Notable findings
- 49 of 51 jurisdictions have a return deadline confirmed from official text. Kentucky has no general deadline in the section read, and Tennessee is not confirmed.
- Counted in calendar days, deadlines run from 14 days (Alaska, Hawaii, Nebraska, New York and Vermont) to 60 days (Alabama, Arkansas and West Virginia), with a median of 30 days across 47 jurisdictions.
- 30 days is the most common deadline (23 jurisdictions), then 45 days (7) and 21 days (6).
- Arizona (14 business days) and Louisiana (one month) count differently. In Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota and Rhode Island the clock waits for the tenant's forwarding or mailing address.
- 29 jurisdictions cap the deposit (15 at one month, 3 at 1.5 months, 10 at 2 months and 1 at 3 months); 15 have no cap in the section read, and 7 caps are not confirmed.
Interactive version: Security deposit rules by state (full text of each rule) · Return deadline calculator.
How the calendar-day deadlines spread out
| Deadline | Jurisdictions | Which |
|---|---|---|
| 14 days | 5 | AK, HI, NE, NY, VT |
| 20 days | 2 | DE, RI |
| 21 days | 6 | CA, CT, ID, MN, SD, WI |
| 30 days | 23 | CO, FL, GA, IA, KS, ME, MA, MI, MO, MT, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NC, ND, OH, PA, SC, TX, UT, WA, WY |
| 31 days | 1 | OR |
| 45 days | 7 | DC, IL, IN, MD, MS, OK, VA |
| 60 days | 3 | AL, AR, WV |
Colorado's row reflects HB25-1249, which the file cites as effective January 1, 2026. Florida, Montana, North Carolina, Connecticut and West Virginia have a second date for some cases; the table lists the main one and the calculator shows the others.
The full table
51 rows. Select a column heading to sort. "Not confirmed" means the official source read did not state it. On a phone, swipe the table sideways.
| Alabama | 60 days | No | 1 | Yes | No | alison.legislature.state.al.us | November 6, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 14 days | No | 2 | Yes | Not confirmed | law.alaska.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Arizona | 14 business days | No | 1.5 | Yes | No | azleg.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Arkansas | 60 days | No | 2 | Yes | Not confirmed | arkansasag.gov law.justia.com (Justia (statute text) (secondary source)) | November 6, 2026 |
| California | 21 days | No | 1 | Yes | No | dre.ca.gov selfhelp.courts.ca.gov oag.ca.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Colorado | 30 days | No | Not confirmed | Yes | Not confirmed | content.leg.colorado.gov leg.colorado.gov dre.colorado.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Connecticut | 21 days | No | 2 | Yes | Yes | portal.ct.gov portal.ct.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Delaware | 20 days | No | 1 | Yes | No | attorneygeneral.delaware.gov law.justia.com (Justia (statute text) (secondary source)) nolo.com (Nolo (secondary source)) | November 6, 2026 |
| District of Columbia | 45 days | No | 1 | Yes | Yes | code.dccouncil.gov ota.dc.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Florida | 30 days | No | No cap stated | Yes | Not confirmed | flsenate.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Georgia | 30 days | No | 2 | Yes | No | legis.ga.gov gov.georgia.gov dca.georgia.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Hawaii | 14 days | No | 1 | Yes | No | cca.hawaii.gov cca.hawaii.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Idaho | 21 days | No | No cap stated | Yes | Not confirmed | courtselfhelp.idaho.gov ag.idaho.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Illinois | 45 days | No | No cap stated | Yes | Yes | illinoisattorneygeneral.gov ilga.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Indiana | 45 days | Yes | Not confirmed | Yes | Not confirmed | in.gov law.justia.com (Justia (statute text) (secondary source)) codes.findlaw.com (FindLaw Codes (secondary source)) | November 6, 2026 |
| Iowa | 30 days | Yes | 2 | Yes | No | legis.iowa.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Kansas | 30 days | No | 1 | Yes | No | ksrevisor.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Kentucky | None stated | n/a | No cap stated | Yes | No | apps.legislature.ky.gov codes.findlaw.com (FindLaw Codes (secondary source)) | November 6, 2026 |
| Louisiana | 1 month | No | Not confirmed | Yes | Not confirmed | legis.la.gov legis.la.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Maine | 30 days | No | 2 | Yes | Not confirmed | legislature.maine.gov legislature.maine.gov legislature.maine.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Maryland | 45 days | No | 1 | Yes | Yes | mgaleg.maryland.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Massachusetts | 30 days | No | 1 | Yes | Yes | malegislature.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Michigan | 30 days | No | 1.5 | Yes | No | legislature.mi.gov legislature.mi.gov legislature.mi.gov legislature.mi.gov legislature.mi.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Minnesota | 21 days | Yes | No cap stated | Yes | Yes | revisor.mn.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Mississippi | 45 days | No | No cap stated | Yes | No | billstatus.ls.state.ms.us billstatus.ls.state.ms.us codes.findlaw.com (FindLaw Codes (secondary source)) | November 6, 2026 |
