling $56.4 billion, with machinery (including electrical machinery), motor vehicles (including parts), aircraft/spacecraft and plastics, accounting for more than half of that total. And, with 13.5 million acres (of a total land area of 26.4 million acres) in farmland and an estimated 77,800 individual farms, agriculture combined with related agricultural sectors remains an important segment of the state’s economy. Ohio’s 2023 decennial census population estimate (as of July 1, 2023) of 11,756,058 ranked it seventh among the states, and was a 0.35% decrease over the 2020 decennial census population of 11,797,517. Ohio’s unemployment rate (seasonally adjusted) was 3.4% as of June, 2023.

The continued spread of COVID-19 has had and may continue to have a material impact on Ohio’s economy although the full impact of COVID-19 on Ohio’s economy is unknown at this time. See “State Specific Information — Ohio General Information” in the funds’ SAI for a discussion on COVID-19’s impact on Ohio.

The Pennsylvania Fund: The fund’s investment in Pennsylvania municipal securities may be vulnerable to events adversely affecting the Pennsylvania economy. Pennsylvania is one of the most populous states, ranking fifth behind California, Texas, Florida and New York. Pennsylvania stakes claim to a diverse economy and many thriving industries. At different times throughout its history, the Commonwealth has been the nation’s principal producer of ships, iron, chemicals, lumber, oil, textiles, glass, coal and steel. This led Pennsylvania to be identified, historically, as a heavy industrial state. That reputation has changed over the last several decades as the coal, steel and railroad industries declined. Pennsylvania’s business environment readjusted with a more diversified economic base. Currently, the major sources of growth in Pennsylvania are in the service sector, including healthcare, leisure-hospitality, transport and storage. As in other industrially developed states, economic activity in Pennsylvania may be more cyclical than in some other states or in the nation as a whole. Other factors that may negatively affect economic conditions in Pennsylvania include adverse changes in employment rates, Federal revenue sharing laws or laws with respect to tax exempt financing.

Pennsylvania continues to address the financial challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, which placed significant budgetary pressure on Pennsylvania due to financial commitments related the state’s COVID-19 response measures. Pennsylvania’s financial and economic health over the next few years depends greatly on the progress in preventing and treating COVID-19, which is a key to a full reopening

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of the economy. See “State Specific Information - Pennsylvania General Information” in the funds’ SAI for a discussion on COVID-19’s impact on Pennsylvania.

In addition, because of the relatively small number of issuers of tax-exempt securities, we are more likely to invest a higher percentage of assets in a single issuer. We may, therefore, be more exposed to the risk of loss due to investing in relatively fewer issuers than a fund that invests more broadly.

At times, the funds and other accounts that Putnam Management and its affiliates manage may own all or most of the debt of a particular issuer. This concentration of ownership may make it more difficult to sell, or to determine the fair value of, these investments.

Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses. The successful use of derivatives depends on our ability to manage these sophisticated instruments. Some derivatives are “leveraged,” which means they provide a fund with investment exposure greater than the value of a fund’s investment in the derivatives. As a result, these derivatives may magnify or otherwise increase investment losses to a fund. The risk of loss from certain short derivative positions is theoretically unlimited.

The value of derivatives may move in unexpected ways due to unanticipated market movements, the use of leverage, imperfect correlation between the derivative instrument and the reference asset, or other factors, especially in unusual market conditions, and volatility in the value of derivatives could adversely impact a fund’s returns, obligations and exposures.

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Other risks arise from the potential inability to terminate or sell derivative positions. Derivatives may be subject to liquidity risk due to the fund’s obligation to make payments of margin, collateral, or settlement payments to counterparties. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the fund’s derivative positions. In fact, certain over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may not be liquid. Over-the-counter instruments also involve the risk that the other party to the derivative transaction may not be willing or able to meet its obligations with respect to the derivative transaction. The risk of a party failing to meet its obligations may increase if the fund has significant exposure to that counterparty. Derivative transactions may also be subject to operational risk, including due to documentation and settlement issues, system failures, inadequate controls and human error, and legal risk due to insufficient documentation, insufficient capacity or authority of a counterparty, or issues with respect to the legality or enforceability of the derivative contract. For further information about additional types and risks of derivatives, see Miscellaneous Investments, Investment Practices and Risks in the SAI.

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The COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to contain its spread have resulted in, among other effects, significant market volatility, exchange trading suspensions and closures, declines in global financial markets, higher default rates, significant changes in fiscal and monetary policies, and economic downturns and recessions. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have negatively affected, and may continue to negatively affect, the global economy, the economies of the United States and other individual countries, the financial performance of individual issuers, sectors, industries, asset classes, and markets, and the value, volatility, and liquidity of particular securities and other assets. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic also are likely to exacerbate other risks that apply to the fund, including the risks disclosed in this prospectus, which could negatively impact the fund’s performance and lead to losses on your investment in the fund. The duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect cannot be determined with certainty.

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Who oversees and manages the funds?

The funds’ Trustees

As a shareholder of a mutual fund, you have certain rights and protections, including representation by a Board of Trustees. The Putnam Funds’ Board of Trustees oversees the general conduct of the funds’ business and represents the interests of the Putnam fund shareholders. At least 75% of the members of the Putnam Funds’ Board of Trustees are independent, which means they are not officers of the funds or affiliated with Putnam Investment Management, LLC (Putnam Management).

The Trustees periodically review each fund’s investment performance and the quality of other services such as administration, custody, and investor services. At least annually, the Trustees review the fees paid to Putnam Management and its affiliates for providing or overseeing these services, as well as the overall level of each fund’s

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operating expenses. In carrying out their responsibilities, the Trustees are assisted by an administrative staff, auditors and legal counsel that are selected by the Trustees and are independent of Putnam Management and its affiliates.

Contacting the funds’ Trustees

Address correspondence to:
The Putnam Funds Trustees
100 Federal Street
Boston, MA 02110

The funds’ investment manager

The Trustees have retained Putnam Management, which has managed mutual funds since 1937, to be each fund’s investment manager, responsible for making investment decisions for each fund and managing each fund’s other affairs and business.

The basis for the Trustees’ approval of each fund’s management contract and the sub-management contract described below is discussed in each fund’s semiannual report to shareholders dated November 30, 2022.

Each fund pays a monthly management fee to Putnam Management. The fee is calculated by applying a rate to each fund’s average net assets for the month. The rate is based on the monthly average of the aggregate net assets of other open-end funds sponsored by Putnam Management (excluding net assets of such funds that are invested in, or that are invested in by, other such funds to the extent necessary to avoid “double counting” of those assets), and generally declines as the aggregate net assets increase.

The funds paid Putnam Management a management fee (after any applicable waivers) for each fund’s last fiscal year at the following rates (reflected as a percentage of average net assets for each fund’s last fiscal year).

Fund Management Fees (after applicable waivers)
The Massachusetts Fund 0.43%
The Minnesota Fund 0.43%
The New Jersey Fund 0.43%
The Ohio Fund 0.43%
The Pennsylvania Fund 0.43%

Putnam Management’s address is 100 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110.

Putnam Management has retained its affiliate PIL to make investment decisions for such fund assets as may be designated from time to time for its management by Putnam Management. PIL is not currently managing any fund assets. If PIL were to manage any fund assets, Putnam Management (and not the funds) would pay a quarterly sub-management fee to PIL for its services at the annual rate of 0.20% of the average net asset value (NAV) of any fund assets managed by PIL. PIL, which provides a full range of international investment advisory services to institutional clients, is located at 16 St James’s Street, London, England, SW1A 1ER.

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Pursuant to this arrangement, Putnam investment professionals who are based in foreign jurisdictions may serve as portfolio managers of the funds or provide other investment services, consistent with local regulations.

Portfolio managers Joined funds Employer Positions over past five years
Paul Drury 2002 Putnam Management
1989 - Present
Portfolio Manager
Garrett Hamilton 2016 Putnam Management
2016 - Present
Portfolio Manager

The SAI provides information about these individuals’ compensation, other accounts managed by these individuals and these individuals’ ownership of securities in each fund.

