Security Deposit Laws by State (2026)
Maximum deposit, return deadline, interest and separate-account requirements for all 50 states and DC, each with the statute. As of October 25, 2026.
| State | Max deposit | Return deadline | Interest | Separate account | Statute |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| capped Alabama | 1 month's rent | 60 days | — | — | Ala. Code §35-9A-201 |
| capped Alaska | 2 months' rent | 14 days / 30 | — | Yes | AS 34.03.070 |
| capped Arizona | 1.5 months' rent | 14 days | — | — | ARS §33-1321 |
| capped Arkansas | 2 months' rent | 60 days | — | — | Ark. Code §18-16-305 |
| capped California | 1 month's rent | 21 days | — | — | Cal. Civ. Code §1950.5 |
| capped Colorado | 2 months' rent | 30 days / 60 | — | — | C.R.S. §38-12-102 to 104 |
| capped Connecticut | 2 months' rent | 21 days | Yes | Yes | Conn. Gen. Stat. §47a-21 |
| capped Delaware | 1 month's rent | 20 days | — | Yes | 25 Del. C. §5514 |
| capped District of Columbia | 1 month's rent | 45 days | Yes | Yes | D.C. Code §42-3502.17; 14 DCMR §308–311 |
| Florida | No statutory cap | 15 days / 30 | — | Yes | Fla. Stat. §83.49 |
| Georgia | No statutory cap | 30 days | — | Yes | O.C.G.A. §44-7-34 |
| capped Hawaii | 1 month's rent | 14 days | — | — | HRS §521-44 |
| Idaho | No statutory cap | 21 days / 30 | — | — | Idaho Code §6-321 |
| Illinois | No statutory cap | 30 days / 45 | Yes | — | 765 ILCS 710; 765 ILCS 715 |
| Indiana | No statutory cap | 45 days | — | — | IC 32-31-3-12 |
| capped Iowa | 2 months' rent | 30 days | — | Yes | Iowa Code §562A.12 |
| capped Kansas | 1 month's rent | 30 days | — | — | K.S.A. §58-2550 |
| Kentucky | No statutory cap | 30 days / 60 | — | Yes | KRS §383.580 |
| Louisiana | No statutory cap | 30 days | — | — | La. R.S. 9:3251 |
| capped Maine | 2 months' rent | 30 days / 21 | — | Yes | 14 M.R.S. §6031–6038 |
| capped Maryland | 1 month's rent | 45 days | Yes | Yes | Md. Real Prop. §8-203 |
| capped Massachusetts | 1 month's rent | 30 days | Yes | Yes | M.G.L. c.186 §15B |
| capped Michigan | 1.5 months' rent | 30 days | — | Yes | MCL §554.602–609 |
| Minnesota | No statutory cap | 21 days | Yes | — | Minn. Stat. §504B.178 |
| Mississippi | No statutory cap | 45 days | — | — | Miss. Code §89-8-21 |
| capped Missouri | 2 months' rent | 30 days | — | — | RSMo §535.300 |
| Montana | No statutory cap | 30 days / 10 | — | — | MCA §70-25-202 |
| capped Nebraska | 1 month's rent | 14 days | — | — | Neb. Rev. Stat. §76-1416 |
| capped Nevada | 3 months' rent | 30 days | — | — | NRS 118A.242 |
| capped New Hampshire | 1 month's rent | 30 days | Yes | Yes | RSA 540-A:5–8 |
| capped New Jersey | 1.5 months' rent | 30 days | Yes | Yes | N.J.S.A. 46:8-19 to 26 |
| capped New Mexico | 1 month's rent | 30 days | — | — | NMSA §47-8-18 |
| capped New York | 1 month's rent | 14 days | Yes | Yes | N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law §7-108 |
| capped North Carolina | 2 months' rent | 30 days / 60 | — | Yes | N.C.G.S. §42-50 to 56 |
| capped North Dakota | 1 month's rent | 30 days | — | Yes | N.D.C.C. §47-16-07.1 |
| Ohio | No statutory cap | 30 days | Yes | — | ORC §5321.16 |
| Oklahoma | No statutory cap | 45 days | — | Yes | 41 O.S. §115 |
| Oregon | No statutory cap | 31 days | — | — | ORS 90.300 |
| capped Pennsylvania | 2 months' rent | 30 days | Yes | Yes | 68 P.S. §250.511a–512 |
| capped Rhode Island | 1 month's rent | 20 days | — | — | R.I.G.L. §34-18-19 |
| South Carolina | No statutory cap | 30 days | — | — | S.C. Code §27-40-410 |
| capped South Dakota | 1 month's rent | 14 days / 45 | — | — | SDCL §43-32-6.1; §43-32-24 |
| Tennessee | No statutory cap | None fixed | — | Yes | T.C.A. §66-28-301 |
| Texas | No statutory cap | 30 days | — | — | Tex. Prop. Code §92.103 |
| Utah | No statutory cap | 30 days | — | — | Utah Code §57-17-3 |
| Vermont | No statutory cap | 14 days / 60 | — | — | 9 V.S.A. §4461 |
| capped Virginia | 2 months' rent | 45 days | — | Yes | Va. Code §55.1-1226 |
| Washington | No statutory cap | 30 days | — | Yes | RCW 59.18.280 |
| West Virginia | No statutory cap | 60 days | — | — | W. Va. Code §37-6A-2 |
| Wisconsin | No statutory cap | 21 days | — | — | Wis. Stat. §704.28; ATCP 134.06 |
| Wyoming | No statutory cap | 30 days / 60 | — | — | W.S. §1-21-1208 |
Where two deadlines appear, the second applies when deductions are taken or the lease provides for it; see the state page. "Interest" means the statute requires interest to be paid or credited to the tenant (often only above a unit-count or holding-period threshold).
Patterns worth knowing
Caps cluster at one month in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic (New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, Delaware, DC, New Hampshire, Rhode Island) and in Hawaii, Alabama, Nebraska, the Dakotas and Kansas. Two-month caps run through Colorado, Iowa, Missouri, Maine, Virginia, Pennsylvania (first year), North Carolina (fixed terms), Connecticut and Alaska. Nevada allows three. The South and Mountain West are mostly uncapped: Texas, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and others.
Recent changes: California cut most landlords to one month in July 2024 (AB 12); Maryland cut from two months to one for leases starting October 1, 2024 (HB 693); Colorado capped deposits at two months in 2023 (SB23-184); Washington lengthened its return deadline from 21 to 30 days in 2023.