Cross-state comparison
Minimum lien-sale timelines by state
Every state’s lien process is a chain of mandatory waiting periods — a default floor, notice windows, a cure period, advertising lead time. Add up the ones that can’t run at the same time and you get the single most operationally important number in storage: the minimum days from default to the earliest lawful sale. It decides how long a delinquent space sits as dead inventory, and it varies between states far more than most operators expect.
The numbers below are floors, not forecasts — a real sale takes longer once mail time, auction scheduling, and bidder requirements enter. Each row shows the derivation so you can see which waiting period drives the total. Where the number is blank, the state has no dedicated self-storage statute and the guide explains what governs instead.
All 50 states
| State | Earliest sale | Detail | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 31 days | Enforcement requires more than 30 days of continuous default, so Day 31 is the earliest lawful sale. The 20-day pre-sale notice and 7-day advertising window can run inside the 30-day default period, leaving Day 31 as the floor. | Ala. Code § 8-15-46(a), (b)(1)c, (b)(2) |
| Alaska | 91 days | AS 34.35.225 requires charges to be unpaid for three full months before a lien sale may proceed — no shorter path exists in current Alaska law. Three calendar months = 90 days minimum; Day 91 is the earliest lawful sale. The 10-day posting requirement and registered-letter notice run inside that three-month window. | AS 34.35.225; AS 34.35.175 |
| Arizona | 52 days | Enforcement opens after more than 30 days of default (Day 31). First notice sent Day 31; second notice sent not less than 7 days later (Day 38); 14-day payment demand from second notice expires Day 52. Sale may proceed on Day 52. The two-notice gap (7 days) and cure period (14 days) are mandatory sequential minimums. | A.R.S. § 33-1704(A), (B)(1), (B)(2)(c) |
| Arkansas | 60 days | Enforcement requires more than 45 days of default (Day 46 earliest to send notice). Notice must give occupant not less than 14 days to pay, so demand expires Day 60. Advertising (7 days before sale) can run concurrently during the 14-day cure window if the sale date is set at Day 60. Day 60 is the earliest lawful sale. | Ark. Code Ann. §§ 18-16-406(a), 18-16-407(b)(1)(C)(iii), (b)(2) |
| California | 42 days | Rent must be unpaid 14 days before the preliminary lien notice may issue (§ 21703). That notice sets a termination date at least 14 days after mailing. After the termination date the operator takes possession, then sends a lien-sale notice with a sale date not less than 14 days out. The three mandatory sequential 14-day periods cannot run concurrently: 14 + 14 + 14 = 42. Advertising can run inside the final 14-day window. | Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 21703(a), 21705(a), 21705(b) |
| Colorado | 59 days | No enforcement action until 30 continuous days of default. Notice (with ≥15-day cure) sent Day 31; cure expires Day 46. Advertising is 2 consecutive weekly publications: first pub Day 47, second pub Day 54. Sale may proceed after the second weekly publication. Mandatory non-concurrent periods: 30-day default floor + 15-day cure + 14 days for two weekly ads = 59. | C.R.S. §§ 38-21.5-103(1)(a), (1)(c)(IV), (1)(e) |
| Connecticut | 24 days | No minimum default waiting period before notice may be sent. Notice must give occupant at least 14 days to cure (§ 42-162(4)). After cure period, advertising must be published at least 10 days before the sale (§ 42-164(a)). Mandatory sequential periods: 14-day cure + 10-day ad = 24 days from notice delivery. The sale must also occur no later than 60 days after the date of default (§ 42-164(b)). | Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 42-162(4), 42-164(a)–(b) |
| Delaware | 60 days | No minimum waiting period before notice; notice may be sent on default day 0. Notice demands payment in not less than 30 days (§ 4904(a)(3)(d)). After the 30-day cure expires, operator publishes ads once weekly for 2 consecutive weeks; sale may not occur sooner than 30 days after the first publication (§ 4904(c)). Mandatory sequential periods: 30-day cure + 30-day post-first-pub minimum = 60. | 25 Del. C. §§ 4904(a)(3)(d), 4904(c) |