How do the funds price their shares?

The price of a fund’s shares is based on its NAV. The NAV per share of each class equals the total value of its assets, less its liabilities, divided by the number of its outstanding shares. Shares are only valued as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE each day the exchange is open.

Each fund values its investments for which market quotations are readily available at market value. It values all other investments and assets at their fair value, which may differ from recent market prices.

Each fund’s tax-exempt investments are generally valued at fair value on the basis of valuations provided by an independent pricing service approved by the fund’s Trustees. Such services determine valuations for normal institutional-size trading units of such securities using information with respect to transactions in the bond being valued, quotations from bond dealers, market transactions in comparable securities, and various relationships, generally recognized by institutional traders, between securities. To the extent a pricing service is unable to value a security or provides a valuation that Putnam Management does not believe accurately reflects the security’s fair value, the security will be valued at fair value by Putnam Management.

Each fund’s most recent NAV is available on Putnam Investments’ website at putnam.com/individual or by contacting Putnam Investor Services at 1-800-225-1581.

How do I buy fund shares?

Opening an account

You can open a fund account and purchase class A, B and C shares by contacting your financial representative or Putnam Investor Services at 1-800-225-1581 and obtaining a Putnam account application. Purchases of class B shares are closed to new and existing investors except by exchange from class B shares of another Putnam fund

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or through dividend and/or capital gains reinvestment. The completed application, along with a check made payable to the fund, must then be returned to Putnam Investor Services at the following address:

Putnam Investments
P.O. Box 219697
Kansas City, MO 64121-9697

You can open a fund account with as little as $500. The minimum investment is waived if you make regular investments weekly, semi-monthly or monthly through automatic deductions from your bank checking or savings account. Although Putnam is currently waiving the minimum, it reserves the right to reject initial investments under the minimum at its discretion.

Each fund sells its shares at the offering price, which is the NAV plus any applicable sales charge (class A shares only). Your financial representative or Putnam Investor Services generally must receive your completed buy order before the close of regular trading on the NYSE for your shares to be bought at that day’s offering price.

If you participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan that offers any of the funds, please consult your employer for information on how to purchase shares of these funds through the plan, including any restrictions or limitations that may apply.

Federal law requires mutual funds to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies investors opening new accounts. Investors must provide their full name, residential or business address, Social Security or tax identification number, and date of birth. Entities, such as trusts, estates, corporations and partnerships must also provide additional identifying documentation. For trusts, the fund must obtain and verify identifying information for each trustee listed in the account registration. For certain legal entities, the fund must also obtain and verify identifying information regarding beneficial owners and/or control persons. The funds are unable to accept new accounts if any required information is not provided. If Putnam Investor Services cannot verify identifying information after opening your account, the funds reserve the right to close your account at the then-current NAV, which may be more or less than your original investment, net of any applicable sales charges. Putnam Investor Services may share identifying information with third parties for the purpose of verification subject to the terms of Putnam’s privacy policy.

Also, each fund may periodically close to new purchases of shares or refuse any order to buy shares if the fund determines that doing so would be in the best interests of the fund and its shareholders.

Purchasing additional shares

Once you have an existing account, you can make additional investments at any time in any amount in the following ways:

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Which class of shares is best for me?

This prospectus offers you three classes of fund shares: A, B and C. Employer-sponsored retirement plans may also choose class R6 shares, and certain investors described below may also choose class Y or R6 shares. Purchases of class B shares are closed to new and existing investors except by exchange from class B shares of another Putnam fund or through dividend and/or capital gains reinvestment. Each share class represents investments in the same portfolio of securities, but each class has its own sales charge and expense structure, as illustrated in the Fund summaries — Fees and expenses section, allowing you and your financial representative to choose the class that best suits your investment needs. When you purchase shares of a fund, you must choose a share class. Deciding which share class best suits your situation depends on a number of factors that you should discuss with your financial representative, including:

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Here is a summary of the differences among the classes of shares

Class A shares

Class B shares

Class C shares

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Class R6 shares (available only to investors listed below)

employer-sponsored retirement plans that are clients of third-party administrators (including affiliates of Putnam) that have entered into agreements with Putnam;
investors purchasing shares through an asset-based fee program that is sponsored by a registered broker-dealer or other financial institution;
investors purchasing shares through a commission-based platform of a registered broker-dealer or other financial institution that charges you additional fees or commissions, other than those described in the prospectus and statement of additional information, and that has entered into an agreement with Putnam Retail Management to offer class R6 shares through such a program;
corporations, endowments, foundations and other institutional investors that have been approved by Putnam;
unaffiliated investment companies (whether registered or private) that have been approved by Putnam; and
health savings accounts (HSAs) purchasing shares through a registered broker-dealer or other financial institution.

Class Y shares (available only to investors listed below)

bank trust departments and trust companies that have entered into agreements with Putnam and offer institutional share class pricing to their clients;
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college savings plans that qualify for tax-exempt treatment under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code;
other Putnam funds and Putnam investment products;
investors purchasing shares through an asset-based fee program that is sponsored by a registered broker-dealer or other financial institution;
investors purchasing shares through a commission-based platform of a registered broker-dealer or other financial institution that charges you additional fees or commissions, other than those described in the prospectus and SAI, and that has entered into an agreement with Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership (PRM) to offer class Y shares through such a program;
clients of a financial representative who are charged a fee for consulting or similar services;
corporations, endowments, foundations and other institutional investors that have been approved by Putnam;
unaffiliated investment companies (whether registered or private) that have been approved by Putnam; and
current and retired Putnam employees and their immediate family members (including an employee’s spouse, domestic partner, fiancé(e), or other family members who are living in the same household) as well as, in each case, Putnam-offered health savings accounts, IRAs, and other similar tax-advantaged plans solely owned by the foregoing individuals; current and retired directors of Putnam Investments, LLC; current and retired Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company employees; and current and retired Trustees of the fund. Upon the departure of any member of this group of individuals from Putnam, Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company, or the fund’s Board of Trustees, the member’s class Y shares convert automatically to class A shares, unless the member’s departure is a retirement, as determined by Putnam in its discretion for employees and directors of Putnam and employees of Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company and by the Board of Trustees in its discretion for Trustees; provided that conversion will not take place with respect to class Y shares held by former Putnam employees and their immediate family members in health savings accounts where it is not operationally practicable due to platform or other limitations.

Trust companies or bank trust departments that purchased class Y shares for trust accounts may transfer them to the beneficiaries of the trust accounts, who may continue to hold them or exchange them for class Y shares of other Putnam funds. Defined contribution plans (including corporate IRAs) that purchased class Y shares under prior eligibility criteria may continue to purchase class Y shares.

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Initial sales charges for class A shares

Class A sales charge as a percentage of*:
Amount of purchase at offering price ($) Net amount invested Offering price**
Under 50,000 4.17% 4.00%
50,000 but under 100,000 3.36 3.25
100,000 but under 250,000 2.56 2.50
250,000 and above NONE NONE
* Because of rounding in the calculation of offering price and the number of shares purchased, actual sales charges you pay may be more or less than these percentages.
** Offering price includes sales charge.

Reducing your class A sales charge

Each fund offers two principal ways for you to qualify for discounts on initial sales charges on class A shares, often referred to as “breakpoint discounts”:

To calculate the total value of your existing accounts and any linked accounts, a fund will use the higher of (a) the current maximum public offering price of those shares or (b) if you purchased the shares after December 31, 2007, the initial value of the total purchases, or, if you held the shares on December 31, 2007, the market value at maximum public offering price on that date, in either case, less the market value on the applicable redemption date of any of those shares that you have redeemed.

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Account types that may be linked with each other to obtain breakpoint discounts using the methods described above include:

In order to obtain a breakpoint discount, you should inform your financial representative at the time you purchase shares of the existence of other accounts or purchases that are eligible to be linked for the purpose of calculating the initial sales charge. A fund or your financial representative may ask you for records or other information about other shares held in your accounts and linked accounts, including accounts opened with a different financial representative. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and transactions. Further details about breakpoint discounts can be found on Putnam Investments’ website at putnam.com/individual by selecting Pricing and performance from the Products drop-down menu, and then About fund costs, and in the SAI.

