Lemon law by state: a 16-state comparison
Every lemon law is state law — the tests, deadlines, and routes differ enough that the wrong state's rules can sink a good claim. This page puts the sixteen states LemonLawPath covers side by side. Last reviewed: October 2026.
⚡ Start with your state
Free lemon law quiz (3 minutes): pick your state and compare your repair history to its tests.
Deadline calculator: estimate your state's window or filing deadline from your delivery date.
Buyback calculator: the usage-offset math for each state, where the state states a formula.
The comparison table
Every cell below summarizes that state's own guide on this site — the guide is the source of truth, and it links the statute and agency pages behind each row. Cells are deliberately short; a condition that decides real cases (a notice prerequisite, a mileage cutoff inside a test) lives in the guide, not here.
| State | Covered vehicles | Coverage window | Repair tests | Notice step | Dispute route | Filing deadline | Usage offset |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | New vehicles purchased or leased in Texas | Repairs counted inside 24 months / 24,000 miles or the warranty term | 4× the same defect; 2× a serious safety hazard; or 30+ days out of service | Written notice to the manufacturer and an opportunity to cure before filing | TxDMV complaint, then an Office of Administrative Hearings hearing | File within 6 months of the earliest of warranty expiration, 24 months, or 24,000 miles | No formula stated — TxDMV publishes calculation spreadsheets |
| California | New vehicles purchased or leased in California | 18 months / 18,000 miles presumption window | 4× the same problem; 2× a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury; or more than 30 days out | Direct notice to the manufacturer where disclosed; a 30-day pre-suit notice is required before seeking civil penalties from an opted-in manufacturer | State-certified arbitration, New Motor Vehicle Board mediation, or court | Opt-in track: 1 year after the warranty expires, capped at 6 years from delivery; the classic track states no fixed deadline | Price × miles before the first correction ÷ 120,000 |
| Florida | New or demonstrator vehicles purchased or leased in Florida | 24-month Lemon Law rights period | 3× the same nonconformity plus notice and a final attempt; or 30+ days out (60 for RVs) | AG Motor Vehicle Defect Notification by registered or express mail; the manufacturer directs a facility in 10 days and has 10 days to repair (45 for RVs) | A state-certified manufacturer program first where it applies, then the AG's Arbitration Board | 60 days after the rights period, or 30 days after a certified program's final action | Base selling price × miles attributable to you ÷ 120,000 (÷ 60,000 for RVs) |
| New York | New vehicles purchased, leased, or transferred in New York, or currently registered there | 2 years / 18,000 miles from original delivery | 4× the same defect; or 30+ cumulative days out | Report to the dealer or manufacturer inside the window; if the dealer refuses repairs, a certified-mail notice gives the manufacturer 20 days to begin | Attorney General arbitration (NYSDRA) or court | Court actions within 4 years of original delivery | Price × miles over 12,000 ÷ 100,000 |
| Pennsylvania | New, unused vehicles for personal, family, or household use, including motorcycles since Act 151 of 2024 — not motor homes or off-road vehicles | Defect first occurs within 1 year / 12,000 miles / the warranty term, whichever ends first | 3× the same problem; or 30+ cumulative days out | The dealer must notify the manufacturer after the second visit for the same defect; a written demand letter is the practical consumer step | A 16 CFR Part 703 manufacturer program first where one applies, then the court of common pleas | No filing deadline stated in the Act | A cap, not a formula: the lesser of 10¢ × miles before the first report or 10% of the price |
| Illinois | New vehicles purchased or leased in Illinois for consumer use | 1 year / 12,000 miles from delivery | 4× the same problem; or 30+ business days out | Prior direct written notification to the manufacturer and an opportunity to correct (§3(h)) | The manufacturer's informal dispute procedure, then circuit court | Suit within 18 months of original delivery | No formula stated — a reasonable allowance for use |
| Ohio | New vehicles used primarily for personal, family, or household purposes | 1 year / 18,000 miles from delivery | 3× the same problem; 8× any defects; 1× a condition likely to cause death or serious bodily injury; or 30+ days out | A certified demand letter to the manufacturer (Attorney General guidance) | An AG-approved manufacturer program first where timely notice was given, then the court of common pleas | Action within 5 years of original delivery | $0 — Ohio provides no usage-offset deduction |
| Georgia | New vehicles purchased or leased in Georgia for consumer use; motor home cab and chassis (not living quarters) | 2-year / 24,000-mile rights period | 3× the same problem; 1× a serious safety defect; or 30 cumulative days out — a final repair opportunity is required for the attempt paths | Form A Final Repair Opportunity Notice by overnight delivery or certified mail; then a Form B repurchase/replacement request | State arbitration — required before court | Arbitration application within 1 year after the rights period ends | Price × miles at the first repair ÷ 120,000 (÷ 90,000 for motor homes) |
| North Carolina | New vehicles purchased or leased in North Carolina, up to 10,000 lbs GVWR — not house trailers | The defect first occurs within 24 months / 24,000 miles of delivery | 4× the same problem; or 20+ business days out in any 12-month warranty period | Direct written notice with up to 15 days to correct, plus a separate written notice of intent to sue at least 10 days before filing | Court only (District or Superior) — no state program | No filing deadline stated in the Act | Miles up to the 3rd attempt or the 20th business day, whichever first, × price ÷ 120,000 |