| Florida | 29 days | Lien attaches on arrival. Notice with ≥14-day cure (§ 83.806(2)). After cure expires, advertising begins: 2 consecutive weeks in a newspaper or via online auction platform. Sale may not occur until at least 15 days after first publication (§ 83.806(4)). Mandatory sequential periods: 14-day cure + 15-day post-first-pub minimum = 29. The 7-day gap between weekly ads is subsumed in the 15-day minimum. | Fla. Stat. § 83.806(2), (4) |
| Georgia | 59 days | Enforcement requires 30 continuous days of default; notice sent on Day 31. Notice demands payment in not less than 14 days (expires Day 45). Advertising must run once weekly for two consecutive weeks before the sale; sale must be not sooner than 15 days after first publication. Mandatory non-concurrent periods: 30-day default floor + 14-day cure + 15-day post-first-pub minimum = 59. | O.C.G.A. § 10-4-213 |
| Hawaii | 75 days | Four sequential mandatory periods: 15 days of default before the §507-63 default notice may issue; the §507-63 notice then gives 15 days to pay before the lien may be imposed; the §507-64 notice of lien sets a seizure date not less than 15 days from mailing; and the §507-65 final demand sets a sale date not less than 30 days from mailing. None may run concurrently: 15 + 15 + 15 + 30 = 75 days minimum. | HRS §§ 507-63, 507-64, 507-65 |
| Idaho | 71 days | 60 days of continuous default required before any enforcement (§ 55-2306(1)); then lien-sale notice must give at least 10 days to pay (§ 55-2306(2)(c)). The 10-day cure period cannot run before the notice is sent at day 60. Earliest lawful sale: day 60 (notice sent) + 10-day cure = day 71. | Idaho Code § 55-2306(1), (2)(c) |
| Illinois | 29 days | No mandatory default floor before sending notice. Notice requires a payment deadline of at least 14 days from delivery (§ 95/4(C)(4)). After the cure period, advertising runs once per week for two consecutive weeks; sale must be held at least 15 days after first publication (§ 95/4(E)). The 15-day post-first-publication period begins when advertising starts, which can follow immediately after the 14-day cure expires: 14 + 15 = 29 days minimum from notice delivery. | 770 ILCS 95/4(C)(4); 770 ILCS 95/4(E) |
| Indiana | 60 days | Statute imposes an absolute 60-day floor: sale or tow cannot occur until at least 60 days after the renter's default (IC 26-3-8-12(c)(7)), regardless of when notice was sent or when the 30-day cure period expires. The 5-day threshold before notice, the 30-day cure period, and the 10-day post-advertisement period all run inside the 60-day floor. | IC 26-3-8-12(a), (c)(2), (c)(7); IC 26-3-8-14(d) |
| Iowa | 44 days | 30-day default floor before notice may be sent (§ 578A.7(1)). Notice requires a cure period of at least 14 days (§ 578A.7(2)(a)(3)). The 7-day pre-sale advertising window (§ 578A.7(2)(b)) can run concurrently inside the 14-day cure period. Earliest lawful sale: day 30 (notice sent) + 14-day cure = day 44. | Iowa Code § 578A.7(1), (2)(a)(3), (2)(b) |
| Kansas | 46 days | No enforcement sale until default exceeds 45 days, so day 46 is the earliest lawful sale. The two-notice sequence (second notice ≥7 days after the first, with a ≥10-day payment demand) and the 7-day advertising window can all run inside that 45-day period. | K.S.A. 58-817(a)(1), (b) |
| Kentucky | 46 days | Sale cannot occur until the occupant has been in default for more than 45 days (KRS 359.230(1)(a)), making day 46 the earliest lawful sale. The two-notice sequence (first notice: no minimum waiting period; second notice: 14-day cure demand) and the 3-day advertising window can all run inside the 45-day default period. | KRS 359.230(1)(a), (2)(a)–(c) |
| Louisiana | 20 days | No mandatory default floor before sending notice. Notice must demand payment within at least 10 days after mailing or delivery (R.S. 9:4759(A)). Advertisement may not run before those 10 days expire, and the sale may not be held until at least 10 days after the advertisement. Mandatory sequential periods: 10 (cure) + 10 (post-ad wait) = 20 days from notice. | R.S. 9:4759(A) |
| Maine | 61 days | Enforcement unlocks after more than 45 days of default (§ 1375(1)), making day 46 the earliest the notice can be sent. The sale may not occur until at least 15 days after the notice is provided (§ 1375(2)(A)). No newspaper advertising required; the single notice is the only pre-sale obligation. Earliest lawful sale: day 46 (notice sent) + 15 days = day 61. | 10 M.R.S. § 1375(1), (2)(A) |
