Timeshare Rescission Period: How Long You Have to Cancel, State by State
If you recently signed a timeshare contract, your rescission period is the single most important deadline you have. It’s a short legal window that lets you cancel for any reason, with a full refund, no questions asked, no fee. Miss it, and your options narrow considerably. Below is the complete state-by-state breakdown of how long that window lasts and what starts the clock.
This page provides general information only and is not legal advice. Rescission periods are set by state statute, statutes can change, and your specific contract may include additional terms. Confirm your exact deadline against your own contract and your state’s current law, or with a licensed attorney, before relying on any date below.
How to Use This Table
Find the state where you signed your contract, not necessarily your home state. The clock typically starts on whichever comes later: the day you signed, or the day you received your required disclosure documents. Confirm the exact wording in your own contract, since some developers voluntarily offer a longer window than state law requires.
| State | Rescission Period |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 5 days (excluding Sunday) after signing |
| Alaska | 15 days after receipt of statutory disclosure documents |
| Arizona | 10 days after execution of the purchase agreement |
| Arkansas | 5 days after execution of contract |
| California | 7 days after signing, or receipt of disclosure documents |
| Colorado | 5 days after sale |
| Connecticut | 5 days after execution of contract or disclosure statement |
| Delaware | 15 days after date of execution |
| Florida | 10 days after execution or receipt of disclosure documents |
| Georgia | 7 days (excluding holidays/Sundays) after receipt of disclosures |
| Hawaii | 7 calendar days after execution or receipt of disclosures |
| Idaho | 5 days after execution of contract |
| Indiana | 72 hours after execution of contract |
| Iowa | 5 business days after receipt of all disclosures |
| Kansas | 3 business days after signing |
| Kentucky | 3 business days after signing |
| Louisiana | 7 days after signing or receipt of disclosures |
| Maine | 10 days after receipt of contract or execution |
| Maryland | 10 days after contract date or receipt of disclosures |
| Massachusetts | 3 business days after receipt of disclosures |
| Michigan | 9 business days after receipt of all disclosures |
| Minnesota | 5 days after receipt of contract or disclosures |
| Mississippi | 7 days after receipt of disclosures or execution |
| Missouri | 5 days after date of agreement |
| Montana | 7 days after receipt of disclosures or signing |
| Nebraska | 3 days after receipt of disclosures |
| Nevada | 5 days after execution of contract |
| New Hampshire | 5 days after signing or delivery of disclosures |
| New Jersey | 7 days after execution of contract |
| New Mexico | 7 days after execution of contract |
| New York | 7 business days after signing |
| North Carolina | 5 days after execution of contract |
| Ohio | 3 days after signing |
| Oklahoma | 5 days after receipt of a legible contract |
| Oregon | 5 days after signing |
| Pennsylvania | 5 days after execution of contract |
| Rhode Island | 5 business days after execution or receipt of disclosures |
| South Carolina | 5 days after signing |
| South Dakota | 7 days after execution of contract |
| Tennessee | 10 days after signing (15 days if no on-site inspection) |
| Texas | 5 days after signing and receipt of contract or disclosures |
| Utah | 5 days after signing |
| Vermont | 3 business days after signing (home solicitation) |
| Virginia | 7 days after execution of contract |
| Washington | 7 days after execution of contract |
| West Virginia | 10 days from signing, and 10 days after receipt of disclosures |
| Wisconsin | 5 business days after execution or last disclosure |
| Wyoming | 10 days after signing (home solicitation) |
A few states, including North Dakota, Illinois, and Montana’s older statute, have no timeshare-specific rescission law on the books, or have since repealed one; in those cases, your contract’s own terms and general consumer protection law govern instead. This table is a reference point, not a substitute for reading your actual contract, which is the controlling document if it offers a longer window than your state requires.
What Starts the Clock
This trips up more owners than the deadline itself. In most states, the countdown begins on whichever happens later: the day you sign the contract, or the day you receive all required disclosure documents. A handful of states, including Michigan and West Virginia, explicitly tie the deadline to disclosure receipt rather than the signing date. Going home from vacation does not pause or extend the clock in any state.
Calendar Days vs. Business Days
Some states count every calendar day, including weekends. Others count only business days, which effectively extends the real-world deadline. Michigan’s 9 business days, for example, runs longer in practice than a 9-calendar-day window would. Confirm which rule applies to your specific state rather than assuming.
How to Exercise Your Rescission Rights
- Locate the “Notice of Cancellation” or “Right to Cancel” section in your contract and read the exact instructions.
- Draft a short, direct letter: your name, contract number, purchase date, and a clear statement that you are cancelling under your state’s rescission law.
- Send it by certified mail with return receipt requested, to the exact address listed in your contract, not the sales office.
- Keep copies of the letter, your mailing receipt, and the return receipt once it arrives.
Verbal cancellation and email do not satisfy the written notice requirement in any state. A phone call to the sales representative, even one where they say they’ll “take care of it,” does not count and has led to real owners missing their deadline while believing they were covered.
What Happens If You Miss the Window
The rescission window is a one-time, no-questions-asked right, and once it closes, it does not reopen. That doesn’t mean you’re out of options entirely. Deed-back or surrender programs may still be available directly through the resort, and if the sale involved misrepresentation, an attorney-led cancellation becomes the relevant path instead. Both routes cost more and take longer than rescission, which is exactly why acting inside the window, if you’re still in it, is worth prioritizing over everything else on this page.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau publishes general guidance on consumer contract cancellation rights, which is worth a look for additional context: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/
Frequently Asked Questions About Rescission Periods
Does my home state’s rescission law apply, or the state where I signed? The state where you signed and executed the contract controls, regardless of where you live.
Can a resort talk me out of using my rescission rights? Some sales teams attempt this through follow-up calls or added incentives. Your statutory right remains valid regardless of what you’re offered during that window.
What if I already missed my deadline by a day or two? Contact your state’s consumer protection division. In some cases, a missed disclosure by the resort can affect when your clock actually started.
Is a text message or email cancellation notice ever acceptable? Not in the states covered above. Written notice by mail, following your contract’s specified method, is the standard everywhere.
If your rescission period has already passed and you want a clear answer on your options, you can request a case review to talk through your specific contract.