Different financial intermediaries may impose different sales charges. Please refer to the Appendix for the sales charge or CDSC waivers that are applicable to each Specified Intermediary.

Class A shares

The following categories of investors are eligible to purchase class A shares without payment of a sales charge:

(i) current and former Trustees of the fund, their family members, business and personal associates; current and former employees of Putnam Management and certain current and former corporate affiliates, their family members, business and personal associates; employer-sponsored retirement plans for the foregoing; and partnerships, trusts or other entities in which any of the foregoing has a substantial interest;
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(ii) clients of administrators or other service providers of employer-sponsored retirement plans (for purposes of this waiver, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or SARSEPs) (not applicable to tax-exempt funds);
(iii) registered representatives and other employees of broker-dealers having sales agreements with Putnam Retail Management; employees of financial institutions having sales agreements with Putnam Retail Management or otherwise having an arrangement with any such broker-dealer or financial institution with respect to sales of fund shares; and their immediate family members (spouses and children under age 21, including step-children and adopted children);
(iv) a trust department of any financial institution purchasing shares of the fund in its capacity as trustee of any trust (other than a tax-qualified retirement plan trust), through an arrangement approved by Putnam Retail Management, if the value of the shares of the fund and other Putnam funds purchased or held by all such trusts exceeds $1 million in the aggregate;
(v) clients of (i) broker-dealers, financial institutions, financial intermediaries or registered investment advisors that charge a fee for advisory or investment services or (ii) broker-dealers, financial institutions, or financial intermediaries that have entered into an agreement with Putnam Retail Management to offer shares through a retail self-directed brokerage account with or without the imposition of a transaction fee;
(vi) college savings plans that qualify for tax-exempt treatment under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”); and
(vii) shareholders reinvesting the proceeds from a Putnam Corporate IRA Plan distribution into a nonretirement plan account.

Administrators and other service providers of employer-sponsored retirement plans are required to enter into contractual arrangements with Putnam Investor Services in order to offer and hold fund shares. Administrators and other service providers of employer-sponsored retirement plans seeking to place trades on behalf of their plan clients should consult Putnam Investor Services as to the applicable requirements.

Class A, class B and class C shares

A CDSC is waived in the event of a redemption under the following circumstances:

(i) a withdrawal from a Systematic Withdrawal Plan (“SWP”) of up to 12% of the net asset value of the account (calculated as set forth in the SAI);
(ii) a redemption of shares that are no longer subject to the CDSC holding period therefor;
(iii) a redemption of shares that were issued upon the reinvestment of distributions by the fund;
(iv) a redemption of shares that were exchanged for shares of another Putnam fund, provided that the shares acquired in such exchange or subsequent exchanges (including shares of a Putnam money market fund or Putnam
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Ultra Short Duration Income Fund) will continue to remain subject to the CDSC, if applicable, until the applicable holding period expires; and
(v) in the case of individual, joint or Uniform Transfers to Minors Act accounts, in the event of death or post-purchase disability of a shareholder, for the purpose of paying benefits pursuant to tax-qualified retirement plans (“Benefit Payments”), or, in the case of living trust accounts, in the event of the death or post-purchase disability of the settlor of the trust.

Additional information about reductions and waivers of sales charges, including deferred sales charges, is included in the SAI. You may consult your financial representative or Putnam Retail Management for assistance.

How do I sell or exchange fund shares?

You can sell your shares back to the appropriate fund or exchange them for shares of another Putnam fund any day the NYSE is open, either through your financial representative or directly to the fund.

If you redeem your shares shortly after purchasing them, your redemption payment for the shares may be delayed until the fund collects the purchase price of the shares, which may be up to 7 calendar days after the purchase date.

Regarding exchanges, not all Putnam funds offer all classes of shares or may be open to new investors. If you exchange shares otherwise subject to a deferred sales charge, the transaction will not be subject to the deferred sales charge. When you redeem the shares acquired through the exchange, however, the redemption may be subject to the deferred sales charge, depending upon when and from which fund you originally purchased the shares. The deferred sales charge will be computed using the schedule of any fund into or from which you have exchanged your shares that would result in your paying the highest deferred sales charge applicable to your class of shares. For purposes of computing the deferred sales charge, the length of time you have owned your shares will be measured from the date of original purchase, unless you originally purchased the shares from another Putnam fund that does not directly charge a deferred sales charge, in which case the length of time you have owned your shares will be measured from the date you exchange those shares for shares of another Putnam fund that does charge a deferred sales charge, and will not be affected by any subsequent exchanges among funds.

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Each fund also reserves the right to revise or terminate the exchange privilege, limit the amount or number of exchanges or reject any exchange. The fund into which you would like to exchange may also reject your exchange. These actions may apply to all shareholders or only to those shareholders whose exchanges Putnam Management determines are likely to have a negative effect on the fund or other Putnam funds. Consult Putnam Investor Services before requesting an exchange. Ask your financial representative or Putnam Investor Services for prospectuses of other Putnam funds. Some Putnam funds are not available in all states.

Deferred sales charges for class B, class C and certain class A shares

If you sell (redeem) class B shares within six years of purchase, you will generally pay a deferred sales charge according to the following schedule:

Year after purchase 1 2 3 4 5 6 7+
Charge 5% 4% 3% 3% 2% 1% 0%
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A deferred sales charge of 1.00% will apply to class C shares if redeemed within one year of purchase. Class A shares that are part of a purchase of $500,000 or more (other than by an employer-sponsored retirement plan) will be subject to a 1.00% deferred sales charge if redeemed within twelve months of purchase.

Deferred sales charges will be based on the lower of the shares’ cost and current NAV. Shares not subject to any charge will be redeemed first, followed by shares held longest. You may sell shares acquired by reinvestment of distributions without a charge at any time.

If your account is held directly with Putnam Investor Services, a fund typically expects to send you payment for your shares the business day after your request is received in good order. If you hold your shares through certain financial intermediaries or financial intermediary programs, receipt of payment for your shares may differ based on industry standard trade settlement practices, as managed by your intermediary. However, it is possible that payment of redemption proceeds, for both accounts held with Putnam Investor Services and those held through a financial intermediary, may take up to seven days. Under unusual circumstances, a fund may suspend redemptions, or postpone payment for more than seven days, as permitted by federal securities law. Under normal market conditions, a fund typically expects to satisfy redemption requests by using holdings of cash and cash equivalents or selling portfolio assets to generate cash. Under stressed market conditions, a fund may also satisfy redemption requests by borrowing under the fund’s lines of credit or interfund lending arrangements. For additional information regarding a fund’s lines of credit and interfund lending arrangements, please see the SAI.

To the extent consistent with applicable laws and regulations, each fund reserves the right to satisfy all or a portion of a redemption request by distributing securities or other property in lieu of cash (“in-kind” redemptions), under both normal and stressed market conditions. Each fund generally expects to use in-kind redemptions only in stressed market conditions or stressed conditions specific to the fund, such as redemption requests that represent a large percentage of the fund’s net assets in order to minimize the effect of the large redemption on the fund and its remaining shareholders. A fund will not use in-kind redemptions for retail investors who hold shares of the fund through a financial intermediary. Any in-kind redemption will be effected through a pro rata distribution of all publicly traded portfolio securities or securities for which quoted bid prices are available, subject to certain exceptions. The securities distributed in an in-kind redemption will be valued in the same manner as they are valued for purposes of computing the fund’s net asset value. Once distributed in-kind to an investor, securities may increase or decrease in value before the investor is able to convert them into cash. Any transaction costs or other expenses involved in liquidating securities received in an in-kind redemption will be borne by the redeeming investor. Each fund has committed, in connection with an election under Rule 18f-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, to pay all redemptions of fund shares by a single shareholder during any 90-day period in cash, up to the lesser of (i) $250,000 or (ii) 1% of the fund’s net assets measured as of the

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beginning of such 90-day period. For information regarding procedures for in-kind redemptions, please contact Putnam Retail Management. You will not receive interest on uncashed redemption checks.