| Maryland | 71 days | Two independent floors must both be satisfied. (1) Occupant must be in default for more than 60 days before sale or towing (§ 18-504(a)), making day 61 the earliest enforcement trigger. (2) Effective July 1, 2025, a pre-sale notice must be sent at least 10 days before the sale (§ 18-504(b)(4)(I)). The 14-day demand notice and 3-day advertising window can run inside the 60-day period. Binding minimum: 61 (default floor) + 10 (pre-sale notice) = 71. | Md. Code Ann., Com. Law § 18-504(a), (b)(3)(iii), (b)(4)(I) |
| Massachusetts | 43 days | Second (lien enforcement) notice may not be sent before day 14 of default (§ 4). The notice must give at least 14 days to pay from receipt, and advertising may begin only after that cure period expires (§ 4). The sale must then be at least 15 days after first publication (§ 4). Earliest path: second notice day 14, cure expires day 28, first publication day 28, sale day 43. Three sequential periods: 14 + 14 + 15 = 43 days minimum. | M.G.L. c. 105A, § 4 |
| Michigan | 30 days | No minimum default period before sending the enforcement notice, but the notice must give ≥14 days to pay. After the cure expires, the operator advertises once/week for 2 consecutive weeks; the sale may not occur until ≥15 days after the first publication. Minimum: 14-day cure + day-15 first publication + 15 days after = day 30 earliest. | MCL 570.525(2), (5)–(6) |
| Minnesota | 45 days | Default begins 15 days after rent is due (§514.971, subd. 7). The statute prohibits sale sooner than 45 days after default for general property (§514.973, subd. 4). The ≥14-day cure notice and 2-week advertising (sale ≥15 days after first pub) all run inside that 45-day window. Controlling floor: 45 days from default. | Minn. Stat. §§ 514.971 subd. 7; 514.973, subds. 4–5 |
| Mississippi | 43 days | Enforcement cannot begin until 14 continuous days of default. After that threshold, the notice must give ≥14 days to pay. After the cure expires, advertisement must be published; the sale cannot occur until ≥15 days after publication. Sequential minimum: 14 (default floor) + 14 (cure) + 15 (post-publication wait) = 43 days. | Miss. Code §§ 85-7-125 |
| Missouri | 45 days | The first notice must be sent ≥45 days before the sale — it controls the floor. A second verified-mail notice must follow ≥10 days after the first and give ≥10 days to pay; a newspaper ad must run ≥7 days before the sale. All second-notice and advertising steps run inside the 45-day window from first notice. Minimum: 45 days from the date of first notice (sent at the moment of default). | RSMo §§ 415.415.4(1)–(3), 415.420.4 |
| Montana | 98 days | Enforcement cannot begin until more than 60 days of default. After day 60: send 30-day default notice (§70-6-607(3)(a)); after that notice expires (day 91): send 7-day pre-sale renter notice and advertise simultaneously; sale is earliest on day 98. All three steps are mandatory and sequential. Guide FAQ confirms day 98 as earliest. | MCA §§ 70-6-607(1), 70-6-607(3)(a)–(c) |
| Nebraska | 91 days | Enforcement requires more than 45 days of default (§76-1607(1)). After day 45, the operator sends written notice ≥45 days before the sale. Advertising runs ≥7 days before the sale inside the notice window. Sequential minimum: 46 (past-default threshold) + 45 (notice window) = 91 days. Guide summary confirms "earliest practical sale is roughly Day 91 of default." | Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 76-1607(1), 76-1607(2)(a)–(b) |
| Nevada | 28 days | Termination notice sent at ≥14 days of non-payment; must give ≥14 days before termination takes effect (day 28). Pre-sale notice then sent ≥14 days before the sale, and the 2-consecutive-week newspaper advertising runs concurrently within that window. Sequential minimum: 14 (termination notice period) + 14 (pre-sale notice period) = 28 days. | NRS 108.476(2); NRS 108.4763(1)–(2); NRS 108.477(1)–(2) |
| New Hampshire | 30 days | Sale is not permitted until after 30 days of unpaid rent (RSA 451-C:11). The formal sale notice (no sooner than day 14 of default) must give ≥14 days to pay; no newspaper advertising is required. The 30-day unpaid-rent threshold is the controlling statutory floor; the notice periods run inside it. | RSA 451-C:8; RSA 451-C:11 |