| Michigan | Passenger vehicles, SUVs, pickups, and vans purchased or leased in Michigan under the manufacturer's express warranty — not motor homes | First report within the earlier of the warranty term or 1 year from delivery | 4× the same defect within 2 years of the first attempt; or 30+ days or parts of days out | Written notice by return receipt service after the 3rd attempt or 25 days out; the manufacturer designates a facility and gets 5 business days to cure | A 16 CFR Part 703 manufacturer program first where one exists, then court — no state program | No filing deadline stated in the Act | Price × (miles before the first report + miles driven beyond 25,000) ÷ 100,000 |
| New Jersey | Passenger automobiles, motorcycles, authorized emergency vehicles, and farm tractors purchased or leased in New Jersey or registered there; motor homes except living facilities | First 24,000 miles or 2 years from original delivery, whichever is earlier | 3× substantially the same nonconformity; 20+ cumulative days out (45 for a motor home); or 1× a nonconformity likely to cause death or serious bodily injury | Written notice by certified mail, return receipt requested — sendable after 2 repairs, 20 days out, or 1 safety repair; one manufacturer repair chance within 10 days; required before a Division application | Division of Consumer Affairs dispute resolution (binding) or Superior Court | No separate deadline stated in the Act — the term of protection is the operative window | Price × odometer at first presentation ÷ 100,000 |
| Washington | New vehicles purchased or leased at retail in Washington; motorcycles only at 750cc or more; motor homes for the vehicle and chassis only | 2 years / 24,000 miles eligibility period | 4× the same nonconformity; the same serious safety defect 2×; two different serious safety defects in 12 months; or 30+ cumulative days out (motor homes: 3× or 1 safety attempt plus a final attempt, or 60+ days) | A written request to repurchase or replace sent to the manufacturer's dispute resolution office; the manufacturer has 40 days (motor homes add a final-attempt notice to each manufacturer) | Attorney General arbitration (free), then superior court if rejected | The arbitration request must be received within 30 months of original delivery | Price × miles to the first repair attempt ÷ 120,000 (÷ 90,000 motor homes; ÷ 25,000 motorcycles) |
| Massachusetts | Cars, motorcycles, vans, and trucks for personal or family use — not motor homes, off-road vehicles, or business-use vehicles | 1 year / 15,000 miles from original delivery | 3× the same nonconformity and it continues or recurs; or 15+ cumulative business days out — plus the manufacturer's final cure chance of up to 7 business days | Report the defect inside the term; contacting the manufacturer starts the cure clock, but direct notice cannot be required before state-certified arbitration | State-certified arbitration (OCABR); a chapter 93A claim is the court alternative | The arbitration request must be received within 18 months of original delivery | Price × miles traveled before the return was accepted ÷ 100,000 (motorcycles ÷ 25,000) |
| Virginia | New vehicles; motorcycles covered; motor homes only as the self-propelled vehicle and chassis; pickups/panel trucks within the §46.2-100 weight limits | 18-month lemon law rights period from delivery | 3× the same nonconformity; 1× a serious safety defect; or 30+ cumulative days out | Written notice to the manufacturer at the name/address in the warranty materials or owner’s manual — a precondition; the manufacturer gets up to 15 more days | Court only — no state program (an optional manufacturer Part 703 procedure can extend the deadline) | Action commenced within the 18-month rights period (or 12 months after a timely informal procedure’s final action, if later) | No formula — capped at ½ the IRS per-mile rate plus fair-market-value loss |
| Arizona | New vehicles bought or leased; motor homes only as the self-propelled vehicle and chassis; not resale, over-10,000-lb GVW, or public-auction sales | Report within the shorter of the warranty term or 2 years / 24,000 miles from delivery | 4× the same nonconformity; or 30+ cumulative calendar days out — no safety shortcut | Prior direct written notification to the manufacturer with an opportunity to cure (§44-1264(C)) | A Part 703 manufacturer procedure first where one applies (§44-1265(A)), then court | Begin an action within 6 months after the report window ends | No formula — use before the first written report plus use while not out of service |
| Maryland | New vehicles registered in Maryland (Classes A, D, E to 3/4 ton, M) — motor homes excluded entirely | Earlier of 18,000 miles of operation or 24 months from original delivery | 4× the same nonconformity; 30+ cumulative days out; or 1 brake/steering failure still failing safety inspection | Written notice to the manufacturer or factory branch by certified mail, return receipt requested, inside the warranty period; corrections due within 30 days of receipt | AG Consumer Protection Division mediation (cannot compel), an optional Part 703 procedure, then court | Action within 3 years of original delivery | No formula — the use allowance is capped at 15% of the purchase price |
Patterns worth noticing
- Three or four attempts is the usual same-defect test — four in Texas, California, New York, Illinois, North Carolina, Michigan, Washington, Arizona, and Maryland; three in Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Georgia, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Virginia. Ohio alone adds an 8-attempt test for any defects combined.