Policy on excessive short-term trading

Because each fund invests in securities that may trade infrequently or may be more difficult to value, such as lower-rated bonds, it may be susceptible to trading by short-term traders who seek to exploit perceived price inefficiencies in a fund’s investments. In addition, the market for lower-rated bonds may at times show “market momentum,” in which positive or negative performance may continue from one day to the next for reasons unrelated to the fundamentals of the issuer. Short-term traders may seek to capture this momentum by trading frequently in a fund’s shares, which will reduce a fund’s performance and may dilute the interests of other shareholders. Because lower-rated debt may be less liquid than higher-rated debt, a fund may also be unable to buy or sell these securities at desirable prices when the need arises (for example, in response to volatile cash flows caused by short-term trading). Similar risks may apply if a fund holds other types of less liquid securities.

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In particular, many purchase, redemption and exchange orders are received from financial intermediaries that hold omnibus accounts with a fund. Omnibus accounts are accounts in which shares are held in the name of a financial intermediary, such as a retirement plan sponsor, broker, adviser, or third-party administrator or

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recordkeeper, on behalf of its clients or participants, who are the beneficial owners of a fund shares held in the omnibus account. Putnam Management monitors cash flows into and out of a fund on an ongoing basis. If cash flows or other information indicate that excessive short-term trading may be taking place within an omnibus account, Putnam Management will contact the financial intermediary that maintains the omnibus account to obtain information about trading activity of the beneficial owners and attempt to identify and remedy any excessive trading. However, Putnam Management’s ability to monitor and deter excessive short-term traders in omnibus accounts ultimately depends on the capabilities and cooperation of the financial intermediaries that maintain the omnibus accounts. Financial intermediaries may impose different or additional limits on short-term trading.

Distribution plans and payments to dealers

Putnam funds are distributed primarily through dealers (including any broker, dealer, bank, bank trust department, registered investment advisor, financial planner, retirement plan administrator, and any other institution having a selling, services, or any similar agreement with Putnam Retail Management or one of its affiliates). In order to pay for the marketing of fund shares and services provided to shareholders, each fund has adopted distribution and service (12b-1) plans, which increase the annual operating expenses you pay each year in certain share classes, as shown in the tables of annual fund operating expenses in the section Fund summaries — Fees and expenses. Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates also make additional payments to dealers that do not increase your fund expenses, as described below.

Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates also pay additional compensation to selected dealers in recognition of their marketing support and/or program servicing (each of which is described in more detail below). These payments may create an incentive for a dealer firm or its representatives to recommend or offer shares of the funds or other Putnam funds to its customers. These additional payments are made by Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates and do not increase the amount paid by you or a fund as shown under Fund summaries — Fees and expenses.

52    Prospectus



 



The additional payments to dealers by Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates are generally based on one or more of the following factors: average net assets of a fund attributable to that dealer, sales or net sales of a fund attributable to that dealer, or reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that a dealer firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in fund shares), or on the basis of a negotiated lump sum payment for services provided.

Marketing support payments are generally available to most dealers engaging in significant sales of Putnam fund shares. These payments are individually negotiated with each dealer firm, taking into account the marketing support services provided by the dealer, including business planning assistance, educating dealer personnel about the Putnam funds and shareholder financial planning needs, placement on the dealer’s preferred or recommended fund company list, access to sales meetings, sales representatives and management representatives of the dealer, market data, as well as the size of the dealer’s relationship with Putnam Retail Management. Although the total amount of marketing support payments made to dealers in any year may vary, on average, the aggregate payments are not expected, on an annual basis, to exceed 0.085% of the average net assets of Putnam’s retail mutual funds attributable to the dealers.

Program servicing payments, which are paid in some instances to dealers in connection with investments in a fund through dealer platforms, and other investment programs, are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.20% of the total assets in the program on an annual basis. These payments are made for program or platform services provided by the dealer, including shareholder recordkeeping, reporting, or transaction processing, as well as services rendered in connection with dealer platform development and maintenance, fund/investment selection and monitoring, or other similar services.

You can find a list of all dealers to which Putnam made marketing support and/or program servicing payments in 2022 in the SAI, which is on file with the SEC and is also available on Putnam’s website at putnam.com. You can also find other details in the SAI about the payments made by Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates and the services provided by your dealer. Your dealer may charge you fees or commissions in addition to those disclosed in this prospectus. You can also ask your dealer about any payments it receives from Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates and any services your dealer provides, as well as about fees and/or commissions it charges.

Prospectus    53



 



Fund distributions and taxes

Each fund declares a distribution daily of all its net income. Each fund normally distributes any net investment income monthly and any net realized capital gains annually. You may choose to reinvest distributions from net investment income, capital gains or both in additional shares of your fund or other Putnam funds, or you may receive them in cash in the form of a check or an electronic deposit to your bank account. If you do not select an option when you open your account, all distributions will be reinvested. If you choose to receive distributions in cash, but correspondence from a fund or Putnam Investor Services is returned as “undeliverable,” the distribution option on your account may be converted to reinvest future distributions in the fund. You will not receive interest on uncashed distribution checks.

Fund distributions that a fund properly reports to you as “exempt-interest dividends” are generally not subject to federal income taxation. Other fund distributions will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income or treated as long-term capital gain included in your net capital gain and taxable to individuals at reduced rates. In addition, distributions that a fund properly reports to you as (i) “exempt-interest dividends” for federal income tax purposes derived from interest on qualifying state and local obligations that are tax-exempt pursuant to the law of the relevant state or (ii) dividends derived from interest on qualifying obligations of the United States and certain of its possessions will generally be exempt from the personal income tax (if any) of that state, provided that, in the case of “exempt-interest dividends,” the relevant state permits such pass through treatment. Distributions are so treated whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares.

If you receive social security or railroad retirement benefits, you should consult your tax advisor to determine what effect, if any, an investment in a fund may have on the federal taxation of your benefits. In addition, an investment in a fund may result in liability for federal AMT for individual shareholders.

In order for any portion of a fund’s distributions to be exempt from the personal income tax of the relevant state, the fund and its investments must meet certain requirements that vary according to the relevant state. A fund or its investments may fail to meet the relevant state’s requirements for a variety of reasons, which may increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders. In addition, a fund’s distributions may be subject to other state or local taxes, such as a state’s AMT. Please refer to the SAI for further information concerning the taxation of fund distributions by the relevant state.

Each fund may at times buy tax-exempt investments at a discount from the price at which they were originally issued, especially during periods of rising interest rates. For federal income tax purposes, some or all of this market discount will be included in the fund’s ordinary income and will be taxable to you as such when it is distributed.

For federal income tax purposes, distributions of net investment income other than “exempt-interest dividends” are generally taxable to you as ordinary income. Generally, gains realized by a fund on the sale or exchange of investments are taxable to you, even though the income from such investments generally is tax-exempt.

54    Prospectus



 



Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long a fund owned (or is deemed to have owned) the investments that generated them, rather than by how long you have owned (or are deemed to have owned) your shares. Distributions that a fund properly reports to you as gains from investments that a fund owned for more than one year are generally taxable to you as long-term capital gains includible in net capital gain and taxed to individuals at reduced rates. Distributions of gains from investments that a fund owned for one year or less and gains on the sale of or payment on bonds characterized as market discount are generally taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions are taxable in the manner described above whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares of the relevant fund or other Putnam funds.

You should consider avoiding a purchase of fund shares shortly before a fund makes a distribution because doing so may cost you money in taxes. Distributions other than exempt-interest dividends are taxable to you even if they are paid from income or gains earned by a fund before your investment (and thus were included in the price you paid). Contact your financial representative or Putnam to find out the distribution schedule for your fund.

A fund’s investments in discount and certain other debt obligations may cause the fund to recognize taxable income in excess of the cash generated by such obligations. Thus, a fund could be required at times to liquidate other investments, including when it is not advantageous to do so, in order to satisfy its distribution requirements.

A fund’s use of derivatives, if any, may affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders and, therefore, may increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders.

Any gain resulting from the sale or exchange of your shares generally also will be subject to tax.

