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Lemon law time limits by state
Two clocks matter. The protection period, 12 to 36 months after delivery depending on the state and often with a mileage limit, is when the defect must first be reported and the repairs must start. The time limit to file is how long you then have to bring a claim: 38 state lemon laws set one in their own text, often about a year after the protection period or the warranty ends.
Deadlines in every state
| State | Protection period | Time limit to file |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 12 months or 12,000 miles | 3 years after the original delivery of the vehicle |
| Alaska | 12 months | Written notice by certified mail within 60 days after the warranty or the first year ends, whichever is first; the law sets no separate lawsuit deadline |
| Arizona | 24 months or 24,000 miles | 6 months after the warranty ends or 2 years or 24,000 miles from delivery, whichever is earliest |
| Arkansas | 24 months or 24,000 miles | 2 years after first reporting the defect to the manufacturer or dealer |
| California | 18 months or 18,000 miles | Not set in the lemon law |
| Colorado | 24 months or 24,000 miles | 30 months after delivery, not counting time the vehicle is in for repair or in the manufacturer's arbitration |
| Connecticut | 24 months or 24,000 miles | Not set in the lemon law |
| Delaware | 12 months | Not set in the lemon law |
| District of Columbia | 24 months or 18,000 miles | 4 years from the original delivery of the vehicle |
| Florida | 24 months | Request state arbitration within 60 days after the 24-month rights period ends (or 30 days after a certified manufacturer program's final action, if later); sue within 1 year after the rights period ends or after the final arbitration action |
| Georgia | 24 months or 24,000 miles | Apply to the Attorney General for state arbitration within 1 year after the lemon law rights period ends, or within 60 days after the manufacturer's certified program ends, whichever is later |
| Hawaii | 24 months or 24,000 miles | Within 1 year after the lemon law rights period ends |
| Idaho | 24 months or 24,000 miles | 3 years after delivery; 3 months after the arbitration decision if you used the manufacturer's arbitration program |
| Illinois | 12 months or 12,000 miles | 12 months from the purchase date to file a claim, per the Attorney General |
| Indiana | 18 months or 18,000 miles | 2 years from the date the problem was first reported to the dealer |
| Iowa | 24 months or 24,000 miles | 1 year after the lemon law rights period (or its extension) ends; 6 months after the decision deadline if a certified program ruled for you and the manufacturer did not comply |
| Kansas | 12 months | Not set in the lemon law |
| Kentucky | 12 months or 12,000 miles | 2 years after the original delivery of the vehicle |
| Louisiana | 12 months | 3 years from purchase or 1 year after the warranty ends, whichever is longer |
| Maine | 36 months or 18,000 miles | Request state arbitration within 3 years of delivery or within the warranty term, whichever comes first |
| Maryland | 24 months or 18,000 miles | 3 years from the date the vehicle was first delivered to you |
| Massachusetts | 12 months or 15,000 miles | Request state-certified arbitration within 18 months of delivery |
| Michigan | 12 months | Not set in the lemon law |
| Minnesota | 24 months | 3 years from the date the vehicle was first delivered, or 6 months after a final decision of the manufacturer's dispute program if you applied to it within those 3 years |
| Mississippi | 12 months | 1 year after the warranty ends or 18 months after delivery, whichever is earlier; or 90 days after the final decision if you used the manufacturer's dispute program |
| Missouri | 12 months | 6 months after the warranty ends or 18 months after delivery, whichever is earlier; or 90 days after the final decision if you used the manufacturer's dispute program |
| Montana | 24 months or 18,000 miles | Not set in the lemon law |
| Nebraska | 12 months | Not set in the lemon law |
| Nevada | 12 months | 18 months after the original delivery of the vehicle |
| New Hampshire | See the guide | Within one year after the express warranty ends or after the manufacturer's final repair attempt, whichever is later |
| New Jersey | 24 months or 24,000 miles | Not set in the lemon law |
| New Mexico | 12 months | 18 months after original delivery, or 90 days after a manufacturer dispute program's final action, whichever is later |
| New York | 24 months or 18,000 miles | 4 years from the date the car was first delivered to you |
| North Carolina | 24 months or 24,000 miles | Not set in the lemon law |
| North Dakota | 12 months | 6 months after the warranty expires or 18 months after delivery, whichever is earlier |
| Ohio | 12 months or 18,000 miles | 5 years from the original delivery of the vehicle |
| Oklahoma | 12 months | Not set in the lemon law |
| Oregon | 24 months or 24,000 miles | 1 year after the 2-year or 24,000-mile period ends, whichever ends first |
| Pennsylvania | 12 months or 12,000 miles | Not set in the lemon law |
| Rhode Island | 12 months or 15,000 miles | 3 years from delivery or 2 years after the odometer reached 15,000 miles, whichever is earlier |
| South Carolina | 12 months or 12,000 miles | 3 years from the date the vehicle was first delivered to the consumer |
| South Dakota | 12 months or 12,000 miles | 3 years from the date the vehicle was first delivered to you |
| Tennessee | 12 months | 6 months after the warranty expires or 1 year after original delivery, whichever is later |
| Texas | 24 months or 24,000 miles | 6 months after the earliest of the warranty expiring, 24 months, or 24,000 miles from delivery |
| Utah | 12 months | Not set in the lemon law |
| Vermont | See the guide | within one year after the manufacturer's express warranty expires |
| Virginia | 18 months | within 18 months after original delivery, or within 12 months after the manufacturer's dispute program's final action if that program was used within the 18 months, whichever is longer |
| Washington | 24 months or 24,000 miles | Request state arbitration within 30 months of the original delivery of the vehicle |
| West Virginia | 12 months | Within one year after the manufacturer's express warranty expires |
| Wisconsin | 12 months | 36 months after the vehicle was first delivered |
| Wyoming | 12 months | Not set in the lemon law |
"Not set in the lemon law": the law's own text sets no deadline. A general time limit for warranty or contract claims may still apply, so do not wait. Each state guide quotes the law and links to it.
What can stretch the clock
Some states extend the protection period when the defect was reported inside it and the repairs run past its end, and some pause the time limit while you use a dispute program. Your state guide quotes its law on both.
Questions people ask
How long do I have to file a lemon law claim?
It depends on the state. 38 state lemon laws set a time limit, often about a year after the protection period or the warranty ends. The table on this page lists them.
How long does the lemon law last after buying a car?
The protection period runs 12 to 36 months after delivery depending on the state, often with a mileage limit.
Sources
- Each state's lemon law, quoted and linked on its state guide.
Quotes are copied from the page they link to, checked October 26, 2026.
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