- Days out of service cluster at 30 — but Illinois and North Carolina count business days, Massachusetts counts 15 business days, and New Jersey counts 20 calendar days (45 for a motor home).
- Notice steps are where claims quietly fail. New Jersey's certified-mail notice is a prerequisite to its state process; Georgia's attempt paths need the Form A notice; Illinois needs prior direct written notice; North Carolina needs two different notices. Read your state's guide before the repair count makes you confident.
- Four Acts state no filing deadline at all — Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Michigan, and New Jersey. "No deadline stated" is not "no deadline applies": other laws can supply one, which is why those guides send timing questions to a licensed attorney.
- Only some states do buyback math. Nine state a mileage formula, Pennsylvania states a cap, Ohio allows no deduction, Texas and Illinois state no number, and Virginia, Arizona, and Maryland each describe an allowance without a computable formula — our buyback estimator follows the same rule and shows no figure where the guide states none.
Used vehicles
Most lemon laws are new-vehicle laws. Two covered states add a separate used vehicle warranty law for dealer sales: New Jersey (age, mileage, and price limits; warranty length set by the odometer at sale; the same Lemon Law Unit decides, with no filing fee) and Massachusetts (sales of $700 or more under 125,000 miles; refunds less 15 cents per mile). New York has a separate used-car law (GBL §198-b) covered in our New York guide. Our used car lemon law guide walks through what each covered state says about used vehicles.
When to talk to a lawyer instead
Talk to a licensed lemon law attorney if your state's deadline is close or has passed, the manufacturer has denied the claim, the vehicle was bought used outside New Jersey or Massachusetts, or your facts do not line up cleanly with any row above. Several states award a prevailing consumer attorney's fees, which is why many lemon law attorneys review cases at no cost to the consumer — ask how they charge before you hire one.
Common questions
How many states does LemonLawPath cover?
Sixteen: Texas, California, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan, New Jersey, Washington, Massachusetts, Virginia, Arizona, and Maryland. Each has its own guide, quiz logic, deadline estimates, and packet documents on this site. Lemon laws in other states exist, but we do not summarize states we have not researched from primary sources.
Which states run a state dispute process?
California (state-certified arbitration), Florida (Attorney General Arbitration Board), Georgia (state arbitration, required before court), New York (Attorney General arbitration), Washington (Attorney General arbitration), Massachusetts (state-certified arbitration), and New Jersey (the Division of Consumer Affairs decides cases itself) have state-run processes. Texas complaints go to TxDMV and then an administrative hearing. Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Ohio start with a manufacturer's dispute program where one applies, then court. North Carolina has no program — claims are court actions. Virginia likewise has no state program (its Act is enforced by private court action), Maryland offers Attorney General mediation only, and Arizona starts with a manufacturer’s Part 703 procedure where one applies, then court.
Which states state a buyback or usage-offset formula?
California, Florida, Georgia, New York, North Carolina, Michigan, New Jersey, Washington, and Massachusetts state mileage formulas in their statutes or agency materials. Pennsylvania states a cap instead of a formula. Ohio provides no usage deduction. Texas and Illinois state no numeric formula — the table says so rather than estimating one. Virginia caps the allowance by reference to the IRS rate, Arizona describes its scope without a rate, and Maryland caps it at 15% of the price — none of the three is a computable formula either.
Does this page cover all 50 states?
No. It compares only the sixteen states LemonLawPath covers with a full guide. Every cell is a summary of that state's guide on this site, which is built from the statute and state agency publications — open the linked guide for the complete rules and primary sources before relying on any cell.
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Primary sources: the statute and agency publications linked in each state's guide above.