The above is a general summary of the tax implications of investing in a fund. Please refer to the SAI for further details. You should consult your tax advisor for more information on your own tax situation, including possible foreign, state and local taxes.

Information about the Summary Prospectus, Prospectus, and SAI

The summary prospectus, prospectus, and SAI for a fund provide information concerning the fund. The summary prospectus, prospectus, and SAI are updated at least annually and any information provided in a summary prospectus, prospectus, or SAI can be changed without a shareholder vote unless specifically stated otherwise. The summary prospectus, prospectus, and the SAI are not contracts between the fund and its shareholders and do not give rise to any contractual rights or obligations or any shareholder rights other than any rights conferred explicitly by federal or state securities laws that may not be waived.

Prospectus    55



 



Financial highlights

The financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand a fund’s recent financial performance. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. The total returns represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the fund, assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. This information has been derived from each fund’s financial statements, which have been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Their reports and each fund’s financial statements are included in each fund’s annual report to shareholders, which is available upon request.

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Prospectus    57



 



Financial highlights
(For a common share outstanding throughout the period)

Putnam Massachusetts Tax Exempt Income Fund

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS LESS DISTRIBUTIONS RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA
Period ended          Net asset value, beginning of period Net investment income (loss) Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments Total from investment operations From
net investment income
Total
distributions
Net asset value, end of period Total return at net asset value (%) a Net assets, end of period (in thousands) Ratio of expenses to average net assets (%) b Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets (%) Portfolio turnover (%)
Class A
May 31, 2023 $9.10 .22 (.24) (.02) (.22) (.22) $8.86 (.16) $132,431 .82 2.47 21
May 31, 2022 10.07 .18 (.97) (.79) (.18) (.18) 9.10 (7.94) 161,671 .79 1.81 16
May 31, 2021 9.73 .19 .34 .53 (.19) (.19) 10.07 5.45 210,726 .80 1.85 11
May 31, 2020 9.68 .22 .06 .28 (.23) (.23) 9.73 2.89 200,240 .79 2.32 22
May 31, 2019 9.45 .26 .24 .50 (.27) (.27) 9.68 5.39 181,596 .79 2.76 22
Class B
May 31, 2023 $9.09 .17 (.24) (.07) (.17) (.17) $8.85 (.78) $183 1.42 1.86 21
May 31, 2022 10.05 .12 (.96) (.84) (.12) (.12) 9.09 (8.41) 280 1.39 1.20 16
May 31, 2021 9.72 .13 .33 .46 (.13) (.13) 10.05 4.73 465 1.40 1.26 11
May 31, 2020 9.67 .16 .06 .22 (.17) (.17) 9.72 2.26 894 1.41 1.71 22
May 31, 2019 9.44 .20 .24 .44 (.21) (.21) 9.67 4.73 1,288 1.42 2.14 22
Class C
May 31, 2023 $9.12 .15 (.24) (.09) (.15) (.15) $8.88 (.92) $4,531 1.57 1.72 21
May 31, 2022 10.09 .11 (.97) (.86) (.11) (.11) 9.12 (8.61) 6,011 1.54 1.06 16
May 31, 2021 9.75 .11 .34 .45 (.11) (.11) 10.09 4.66 7,883 1.55 1.12 11
May 31, 2020 9.70 .15 .05 .20 (.15) (.15) 9.75 2.11 15,818 1.56 1.56 22
May 31, 2019 9.47 .19 .23 .42 (.19) (.19) 9.70 4.56 18,764 1.57 1.98 22
Class R6
May 31, 2023 $9.13 .24 (.24) c (.24) (.24) $8.89 .09 $763 .56 2.72 21
May 31, 2022 10.09 .20 (.95) (.75) (.21) (.21) 9.13 (7.58) 1,386 .53 2.09 16
May 31, 2021 9.76 .21 .33 .54 (.21) (.21) 10.09 5.60 1,171 .54 2.10 11
May 31, 2020 9.71 .25 .05 .30 (.25) (.25) 9.76 3.13 797 .55 2.55 22
May 31, 2019 9.48 .29 .24 .53 (.30) (.30) 9.71 5.67 697 .56 2.98 22
Class Y
May 31, 2023 $9.13 .24 (.23) .01 (.25) (.25) $8.89 .10 $115,148 .57 2.74 21
May 31, 2022 10.10 .20 (.96) (.76) (.21) (.21) 9.13 (7.68) 85,299 .54 2.07 16
May 31, 2021 9.76 .21 .34 .55 (.21) (.21) 10.10 5.69 96,177 .55 2.10 11
May 31, 2020 9.71 .25 .05 .30 (.25) (.25) 9.76 3.12 64,387 .56 2.54 22
May 31, 2019 9.48 .28 .24 .52 (.29) (.29) 9.71 5.61 53,517 .57 2.97 22
a Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect the effect of sales charges.
b Includes amounts paid through expense offset and/or brokerage service arrangements, if any. Also excludes acquired fund fees and expenses, if any.
c Amount represents less than $0.01 per share.



58    Prospectus Prospectus    59



 



Financial highlights
(For a common share outstanding throughout the period)

Putnam Minnesota Tax Exempt Income Fund

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS LESS DISTRIBUTIONS RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA
Period ended          Net asset value, beginning of period Net investment income (loss) Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments Total from investment operations From
net investment income
From
net realized gain on investments
Total
distributions
Net asset value, end of period Total return at net asset value (%) a Net assets, end of period (in thousands) Ratio of expenses to average net assets (%) b Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets (%) Portfolio turnover (%)
Class A
May 31, 2023 $8.80 .20 (.21) (.01) (.20) (.20) $8.59 (.09) $57,465 .90 2.35 16
May 31, 2022 9.61 .16 (.79) (.63) (.16) (.02) (.18) 8.80 (6.65) 57,695 .86 1.67 25
May 31, 2021 9.44 .17 .21 .38 (.17) (.04) (.21) 9.61 4.02 69,200 .86 1.76 12
May 31, 2020 9.35 .19 .10 .29 (.19) (.01) (.20) 9.44 3.15 65,151 .85 2.16 14
May 31, 2019 9.14 .23 .22 .45 (.23) (.01) (.24) 9.35 4.98 64,116 .87 2.51 19
Class B
May 31, 2023 $8.77 .15 (.20) (.05) (.15) (.15) $8.57 (.59) $70 1.50 1.71 16
May 31, 2022 9.58 .10 (.79) (.69) (.10) (.02) (.12) 8.77 (7.24) 133 1.46 1.06 25
May 31, 2021 9.41 .11 .21 .32 (.11) (.04) (.15) 9.58 3.41 190 1.46 1.17 12
May 31, 2020 9.32 .13 .10 .23 (.13) (.01) (.14) 9.41 2.51 254 1.47 1.55 14
May 31, 2019 9.11 .17 .22 .39 (.17) (.01) (.18) 9.32 4.34 532 1.49 1.88 19
Class C
May 31, 2023 $8.79 .14 (.22) (.08) (.13) (.13) $8.58 (.86) $3,730 1.65 1.58 16
May 31, 2022 9.60 .09 (.79) (.70) (.09) (.02) (.11) 8.79 (7.37) 4,705 1.61 .92 25
May 31, 2021 9.43 .10 .21 .31 (.10) (.04) (.14) 9.60 3.24 6,605 1.61 1.03 12
May 31, 2020 9.34 .12 .10 .22 (.12) (.01) (.13) 9.43 2.36 12,439 1.62 1.39 14
May 31, 2019 9.12 .16 .23 .39 (.16) (.01) (.17) 9.34 4.29 13,429 1.64 1.74 19
Class R6
May 31, 2023 $8.82 .23 (.22) .01 (.22) (.22) $8.61 .20 $5,090 .60 2.64 16
May 31, 2022 9.63 .18 (.78) (.60) (.19) (.02) (.21) 8.82 (6.37) 5,328 .57 1.96 25
May 31, 2021 9.46 .19 .22 .41 (.20) (.04) (.24) 9.63 4.30 6,791 .57 2.03 12
May 31, 2020 9.37 .22 .10 .32 (.22) (.01) (.23) 9.46 3.41 3,398 .59 2.41 14
May 31, 2019 9.15 .25 .23 .48 (.25) (.01) (.26) 9.37 5.37 2,639 .61 2.73 19
Class Y
May 31, 2023 $8.82 .22 (.21) .01 (.22) (.22) $8.61 .17 $103,016 .65 2.60 16
May 31, 2022 9.63 .18 (.79) (.61) (.18) (.02) (.20) 8.82 (6.40) 87,088 .61 1.93 25
May 31, 2021 9.46 .19 .22 .41 (.20) (.04) (.24) 9.63 4.27 72,862 .61 2.01 12
May 31, 2020 9.37 .21 .10 .31 (.21) (.01) (.22) 9.46 3.38 54,063 .62 2.38 14
May 31, 2019 9.16 .25 .22 .47 (.25) (.01) (.26) 9.37 5.22 42,285 .64 2.72 19
a Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect the effect of sales charges.
b Includes amounts paid through expense offset and/or brokerage service arrangements, if any. Also excludes acquired fund fees and expenses, if any.
60    Prospectus Prospectus    61



