50 states + DC
Demand letters by state.
The deadlines and dollar limits that give your letter teeth depend on where you are. Find your state for its security-deposit rules, small-claims limit, filing fees and statutes of limitation — then generate a letter that cites the right law.
Key deadlines & limits by state
Click any state for the full breakdown and a state-specific generator.
| State | Deposit return | Small claims max | Written-contract SOL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 60 days | $6,000 | 6 years | View |
| Alaska | 14 days (30 days if you did not give proper notice) | $10,000 | 3 years | View |
| Arizona | 14 business days | $3,500 | 6 years | View |
| Arkansas | 60 days | $5,000 | 5 years | View |
| California | 21 days | $12,500 (individuals) / $6,250 (businesses and entities) | 4 years | View |
| Colorado | 30 days (up to 60 if the lease specifies, never more than 60) | $7,500 | 6 years | View |
| Connecticut | 30 days (or 15 days after you give a forwarding address, whichever is later) | $5,000 (no limit for certain security-deposit claims) | 6 years | View |
| Delaware | 20 days | $25,000 (Justice of the Peace Court) | 3 years | View |
| District of Columbia | 45 days (with notice of intent to withhold required within 45 days, then 30 days to refund the balance) | $10,000 | 3 years | View |
| Florida | 15 days to refund in full, or 30 days to send written notice of intended deductions by certified mail | $8,000 (excluding costs, interest, and attorney’s fees) | 5 years | View |
| Georgia | 30 days | $15,000 | 6 years | View |
| Hawaii | 14 days | $5,000 (no limit for security-deposit return claims) | 6 years | View |
| Idaho | 21 days (up to 30 days if the lease so provides) | $5,000 (scheduled to rise to $15,000 on July 1, 2026) | 5 years | View |
| Illinois | 45 days (30 days to send an itemized statement when deductions are claimed) | $10,000 | 10 years | View |
| Indiana | 45 days | $10,000 (Marion County township courts: $8,000) | 10 years | View |
| Iowa | 30 days | $6,500 | 10 years | View |
| Kansas | 30 days (14 days to itemize after determining deductions, not to exceed 30 total) | $4,000 | 5 years | View |
| Kentucky | 30–60 days (no fixed statutory deadline; tenant must be given time to inspect the itemized list) | $2,500 (one of the lowest in the U.S.) | 10 years | View |
| Louisiana | 30 days | $5,000 | 10 years | View |
| Maine | 30 days (21 days for a tenancy at will) | $6,000 | 6 years | View |
| Maryland | 45 days | $5,000 | 3 years | View |
| Massachusetts | 30 days | $7,000 (no cap for certain motor-vehicle property-damage claims) | 6 years | View |
| Michigan | 30 days | $7,000 (adjusts periodically for inflation) | 6 years | View |
| Minnesota | 21 days (5 days if displaced by condemnation) | $20,000 | 6 years | View |
| Mississippi | 45 days | $3,500 | 3 years | View |
| Missouri | 30 days | $5,000 | 10 years | View |
| Montana | 30 days (10 days if there are no deductions) | $7,000 | 8 years | View |
| Nebraska | 14 days after demand and a forwarding address | $3,900 (adjusts for inflation every five years) | 5 years | View |
| Nevada | 30 days | $10,000 | 6 years | View |
| New Hampshire | 30 days | $10,000 | 3 years | View |
| New Jersey | 30 days (5 days in cases of fire, flood, condemnation, or eviction) | $5,000 ($20,000 in the broader Special Civil Part) | 6 years | View |
| New Mexico | 30 days | $10,000 (Metropolitan Court); $10,000 in Magistrate Court | 6 years | View |
| New York | 14 days | $10,000 (NYC & many city courts); $5,000 city courts; $3,000 town/village courts | 6 years | View |
| North Carolina | 30 days (interim accounting allowed, with final accounting within 60 days) | $10,000 | 3 years | View |
| North Dakota | 30 days | $15,000 | 6 years | View |
| Ohio | 30 days | $6,000 | 8 years | View |
| Oklahoma | 45 days after written demand by the tenant | $10,000 | 5 years | View |
| Oregon | 31 days | $10,000 | 6 years | View |
| Pennsylvania | 30 days | $12,000 | 4 years | View |
| Rhode Island | 20 days | $2,500 | 10 years | View |
| South Carolina | 30 days | $7,500 | 3 years | View |
| South Dakota | 14 days to return, with up to 45 days to provide an itemized statement on request | $12,000 | 6 years | View |
| Tennessee | No fixed return deadline; tenant must be notified and given 7 days to inspect deductions, with refund of any balance promptly after | $25,000 (no limit for actions to recover personal property) | 6 years | View |
| Texas | 30 days | $20,000 (exclusive of statutory interest and court costs) | 4 years | View |
| Utah | 30 days (or 15 days after receiving the tenant’s forwarding address, whichever is later) | $15,000 (raised to $20,000 for claims arising after recent legislation in some courts) | 6 years | View |
| Vermont | 14 days | $5,000 | 6 years | View |
| Virginia | 45 days | $5,000 | 5 years | View |
| Washington | 30 days | $10,000 | 6 years | View |
| West Virginia | 60 days (or 45 days after a new tenant takes possession, whichever is earlier) | $10,000 | 10 years | View |
| Wisconsin | 21 days | $10,000 (no limit for eviction; $5,000 for some tort claims) | 6 years | View |
| Wyoming | 30 days, or within 15 days of receiving the tenant’s forwarding address, whichever is later (up to 60 days if there is damage) | $6,000 | 10 years | View |
Figures are general legal information compiled from state statutes and court resources, and change over time. Verify the current rule for your situation. This is not legal advice.
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