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Security deposit laws by state

Every state sets a deadline for returning a security deposit, and most impose real penalties on landlords who miss it. Find your state below for the deadline, the governing statute, and what a landlord owes for withholding.

Each entry was checked against the state's own published statute in July 2026, not summarized from other websites.

State	Deadline	Statute
Alabama deposit lawletters available	60 days	Ala. Code § 35-9A-201
Alaska deposit lawletters available	14 days	Alaska Stat. § 34.03.070
Arizona deposit lawletters available	14 business days	Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 33-1321
Arkansas deposit law	60 days	Ark. Code § 18-16-305
California deposit lawletters available	21 days	Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5
Colorado deposit lawletters available	30 days	Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-103
Connecticut deposit lawletters available	21 days	Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21
Delaware deposit lawletters available	20 days	25 Del. C. § 5514
District of Columbia deposit lawletters available	45 days	D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 14, § 309
Florida deposit lawletters available	15 days	Fla. Stat. § 83.49
Georgia deposit lawletters available	30 days	Ga. Code § 44-7-34
Hawaii deposit lawletters available	14 days	Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44
Idaho deposit lawletters available	21 days	Idaho Code § 6-321
Illinois deposit lawletters available	45 days	765 ILCS 710/1
Indiana deposit lawletters available	45 days	Ind. Code § 32-31-3-12
Iowa deposit lawletters available	30 days	Iowa Code § 562A.12
Kansas deposit lawletters available	30 days	Kan. Stat. § 58-2550
Kentucky deposit law	By forfeiture	Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.580
Louisiana deposit lawletters available	30 days	La. Rev. Stat. § 9:3251
Maine deposit lawletters available	30 days	14 M.R.S. § 6033
Maryland deposit lawletters available	45 days	Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-203
Massachusetts deposit lawletters available	30 days	Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 15B
Michigan deposit lawletters available	30 days	Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.609
Minnesota deposit lawletters available	21 days	Minn. Stat. § 504B.178
Mississippi deposit lawletters available	45 days	Miss. Code § 89-8-21
Missouri deposit lawletters available	30 days	Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300
Montana deposit lawletters available	30 days	Mont. Code § 70-25-202
Nebraska deposit lawletters available	14 days	Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416
Nevada deposit lawletters available	30 days	Nev. Rev. Stat. § 118A.242
New Hampshire deposit lawletters available	30 days	N.H. Rev. Stat. § 540-A:7
New Jersey deposit lawletters available	30 days	N.J. Stat. § 46:8-21.1
New Mexico deposit lawletters available	30 days	N.M. Stat. § 47-8-18
New York deposit lawletters available	14 days	N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108
North Carolina deposit lawletters available	30 days	N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-52
North Dakota deposit lawletters available	30 days	N.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-07.1
Ohio deposit lawletters available	30 days	Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.16
Oklahoma deposit lawletters available	45 days	Okla. Stat. tit. 41, § 115
Oregon deposit lawletters available	31 days	Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.300
Pennsylvania deposit lawletters available	30 days	68 Pa. Stat. § 250.512
Rhode Island deposit lawletters available	20 days	R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19
South Carolina deposit lawletters available	30 days	S.C. Code § 27-40-410
South Dakota deposit lawletters available	21 days	S.D. Codified Laws § 43-32-24
Tennessee deposit law	By forfeiture	Tenn. Code § 66-28-301
Texas deposit lawletters available	30 days	Tex. Prop. Code § 92.103
Utah deposit lawletters available	30 days	Utah Code §§ 57-17-3, 57-17-5
Vermont deposit lawletters available	14 days	9 V.S.A. § 4461
Virginia deposit lawletters available	45 days	Va. Code § 55.1-1226
Washington deposit lawletters available	30 days	RCW 59.18.280
West Virginia deposit lawletters available	60 days	W. Va. Code §§ 37-6A-2, 37-6A-1(7)
Wisconsin deposit lawletters available	21 days	Wis. Stat. § 704.28; Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.06
Wyoming deposit lawletters available	30 days	Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1208

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Common questions

My landlord won't return my deposit — what do I do?What can a landlord actually deduct?How do I dispute a deduction?Are security deposits refundable?

General information, not legal advice. We are not a law firm. Deadlines and penalties vary by state and local ordinances may add requirements — each state page cites the statute and shows when we last verified it.