| New Jersey | 73 days | Enforcement requires more than 30 days overdue. Then: notice gives ≥14 days to pay; advertise once/week for 2 consecutive weeks (14 days); sale ≥15 days after the final publication. Sequential minimum: 30 (overdue threshold) + 14 (cure) + 14 (two-week ad) + 15 (post-final-ad wait) = 73 days. Guide FAQ confirms this count. | N.J.S.A. 2A:44-191(a), (c)(4), (d)–(e) |
| New Mexico | 90 days | No sale may occur until the occupant has been in continuous default for 90 days — the binding statutory gate (§48-11-7(A)(3)). The ≥15-day cure notice and 2-week newspaper advertising (sale ≥15 days after first pub) must all be completed but can run before day 90. The 90-day continuous-default threshold controls regardless of when notice was sent. | NMSA § 48-11-7(A)(3), (B), (E) |
| New York | 45 days | § 182(7)(a) requires a notice giving the occupant at least 30 days to pay. After that cure period, industry practice under Lien Law § 202 requires advertising once a week for two consecutive weeks; sale no sooner than 15 days after first publication. Ads can run inside the 30-day cure window, so the binding minimum is 30-day cure + 15 days post-first-ad = 45. § 182 has no express advertising sub-provision; § 202 supplies the 15-day rule. | Lien Law § 182(7)(a); Lien Law § 202 |
| North Carolina | 45 days | Enforcement right attaches 15 days after rent maturity (§ 44A-43(a)). Owner then sends enforcement notice; occupant has 10 days to request a hearing (§ 44A-43(b)(2)). After the hearing window closes, owner sends pre-sale certified mail at least 20 days before the sale (§ 44A-43(c)(1)). Advertising must run at least 5 days before the sale (§ 44A-43(c)(1a)), which can run inside the 20-day window. Sequential mandatory steps that cannot overlap: 15 (default floor) + 10 (hearing window) + 20 (pre-sale notice) = 45 minimum; the 5-day ad window runs inside the 20-day period. | N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 44A-43(a), 44A-43(b)(2), 44A-43(c)(1), 44A-43(c)(1a) |
| North Dakota | 18 days | No mandatory waiting period before sending the default notice. Notice must give the occupant at least 10 days to pay (§ 35-33-05(1)(c)). After the cure period expires, the owner must advertise at least 7 days before the sale (§ 35-33-05(2)). Per the guide: day 1 (default, send notice) → day 11 (cure expires, begin advertising) → day 18 (earliest sale, 7 full days after first ad). These three steps are sequential and cannot run concurrently. | N.D.C.C. §§ 35-33-05(1)(c), 35-33-05(2) |
| Ohio | 25 days | No mandatory waiting period before sending the notice of claim. Notice must give the occupant at least 10 days to pay (§ 5322.03(C)(5)). After the cure period, owner must advertise once per week for two consecutive weeks; sale may not occur until at least 15 days after the first publication (§ 5322.03(G)). Sequential minimum: 10-day cure + first ad on day 10 → second ad on day 17 → sale on day 25 (15 days after first ad). The 15-day post-first-publication floor is the binding constraint. | ORC §§ 5322.03(C)(5), 5322.03(G) |
| Oklahoma | 60 days | No enforcement action may begin until the occupant has been in continuous default for 30 days (§ 197(B)). After that, the owner sends notice giving at least 15 days to pay (§ 197(D)(4)). After the cure period, one newspaper publication is required; sale may not occur sooner than 15 days after that publication (§ 197(G)(2)). Sequential mandatory steps: 30-day default floor + 15-day cure + 15-day post-publication wait = 60 minimum. Advertising cannot begin before the cure period expires. | 42 O.S. §§ 197(B), 197(D)(4), 197(G)(2) |
| Oregon | 45 days | One written notice is required; the payment deadline must be "not earlier than 30 days after the default" (§ 87.689(3)(d)) — not 30 days from the notice date, but from the default date. After the deadline passes unpaid, the owner must advertise once a week for two consecutive weeks; sale may not occur earlier than 15 days after the first advertisement (§ 87.691(2)–(3)). Minimum: 30-day deadline + first ad on day 30 + second ad on day 37 + sale on day 45 (15 days after first ad). Applies only to property worth more than $300. | ORS 87.689(3)(d); ORS 87.691(2)–(3) |
| Pennsylvania | 70 days | Enforcement requires 30 days of continuous default before notice may be sent (§ 5606(a)). Notice gives the occupant at least 30 days to pay (§ 5607(b)(2)). After the cure period, the owner publishes and the sale may not occur sooner than 10 days after first publication (§ 5608(d)). Sequential mandatory steps that cannot run concurrently: 30-day default floor + 30-day cure period + 10-day post-publication wait = 70 minimum. Advertising cannot begin before the cure period expires. | 12 Pa.C.S. §§ 5606(a), 5607(b)(2), 5608(d) |