 



Financial highlights
(For a common share outstanding throughout the period)

Putnam New Jersey Tax Exempt Income Fund

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS LESS DISTRIBUTIONS RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA
Period ended          Net asset value, beginning of period Net investment income (loss) Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments Total from investment operations From
net investment income
Total
distributions
Net asset value, end of period Total return at net asset value (%) a Net assets, end of period (in thousands) Ratio of expenses to average net assets (%) b Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets (%) Portfolio turnover (%)
Class A
May 31, 2023 $8.75 .25 (.17) .08 (.24) (.24) $8.59 1.02 $97,979 .86 2.86 18
May 31, 2022 9.69 .23 (.94) (.71) (.23) (.23) 8.75 (7.47) 100,341 .82 2.42 12
May 31, 2021 9.18 .23 .52 .75 (.24) (.24) 9.69 8.21 124,896 .82 2.40 13
May 31, 2020 9.35 .25 (.17) .08 (.25) (.25) 9.18 .80 119,852 .80 2.64 22
May 31, 2019 9.11 .28 .25 .53 (.29) (.29) 9.35 5.94 121,193 .80 3.04 11
Class B
May 31, 2023 $8.74 .19 (.16) .03 (.19) (.19) $8.58 .40 $106 1.46 2.24 18
May 31, 2022 9.67 .18 (.94) (.76) (.17) (.17) 8.74 (7.95) 226 1.42 1.81 12
May 31, 2021 9.17 .17 .51 .68 (.18) (.18) 9.67 7.46 456 1.42 1.81 13
May 31, 2020 9.33 .19 (.16) .03 (.19) (.19) 9.17 .28 834 1.43 2.02 22
May 31, 2019 9.10 .22 .24 .46 (.23) (.23) 9.33 5.17 1,449 1.43 2.42 11
Class C
May 31, 2023 $8.76 .18 (.15) .03 (.18) (.18) $8.61 .37 $6,196 1.61 2.11 18
May 31, 2022 9.70 .16 (.94) (.78) (.16) (.16) 8.76 (8.17) 7,065 1.57 1.66 12
May 31, 2021 9.19 .16 .52 .68 (.17) (.17) 9.70 7.40 11,622 1.57 1.66 13
May 31, 2020 9.36 .17 (.16) .01 (.18) (.18) 9.19 .03 14,326 1.58 1.86 22
May 31, 2019 9.13 .21 .24 .45 (.22) (.22) 9.36 5.00 14,363 1.58 2.26 11
Class R6
May 31, 2023 $8.76 .27 (.15) .12 (.27) (.27) $8.61 1.41 $504 .59 3.14 18
May 31, 2022 9.70 .26 (.95) (.69) (.25) (.25) 8.76 (7.22) 121 .56 2.64 12
May 31, 2021 9.20 .26 .50 .76 (.26) (.26) 9.70 8.37 227 .56 2.66 13
May 31, 2020 9.36 .27 (.16) .11 (.27) (.27) 9.20 1.15 113 .57 2.90 22
May 31, 2019 9.13 .31 .23 .54 (.31) (.31) 9.36 6.12 196 .57 3.29 11
Class Y
May 31, 2023 $8.77 .27 (.16) .11 (.27) (.27) $8.61 1.28 $24,819 .61 3.11 18
May 31, 2022 9.71 .26 (.95) (.69) (.25) (.25) 8.77 (7.22) 24,049 .57 2.68 12
May 31, 2021 9.20 .25 .52 .77 (.26) (.26) 9.71 8.47 29,207 .57 2.65 13
May 31, 2020 9.37 .27 (.17) .10 (.27) (.27) 9.20 1.03 27,104 .58 2.86 22
May 31, 2019 9.13 .30 .25 .55 (.31) (.31) 9.37 6.16 26,332 .58 3.26 11
a Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect the effect of sales charges.
b Includes amounts paid through expense offset and/or brokerage service arrangements, if any. Also excludes acquired fund fees and expenses, if any.
62    Prospectus Prospectus    63



 



Financial highlights
(For a common share outstanding throughout the period)

Putnam Ohio Tax Exempt Income Fund

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS LESS DISTRIBUTIONS RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA
Period ended          Net asset value, beginning of period Net investment income (loss) Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments Total from investment operations From
net investment income
From
net realized gain on investments
Total
distributions
Net asset value, end of period Total return at net asset value (%) a Net assets, end of period (in thousands) Ratio of expenses to average net assets (%) b Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets (%) Portfolio turnover (%)
Class A
May 31, 2023 $8.45 .21 (.22) (.01) (.21) (.01) (.22) $8.22 (.19) $60,666 .91 2.51 23
May 31, 2022 9.35 .18 (.83) (.65) (.18) (.07) (.25) 8.45 (7.02) 71,937 .86 2.02 11
May 31, 2021 9.10 .20 .25 .45 (.20) (.20) 9.35 5.00 86,178 .85 2.17 12
May 31, 2020 9.06 .22 .04 .26 (.22) (.22) 9.10 2.90 90,397 .83 2.46 19
May 31, 2019 8.85 .24 .21 .45 (.24) (.24) 9.06 5.19 85,815 .84 2.70 19
Class B
May 31, 2023 $8.43 .16 (.22) (.06) (.16) (.01) (.17) $8.20 (.80) $124 1.51 1.90 23
May 31, 2022 9.33 .13 (.83) (.70) (.13) (.07) (.20) 8.43 (7.58) 173 1.46 1.41 11
May 31, 2021 9.09 .15 .23 .38 (.14) (.14) 9.33 4.26 362 1.45 1.57 12
May 31, 2020 9.05 .17 .03 .20 (.16) (.16) 9.09 2.27 711 1.46 1.84 19
May 31, 2019 8.84 .18 .21 .39 (.18) (.18) 9.05 4.53 1,053 1.47 2.08 19
Class C
May 31, 2023 $8.44 .15 (.22) (.07) (.14) (.01) (.15) $8.22 (.83) $1,786 1.66 1.77 23
May 31, 2022 9.35 .12 (.84) (.72) (.12) (.07) (.19) 8.44 (7.81) 2,084 1.61 1.27 11
May 31, 2021 9.10 .13 .25 .38 (.13) (.13) 9.35 4.21 2,794 1.60 1.42 12
May 31, 2020 9.06 .15 .04 .19 (.15) (.15) 9.10 2.11 5,361 1.61 1.68 19
May 31, 2019 8.85 .17 .21 .38 (.17) (.17) 9.06 4.36 6,576 1.62 1.92 19
Class R6
May 31, 2023 $8.46 .23 (.21) .02 (.23) (.01) (.24) $8.24 .21 $2,088 .62 2.81 23
May 31, 2022 9.37 .21 (.84) (.63) (.21) (.07) (.28) 8.46 (6.85) 1,956 .59 2.31 11
May 31, 2021 9.12 .23 .25 .48 (.23) (.23) 9.37 5.27 942 .58 2.45 12
May 31, 2020 9.07 .25 .04 .29 (.24) (.24) 9.12 3.27 737 .59 2.69 19
May 31, 2019 8.86 .26 .21 .47 (.26) (.26) 9.07 5.44 637 .59 2.97 19
Class Y
May 31, 2023 $8.46 .23 (.22) .01 (.23) (.01) (.24) $8.23 .06 $18,455 .66 2.80 23
May 31, 2022 9.36 .21 (.83) (.62) (.21) (.07) (.28) 8.46 (6.77) 13,566 .61 2.27 11
May 31, 2021 9.11 .22 .25 .47 (.22) (.22) 9.36 5.25 14,115 .60 2.42 12
May 31, 2020 9.07 .24 .04 .28 (.24) (.24) 9.11 3.13 13,942 .61 2.68 19
May 31, 2019 8.86 .26 .21 .47 (.26) (.26) 9.07 5.42 14,847 .62 2.92 19
a Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect the effect of sales charges.
b Includes amounts paid through expense offset and/or brokerage service arrangements, if any. Also excludes acquired fund fees and expenses, if any.
64    Prospectus Prospectus    65



