diff --git a/.changelog/24302.txt b/.changelog/24302.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..083f2d3590c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/24302.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:bug
+resource/aws_sfn_state_machine: Prevent panic during resource update
+```
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/internal/service/sfn/state_machine.go b/internal/service/sfn/state_machine.go
index 1f9cfb00b6b..d8c7164e223 100644
--- a/internal/service/sfn/state_machine.go
+++ b/internal/service/sfn/state_machine.go
@@ -290,9 +290,9 @@ func resourceStateMachineUpdate(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) error
 
 			if d.HasChange("definition") && !verify.JSONBytesEqual([]byte(aws.StringValue(output.Definition)), []byte(d.Get("definition").(string))) ||
 				d.HasChange("role_arn") && aws.StringValue(output.RoleArn) != d.Get("role_arn").(string) ||
-				d.HasChange("tracing_configuration.0.enabled") && aws.BoolValue(output.TracingConfiguration.Enabled) != d.Get("tracing_configuration.0.enabled").(bool) ||
-				d.HasChange("logging_configuration.0.include_execution_data") && aws.BoolValue(output.LoggingConfiguration.IncludeExecutionData) != d.Get("logging_configuration.0.include_execution_data").(bool) ||
-				d.HasChange("logging_configuration.0.level") && aws.StringValue(output.LoggingConfiguration.Level) != d.Get("logging_configuration.0.level").(string) {
+				d.HasChange("tracing_configuration.0.enabled") && output.TracingConfiguration != nil && aws.BoolValue(output.TracingConfiguration.Enabled) != d.Get("tracing_configuration.0.enabled").(bool) ||
+				d.HasChange("logging_configuration.0.include_execution_data") && output.LoggingConfiguration != nil && aws.BoolValue(output.LoggingConfiguration.IncludeExecutionData) != d.Get("logging_configuration.0.include_execution_data").(bool) ||
+				d.HasChange("logging_configuration.0.level") && output.LoggingConfiguration != nil && aws.StringValue(output.LoggingConfiguration.Level) != d.Get("logging_configuration.0.level").(string) {
 				return resource.RetryableError(fmt.Errorf("Step Function State Machine (%s) eventual consistency", d.Id()))
 			}