| Missouri | 30 days | No | 2 | Yes | No | revisor.mo.gov codes.findlaw.com (FindLaw Codes (secondary source)) law.justia.com (Justia (statute text) (secondary source)) | November 6, 2026 |
| Montana | 30 days | No | Not confirmed | Yes | Not confirmed | mca.legmt.gov mca.legmt.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Nebraska | 14 days | No | 1 | Yes | No | nebraskalegislature.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Nevada | 30 days | No | 3 | Yes | No | leg.state.nv.us | November 6, 2026 |
| New Hampshire | 30 days | No | 1 | Yes | Yes | gc.nh.gov gc.nh.gov gc.nh.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| New Jersey | 30 days | No | 1.5 | Yes | Yes | nj.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| New Mexico | 30 days | No | 1 | Yes | Yes | rld.nm.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| New York | 14 days | No | 1 | Yes | Yes | nysenate.gov nysenate.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| North Carolina | 30 days | No | 2 | Yes | No | ncleg.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| North Dakota | 30 days | No | 1 | Yes | Yes | ndlegis.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Ohio | 30 days | No | No cap stated | Yes | Yes | codes.ohio.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Oklahoma | 45 days | No | Not confirmed | Yes | No | oklegislature.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Oregon | 31 days | No | No cap stated | Yes | Not confirmed | oregonlegislature.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Pennsylvania | 30 days | No | 2 | Yes | Yes | legis.state.pa.us legis.state.pa.us | November 6, 2026 |
| Rhode Island | 20 days | Yes | 1 | Yes | No | webserver.rilegislature.gov codes.findlaw.com (FindLaw Codes (secondary source)) | November 6, 2026 |
| South Carolina | 30 days | No | No cap stated | Yes | Not confirmed | scstatehouse.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| South Dakota | 21 days | No | 1 | Yes | Not confirmed | sdlegislature.gov sdlegislature.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Tennessee | Not confirmed | n/a | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Check Tenn. Code 66-28-301 (the General Assembly links to the official publisher). | November 6, 2026 |
| Texas | 30 days | No | No cap stated | Yes | Not confirmed | guides.sll.texas.gov law.justia.com (Justia (statute text) (secondary source)) nolo.com (Nolo (secondary source)) | November 6, 2026 |
| Utah | 30 days | No | No cap stated | Yes | No | le.utah.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Vermont | 14 days | No | No cap stated | Yes | No | legislature.vermont.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Virginia | 45 days | No | 2 | Yes | No | law.lis.virginia.gov dhcd.virginia.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Washington | 30 days | No | No cap stated | Yes | No | apps.leg.wa.gov apps.leg.wa.gov apps.leg.wa.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| West Virginia | 60 days | No | No cap stated | Yes | Not confirmed | code.wvlegislature.gov code.wvlegislature.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Wisconsin | 21 days | No | No cap stated | Yes | No | docs.legis.wisconsin.gov docs.legis.wisconsin.gov | November 6, 2026 |
| Wyoming | 30 days | No | Not confirmed | Yes | No | wyocourts.gov | November 6, 2026 |
Methodology
The figures come from data/security-deposits.json, compiled on November 6, 2026 from each state's legislature site, or, where that site could not be read, from a state agency guide (Attorney General, banking or housing department, court self-help). The file's own note: "Organizer data, not legal advice. Filled only from official pages opened in November 2026; null fields carry a 'check' note. Local ordinances (for example in some cities) can add rules."
A deadline counts as confirmed only when the official text states the number of days. Kentucky's statute sets no general deadline, so its row says "None stated"; a state whose text could not be read shows "Not confirmed" and the CSV carries the file's instruction on where to check. Business-day and one-month deadlines sort as approximate calendar days so the column orders sensibly; the CSV keeps the original number and unit.
Fields the source didn't state show as "Not confirmed" here and in the CSV, never as a guess. The CSV is built from the same files each time it is downloaded and includes the source title, URL and checked date on every row. General information only, not legal or tax advice.
Cite this page
Link: https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/data/security-deposit-return-deadlines. When quoting a single state, please also link the official source in that row.
Common questions
What is the shortest security deposit return deadline?
14 calendar days, in Alaska, Hawaii, Nebraska, New York and Vermont. Arizona counts 14 business days instead.
What is the longest?
60 days, in Alabama, Arkansas and West Virginia.
What is the typical deadline?
The median of the 47 calendar-day deadlines is 30 days, and 30 days is the most common single figure.
When does the count start?
Usually at the end of the tenancy or when the tenant moves out. In some states it starts when the landlord has the tenant's forwarding address; the table flags those.
Do cities have their own deadlines?
Some do. This data covers state law only, as stated on the official pages read; local ordinances and the lease can add rules.