Are Refunds Required in all 50 States? Exploring U.S. Return & Refund Laws

There’s no federal return or refund law in the U.S., but some states have regulations in place mandating that you post a conspicuous policy if you intend to refuse refunds.

Learn about return and refund laws in the U.S., how to handle these requests from users, and see why having a proper return and refund policy is essential.

Table of Contents

1. What Are the Return and Refund Laws in Each U.S. State?
2. Quick Overview of U.S. State Level Return and Refund Rules
3. Do I Need a Return and Refund Policy for My Website or App?
4. How Termly Helps Businesses Make Custom Return and Refund Policies
5. Frequently Asked Questions about Return and Refund Laws in the U.S.
6. Should my website have a return or refund policy?

What Are the Return and Refund Laws in Each U.S. State?

The table below shows the return and refund laws from each U.S. state.

State	Requirement	Source
Alabama	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Code of Alabama
Alaska	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Alaska State Legislature
Arizona	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Arizona Revised Statutes
Arkansas	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Code of Arkansas
California	If a store displays a limited or no-refund policy, refunds and exchanges are not required by law.	State of California Department of Justice
Colorado	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Colorado Revised Statutes
Connecticut	If no notice is posted, you may return any new, unused item within 7 calendar days with proof of purchase for a refund.	Connecticut State Department of Consumer Protection
Delaware	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Delaware Code
Florida	Establishments offering goods for sale with a no cash refund, no credit refund, or no exchange of merchandise must post a sign stating so at the point of sale. Failure to do so means a refund or exchange policy exists.	The Florida Senate
Georgia	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Georgia Office of Attorney General
Hawaii	If no conspicuous sign is posted, the law requires merchants to accept the return of goods and provide a refund.	State of Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
Idaho	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Idaho Laws & Rules
Illinois	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Illinois Compiled Statutes
Indiana	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Indiana General Assembly
Iowa	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Iowa Laws & Rules
Kansas	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Kansas Statutes
Kentucky	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Kentucky Revised Statutes
Louisiana	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Louisiana State Legislature
Maine	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Maine Revised Statutes
Maryland	Stores must post return policies on the wall, merchandise, or receipt. If one is not posted, the store must accept returned merchandise within a reasonable period.	Maryland Attorney General
Massachusetts	A store can have any return policy they want if it is clearly disclosed somewhere in the store, and the consumer can read it before purchasing. However, defective merchandise must be accepted for return, regardless of any policy, and you must be given the option of a repair, replacement item, or refund of the price. Otherwise, a refund is assumed.	Mass.gov
Michigan	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Michigan Statutes, Regulations, & Decisions
Minnesota	Cash refunds cannot be refused for acceptable goods unless notice of the seller’s refund policy is clearly and conspicuously displayed in a minimum of boldface type 14-point font.	Minnesota Legislature Office of the Revisor of Statutes
Mississippi	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Mississippi Legislature
Missouri	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Missouri Revisor of Statutes
Montana	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Montana Code Annotated
Nebraska	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Nebraska State Laws
Nevada	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Nevada Law Library
New Hampshire	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	New Hampshire Laws & Rules
New Jersey	Refund policies that are 20 days or less (including no-refund policies) must be conspicuously displayed by merchants and clearly visible to shoppers before making a purchase.	The State of New Jersey Office of the Attorney General
New Mexico	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	New Mexico Supreme Court Law Library
New York	Stores are legally required to post their refund policy. Without one, stores must accept returns within 30 days of purchase.	New York Department of State
North Carolina	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	North Carolina General Statutes
North Dakota	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	North Dakota Century Code
Ohio	If the seller does not post a refund policy, the consumer is entitled to a refund if they request one.	Ohio Attorney General
Oklahoma	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Oklahoma Statutes
Oregon	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Oregon Revised Statutes
Pennsylvania	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Pennsylvania Laws  Regulations
Rhode Island	Customers have 10 business days from the date of purchase for a refund in the same manner as paid in an equivalent amount at the time of sale unless the customer has been clearly informed at the point of display or the cash register that all sales are final or that merchandise is not returnable.	State of Rhode Island Attorney General
South Carolina	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	South Carolina Code of Laws
South Dakota	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	South Dakota Codified Laws
Tennessee	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance
Texas	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Texas Constitution and Statutes
Utah	Under the Utah Consumer Sales Practices Act, Rule 11, it is considered a deceptive practice to refuse a return if the consumer can provide reasonable proof of purchase from the supplier unless a sign is posted at the point of display, sale, or store entrance.	Utah Office of Administrative Rules
Vermont	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	The Vermont Statutes Online
Virginia	Failing to disclose all conditions, charges, or fees relating to the return of goods is considered unlawful under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.	Virginia Consumer Protection Act
Washington	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Washington State Laws and Rules
West Virginia	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	West Virginia Code
Wisconsin	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Wisconsin Statutes
Wyoming	No specific law. Businesses set their own return and refund policy rules. No deceptive practices are allowed.	Wyoming Statutes & Constitution

Quick Overview of U.S. State Level Return and Refund Rules

Overall, you don’t have to offer returns or refunds for buyer’s remorse in the U.S., even by most state-level legal standards.

However, you need to honor warranties, avoid deceptive practices, and clearly disclose your policy.

As evidenced by the table above, in several U.S. states, not posting a clear return and refund policy for your consumers triggers the automatic refund rights.

Do I Need a Return and Refund Policy for My Website or App?

Yes, you likely need a return and refund policy on your website or app if you sell goods to consumers, here’s three reasons why:

How Termly Helps Businesses Make Custom Return and Refund Policies

Termly helps businesses make custom return and refund policies in minutes with our legally backed Return Policy Generator.

It asks simple questions about your business, the types of returns you accept, payment options available to users, and more.

It then makes a custom policy for you based on your answers.

You can easily embed the policy directly to your website or add it to your app.

It’s ideal for any ecommerce business, SaaS company, or anyone that sells goods to consumers.

Sign up for Termly and try it out for free today!

Frequently Asked Questions about Return and Refund Laws in the U.S.

Below are answers to frequently asked questions about return and refund laws in the U.S.

Is there a federal return or refund law in the U.S.?

No, there are no federal return or refund laws in the U.S., but several states outline laws that must be followed if you do business in those locations.

See the table included above for more details.

Do I have to follow state-level return and refund laws?

Yes, you might have to follow state level return and refund laws, especially if you do business in those locations.

For example, if you do business in California, you must display a limited or no-refund policy for refunds and exchanges to not be required by law.

Should my website have a return or refund policy?

Yes, if you sell goods to consumers, your website should have a return and refund policy, so users know what to expect when they make a purchase from you.

This helps answer common customer questions, keeping them transparently informed about important details like return options, requirements, and more.

Disclaimer: This article does not constitute or replace legal advice or constitute a client-attorney relationship. Content is for informational purposes only.

Written by Natasha Piirainen

Natasha Piirainen is a privacy writer with a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Philosophy from Wheaton College and over 10 years of professional experience in research-driven content development.

Read all posts by Natasha Piirainen

Reviewed by Amanda Lee

Amanda is a Documentation Specialist and Certified Privacy Professional (US). She converts product documentation into easily understood product for Termly's customers. She also has strong understanding of US privacy laws and regulations, helping to keep customer policies up to date at a time when US states are enacting more and more privacy laws.

Read all posts reviewed by Amanda Lee