Lemon laws by state
How many failed repairs or days in the shop make a new car a lemon in each state, and for how long the law covers it.
| State | Repairs | Days | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 3 | 30 calendar | 1 year or 12,000 miles from delivery, whichever comes first |
| Alaska | 3 | 30 business | 1 year from delivery or the warranty period, whichever is shorter |
| Arizona | 4 | 30 calendar | the warranty period, 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever is shortest |
| Arkansas | 3 (1 safety) | - | 24 months or 24,000 miles, whichever is longer |
| California | 4 (2 safety) | 30 | 18 months or 18,000 miles for the legal presumption; claims are possible during the whole warranty |
| Colorado | 3 | 24 business | up to 30 months from delivery (rules updated in August 2024) |
| Connecticut | 4 | 30 | 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| Delaware | 4 | 30 | 1 year from delivery or the warranty period, whichever is shorter |
| District of Columbia | 4 (1 safety) | 30 | 2 years or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| Florida | 3 | 15 | 24 months from delivery |
| Georgia | 3 (1 safety) | 30 calendar | 24 months or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| Hawaii | 3 (1 safety) | 30 business | 2 years or 24,000 miles (or the warranty, if shorter) |
| Idaho | 4 (1 safety) | 30 business | the warranty, 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| Illinois | 4 | 30 business | 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| Indiana | 4 | 30 business | 18 months or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| Iowa | 3 (1 safety) | 30 | 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| Kansas | 4 | 30 calendar | 1 year from delivery (or the warranty, if shorter) |
| Kentucky | 4 | 30 calendar | 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| Louisiana | 4 | - | 1 year from delivery or the warranty period, whichever is shorter |
| Maine | 3 (1 safety) | 15 business | 3 years or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first (or the warranty) |
| Maryland | 4 (1 safety) | 30 | 15 months or 15,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| Massachusetts | 3 | 15 business | 1 year or 15,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| Michigan | 4 | 30 | 1 year from delivery or the warranty; the 4 attempts must fall within 2 years of the first one |
| Minnesota | 4 (1 safety) | 30 business | 2 years from delivery or the warranty, whichever ends first |
| Mississippi | 3 | 15 business | 1 year from delivery or the warranty, whichever is shorter |
| Missouri | 4 | 30 business | 1 year from delivery or the warranty, whichever ends first |
| Montana | 4 | 30 business | 2 years or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| Nebraska | 4 | 40 | 1 year from delivery or the warranty, whichever is shorter |
| Nevada | 4 | 30 calendar | 1 year from delivery or the warranty, whichever ends first |
| New Hampshire | 3 | 30 business | the manufacturer's warranty period |
| New Jersey | 3 (1 safety) | 20 calendar | 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| New Mexico | 4 | 30 | 1 year from delivery or the warranty, whichever is shorter |
| New York | 4 | 30 | 2 years or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| North Carolina | 4 | 20 business | 2 years or 24,000 miles (or the warranty); the 20 days count within any 12-month period |
| North Dakota | 3 | 30 business | 1 year from delivery or the warranty, whichever is shorter |
| Ohio | 3 (1 safety) | 30 calendar | 12 months or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| Oklahoma | 4 | 30 | 1 year from delivery or the warranty, whichever ends first |
| Oregon | 3 (1 safety) | 30 calendar | 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| Pennsylvania | 3 | 30 calendar | 1 year or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first (or the warranty) |
| Rhode Island | 4 | 30 calendar | 1 year or 15,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| South Carolina | 3 | 30 | 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| South Dakota | 4 | 30 | 24 months or 24,000 miles; at least one repair attempt must be within the first year or 12,000 miles |
| Tennessee | 4 | 30 calendar | 1 year from delivery or the warranty, whichever comes first |
| Texas | 4 (2 safety) | 30 | 24 months or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first (or the warranty) |
| Utah | 4 | 30 | 1 year from delivery or the warranty, whichever is shorter |
| Vermont | 3 | 30 calendar | the manufacturer's warranty period |
| Virginia | 3 (1 safety) | 30 calendar | 18 months from delivery |
| Washington | 4 (2 safety) | 30 calendar | 2 years or 24,000 miles (some attempts must fall within the warranty) |
| West Virginia | 3 (1 safety) | 30 calendar | 1 year from delivery or the warranty, whichever ends first |
| Wisconsin | 4 | 30 | 1 year from delivery or the warranty, whichever is shorter |
| Wyoming | 3 | 30 business | 1 year from delivery |
Federal law
Every state also has the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which lets you sue over a broken written warranty on a new or used car, and the federal emissions warranty, which covers some emissions-related parts for longer than the basic warranty.
General information, not legal advice. Laws change and courts interpret them, so confirm the details with the official source or a lemon law attorney before you act. Last checked November 8, 2026.
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