 



Financial highlights
(For a common share outstanding throughout the period)

Putnam Pennsylvania Tax Exempt Income Fund

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS LESS DISTRIBUTIONS RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA
Period ended          Net asset value, beginning of period Net investment income Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments Total from investment operations From
net investment income
Total
distributions
Net asset value, end of period Total return at net asset value (%) a Net assets, end of period (in thousands) Ratio of expenses to average net assets (%) b Ratio of net investment income to average net assets (%) Portfolio turnover (%)
Class A
May 31, 2023 $8.72 .22 (.31) (.09) (.22) (.22) $8.41 (.95) $96,734 .87 2.64 19
May 31, 2022 9.61 .19 (.89) (.70) (.19) (.19) 8.72 (7.35) 106,419 .83 2.08 21
May 31, 2021 9.22 .21 .38 .59 (.20) (.20) 9.61 6.50 128,422 .84 2.16 12
May 31, 2020 9.19 .23 .03 .26 (.23) (.23) 9.22 2.85 125,885 .83 2.51 19
May 31, 2019 8.97 .26 .22 .48 (.26) (.26) 9.19 5.50 122,860 .83 2.85 12
Class B
May 31, 2023 $8.70 .17 (.31) (.14) (.17) (.17) $8.39 (1.57) $59 1.47 1.99 19
May 31, 2022 9.59 .14 (.89) (.75) (.14) (.14) 8.70 (7.93) 242 1.43 1.47 21
May 31, 2021 9.20 .15 .39 .54 (.15) (.15) 9.59 5.87 464 1.44 1.57 12
May 31, 2020 9.17 .17 .03 .20 (.17) (.17) 9.20 2.21 767 1.45 1.89 19
May 31, 2019 8.96 .20 .22 .42 (.21) (.21) 9.17 4.73 1,263 1.45 2.23 12
Class C
May 31, 2023 $8.73 .16 (.32) (.16) (.16) (.16) $8.41 (1.82) $5,036 1.62 1.88 19
May 31, 2022 9.62 .12 (.89) (.77) (.12) (.12) 8.73 (8.04) 7,908 1.58 1.34 21
May 31, 2021 9.22 .13 .40 .53 (.13) (.13) 9.62 5.81 7,847 1.59 1.42 12
May 31, 2020 9.19 .16 .03 .19 (.16) (.16) 9.22 2.06 11,305 1.60 1.74 19
May 31, 2019 8.98 .19 .21 .40 (.19) (.19) 9.19 4.57 14,524 1.60 2.08 12
Class R6
May 31, 2023 $8.74 .25 (.32) (.07) (.25) (.25) $8.42 (.80) $848 .59 2.91 19
May 31, 2022 9.63 .22 (.89) (.67) (.22) (.22) 8.74 (7.05) 886 .56 2.40 21
May 31, 2021 9.23 .23 .40 .63 (.23) (.23) 9.63 6.89 298 .57 2.43 12
May 31, 2020 9.20 .25 .03 .28 (.25) (.25) 9.23 3.10 220 .57 2.76 19
May 31, 2019 8.99 .28 .22 .50 (.29) (.29) 9.20 5.67 234 .57 3.13 12
Class Y
May 31, 2023 $8.73 .25 (.31) (.06) (.25) (.25) $8.42 (.70) $12,245 .62 2.88 19
May 31, 2022 9.63 .22 (.90) (.68) (.22) (.22) 8.73 (7.20) 14,990 .58 2.33 21
May 31, 2021 9.23 .23 .40 .63 (.23) (.23) 9.63 6.87 17,781 .59 2.41 12
May 31, 2020 9.20 .25 .03 .28 (.25) (.25) 9.23 3.08 11,612 .60 2.74 19
May 31, 2019 8.99 .28 .21 .49 (.28) (.28) 9.20 5.61 11,242 .60 3.08 12
a Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect the effect of sales charges.
b Includes amounts paid through expense offset and/or brokerage service arrangements, if any. Also excludes acquired fund fees and expenses, if any.
66    Prospectus Prospectus    67



 



Appendix

Financial intermediary specific sales charge waiver information

As described in the prospectus, class A shares may be subject to an initial sales charge and class B and C shares may be subject to a CDSC. Certain financial intermediaries may impose different initial sales charges or waive the initial sales charge or CDSC in certain circumstances. This Appendix details the variations in sales charge waivers by financial intermediary. Not all financial intermediaries specify financial intermediary-specific sales charge waiver categories for every share class. For information about sales charges and waivers available for share classes other than those listed below, please see the section “Additional reductions and waivers of sales charges” in the prospectus. You should consult your financial representative for assistance in determining whether you may qualify for a particular sales charge waiver.

AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL

Class A Shares Front-End Sales Charge Waivers Available at Ameriprise Financial:

The following information applies to class A share purchases if you have an account with or otherwise purchase fund shares through Ameriprise Financial:

Shareholders purchasing fund shares through an Ameriprise Financial account are eligible for the following front-end sales charge waivers, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this fund’s prospectus or SAI:

68    Prospectus



 



D.A. DAVIDSON & CO. (“D.A. DAVIDSON”)

Shareholders purchasing fund shares including existing fund shareholders through a D.A. Davidson platform or account, or through an introducing broker-dealer or independent registered investment advisor for which D.A. Davidson provides trade execution, clearance, and/or custody services, will be eligible for the following sales charge waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this prospectus or SAI.

Front-End Sales Charge Waivers on Class A Shares available at D.A. Davidson

CDSC Waivers on Classes A and C shares available at D.A. Davidson

Front-end sales charge discounts available at D.A. Davidson: breakpoints, rights of accumulation and/or letters of intent

Prospectus    69



 



EDWARD D. JONES & CO., L.P. (“EDWARD JONES”)

Policies Regarding Transactions Through Edward Jones

The following information has been provided by Edward Jones:

Effective on or after March 1, 2021, the following information supersedes prior information with respect to transactions and positions held in fund shares through an Edward Jones system. Clients of Edward Jones (also referred to as “shareholders”) purchasing fund shares on the Edward Jones commission and fee-based platforms are eligible only for the following sales charge discounts (also referred to as “breakpoints”) and waivers, which can differ from discounts and waivers described elsewhere in the mutual fund prospectus or statement of additional information (“SAI”) or through another broker-dealer. In all instances, it is the shareholder’s responsibility to inform Edward Jones at the time of purchase of any relationship, holdings of fund family, or other facts qualifying the purchaser for discounts or waivers. Edward Jones can ask for documentation of such circumstance. Shareholders should contact Edward Jones if they have questions regarding their eligibility for these discounts and waivers.

Breakpoints

Rights of Accumulation (“ROA”)

70    Prospectus



 



Letter of Intent (“LOI”)

Sales Charge Waivers

Sales charges are waived for the following shareholders and in the following situations:

Prospectus    71



 



Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (“CDSC”) Waivers

If the shareholder purchases shares that are subject to a CDSC and those shares are redeemed before the CDSC is expired, the shareholder is responsible to pay the CDSC except in the following conditions:

Other Important Information Regarding Transactions Through Edward Jones

Minimum Purchase Amounts

Minimum Balances

A fee-based account held on an Edward Jones platform
A 529 account held on an Edward Jones platform
An account with an active systematic investment plan or LOI

Exchanging Share Classes

J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC

Effective September 29, 2023, if you purchase or hold fund shares through an applicable J.P. Morgan Securities LLC brokerage account, you will be eligible for the following sales charge waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”), or back-end sales charge, waivers), share class conversion policy and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this fund’s prospectus or Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

72    Prospectus



 



Front-end sales charge waivers on Class A shares available at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

Class C to Class A share conversion

CDSC waivers on Class A and C Shares available at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

Front-end load discounts available at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC: breakpoints, rights of accumulation & letters of intent

Prospectus    73



 



JANNEY MONTGOMERY SCOTT LLC (“JANNEY”)

Effective May 1, 2020, if you purchase fund shares through a Janney brokerage account, you will be eligible for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”), or back-end sales charge, waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this fund’s Prospectus or SAI.

Front-end sales charge* waivers on Class A shares available at Janney

CDSC waivers on Class A and C shares available at Janney

74    Prospectus



 



Front-end sales charge* discounts available at Janney: breakpoints, rights of accumulation, and/or letters of intent

* Also referred to as an “initial sales charge.”

MERRILL LYNCH

Shareholders purchasing fund shares through a Merrill Lynch platform or account held at Merrill Lynch will be eligible only for the following sales charge waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and CDSC waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in the fund’s prospectus or SAI. It is your responsibility to notify your financial representative at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying you for sales charge waivers or discounts.

Front-end Sales Charge Waivers on Class A Shares available through Merrill Lynch

Prospectus    75



 



CDSC Waivers on A, B and C Shares available through Merrill Lynch

Front-end Sales Charge Discounts available through Merrill Lynch: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation & Letters of Intent

76    Prospectus



 



MORGAN STANLEY WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Effective July 1, 2018, shareholders purchasing fund shares through a Morgan Stanley Wealth Management transactional brokerage account will be eligible only for the following front-end sales charge waivers with respect to class A shares, which may differ from and may be more limited than those disclosed elsewhere in this fund’s Prospectus or SAI.

Front-end Sales Charge Waivers on class A Shares available at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management:

OPPENHEIMER & CO. INC. (“OPCO”)

Effective September 1, 2020, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through an OPCO platform or account are eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s prospectus or SAI.

Front-end Sales Load Waivers on Class A Shares available at OPCO

Prospectus    77



 



CDSC Waivers on A, B and C Shares available at OPCO

Front-end Sales Charge Discounts Available at OPCO: Breakpoints & Rights of Accumulation

RAYMOND JAMES & ASSOCIATES, INC., RAYMOND JAMES FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. AND EACH ENTITY’S AFFILIATES (“RAYMOND JAMES”)

Effective March 1, 2019, shareholders purchasing fund shares through a Raymond James platform or account, or through an introducing broker-dealer or independent registered investment adviser for which Raymond James provides trade execution, clearance, and/or custody services, will be eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this fund’s prospectus or SAI.

Front-end sales load waivers on Class A shares available at Raymond James

78    Prospectus



 



CDSC Waivers on Classes A, B and C shares available at Raymond James

Front-end load discounts available at Raymond James: breakpoints, rights of accumulation, and/or letters of intent

ROBERT W. BAIRD & CO. (“BAIRD”)

Effective September 1, 2020, shareholders purchasing fund shares through a Baird brokerage account will only be eligible for the following sales charge waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and CDSC waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this prospectus or the SAI.

Prospectus    79



 



Front-End Sales Charge Waivers on Class A shares Available at Baird

CDSC Waivers on Class A and C shares Available at Baird

Front-End Sales Charge Discounts Available at Baird: Breakpoints and/or Rights of Accumulation

STIFEL, NICOLAUS & COMPANY, INCORPORATED (“STIFEL”)

Effective September 1, 2020, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Stifel platform or account or who own shares for which Stifel or an affiliate is the broker-dealer of record are eligible for the following additional sales charge waiver.

80    Prospectus



 



Front-end Sales Charge Waiver on Class A Shares

Class C shares that have been held for more than seven (7) years will be converted to Class A shares of the same Fund pursuant to Stifel’s policies and procedures. All other sales charge waivers and reductions described elsewhere in this prospectus or SAI will continue to apply for eligible shareholders.

Class A Sales Charge Waivers Available Only Through Specified Intermediaries

As described in the prospectus, class A shares may be purchased at net asset value without payment of a sales charge through a broker-dealer, financial institution, or financial intermediary that has entered into an agreement with Putnam Retail Management to offer shares through a retail self-directed brokerage account with or without the imposition of a transaction fee.

The following intermediaries have entered into such an agreement:

National Financial Services LLC
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
TD Ameritrade, Inc. and TD Ameritrade Clearing, Inc.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC
Interactive Brokers LLC
Vanguard Marketing Corporation
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
E*Trade Securities LLC

Prospectus    81



 



Make the most of your Putnam privileges

As a Putnam mutual fund shareholder, you have access to a number of services that can help you build a more effective and flexible financial program. Here are some of the ways you can use these privileges to make the most of your Putnam mutual fund investment.

Systematic investment plan

Invest as much as you wish. The amount you choose will be automatically transferred weekly, semi-monthly or monthly from your checking or savings account.

Systematic withdrawal

Make regular withdrawals monthly, quarterly, semiannually, or annually from your Putnam mutual fund account.

Systematic exchange

Transfer assets automatically from one Putnam account to another on a regular, prearranged basis.

Exchange privilege

Exchange money between Putnam funds. The exchange privilege allows you to adjust your investments as your objectives change. A signature guarantee is required for exchanges of more than $500,000 and shares of all Putnam funds may not be available to all investors.

Investors may not maintain, within the same fund, simultaneous plans for systematic investment or exchange (into the fund) and systematic withdrawal or exchange (out of the fund). These privileges are subject to change or termination.

82    Prospectus



 



Dividends plus

Diversify your portfolio by investing dividends and other distributions from one Putnam fund automatically into another at net asset value.

Statement of intention

You may reduce a front-end sales charge by agreeing to invest a minimum dollar amount over 13 months. Depending on your fund, the minimum is $50,000 or $100,000. Whenever you make an investment under this arrangement, you or your financial representative should notify Putnam Investor Services that a Statement of Intention is in effect.

Many of these services can be accessed online at putnam.com.

For more information about any of these services and privileges, call your
financial representative or a Putnam customer service representative toll-free at 1-800-225-1581.

Prospectus    83



 



For more information about
Putnam Massachusetts Tax Exempt Income Fund, Putnam Minnesota Tax Exempt Income Fund, Putnam New Jersey Tax Exempt Income Fund, Putnam Ohio Tax Exempt Income Fund and Putnam Pennsylvania Tax Exempt Income Fund

The funds’ SAI and annual and semiannual reports to shareholders include additional information about the funds. The SAI is incorporated by reference into this prospectus, which means it is part of this prospectus for legal purposes. Each fund’s annual report discusses the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the fund’s performance during its last fiscal year. You may get free copies of these materials, request other information about any Putnam fund, or make shareholder inquiries, by contacting your financial representative, by visiting Putnam’s website at putnam.com/individual, or by calling Putnam toll-free at 1-800-225-1581. You may access reports and other information about each fund on the EDGAR Database on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You may get copies of this information, with payment of a duplication fee, by electronic request at the following E-mail address: [email protected]. You may need to refer to the fund’s file number.

Putnam Investments
100 Federal Street
Boston, MA 02110
1-800-225-1581

Address correspondence to:

Putnam Investments
P.O. Box 219697
Kansas City, MO 64121-9697

putnam.com

File Nos.:
Massachusetts Fund 811-04518
Minnesota Fund 811-04527
New Jersey Fund 811-05977
Ohio Fund 811-04528
Pennsylvania Fund 811-05802                SP57 333281 9/23