| Rhode Island | 60 days | Two notices required: first notice no sooner than day 5 after default; second notice no sooner than day 14, giving at least 14 days to pay (§ 34-42-4(a)). After the cure period, advertise once/week for two consecutive weeks. Sale requires two conditions both satisfied: (1) at least 60 days have passed since default AND (2) at least 15 days since final advertisement publication (§ 34-42-4(f)). The 60-day floor is the binding constraint regardless of when notices and ads are sent. | R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 34-42-4(a), 34-42-4(f) |
| South Carolina | 58 days | 50 days of continuous default required before a sale may be enforced (§ 39-20-45(A)). After day 50, the owner must advertise once a week for two consecutive weeks in a local newspaper (§ 39-20-45(E)). First ad on day 50, second ad on day 57, sale permitted after the advertising period is complete = day 58 minimum. The 14-day notice (sent at day 14) and its 14-day cure window run inside the 50-day floor. No minimum wait after the second ad is specified beyond completing the two-week period. | S.C. Code Ann. §§ 39-20-45(A), 39-20-45(E) |
| South Dakota | 21 days | No mandatory waiting period before sending notice. Notice gives at least 14 days to pay (SDCL 44-14-3(3)(d)). After the cure period, owner must publish one ad in a newspaper of general circulation; sale may not occur sooner than 7 days after publication (SDCL 44-14-3(4)). Sequential minimum: notice on day 0 → cure expires day 14 → ad published day 14 → sale on day 21 (7 days after first ad). Consistent with guide FAQ: "a minimum of roughly 21-plus days from sending the first notice." | SDCL 44-14-3(3)(d); SDCL 44-14-3(4) |
| Tennessee | 60 days | Sale may not occur sooner than 60 days after the date of default (§66-31-105(2)(C)(vi)). Formal enforcement begins after 15 continuous days of default; the required 30-day cure period in the notice runs inside the 60-day floor. The 60-day default floor is the binding constraint. | Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 66-31-105(2)(C)(vi), 66-31-105(2), 66-31-106 |
| Texas | 30 days | No statutory minimum default period before the notice of claim — it can go out on day 0. The tenant then has 14 days to pay, and publication may not begin until the cure period expires. Earliest first publication is day 15, and the sale cannot occur until at least 15 days after first publication (§59.042(c)): day 15 + 15 = day 30. Minimum: 14-day cure + 15-day post-publication wait, run sequentially = 30 days. | Tex. Prop. Code §§ 59.042(b)–(c) |
| Utah | 60 days | 30-day continuous default required before enforcement (§38-8-3(1)(a)). Owner then sends notice with ≥15-day payment demand (§38-8-3(5)(e)). If newspaper ad required, ad must run once and sale cannot occur until ≥15 days after publication (§38-8-3(7)). Minimum: 30 (default floor) + 15 (notice/demand) + 15 (post-publication wait) = 60 days. | Utah Code §§ 38-8-2(3)(a)(i), 38-8-3(1)(a), 38-8-3(5)(e), 38-8-3(7) |
| Vermont | 51 days | First notice not sooner than day 7 of default (§3905(1)). Second notice ≥14 days after first (§3905(2)(A)). Payment demand in second notice ≥15 days (§3905(2)(C)(iv)). After demand expires, newspaper published once/week for two consecutive weeks; sale ≥15 days after first publication (§3905(3)(A)). Minimum: 7 + 14 + 15 + 15 = 51 days (first-pub wait is binding; second week ad falls within it). | 9 V.S.A. §§ 3905(1), 3905(2)(A), 3905(2)(C)(iv), 3905(3)(A) |
| Virginia | 30 days | Initial default notice sent promptly (no mandatory delay). Owner must wait until occupant has been in default for more than 10 days before sending pre-sale notice (§55.1-2902(C)). Pre-sale notice demands payment within ≥20 days (§55.1-2902(C)). Minimum: 10 (default floor before pre-sale notice) + 20 (payment demand) = 30 days. | Va. Code §§ 55.1-2902(A), (C) |
| Washington | 42 days | Preliminary notice sent after 14 days of non-payment; occupancy terminates ≥14 days after that. Final lien sale notice sets a sale date that must be both ≥14 days from the final notice AND ≥42 days from when rent first became unpaid (RCW 19.150.060) — whichever is later. The 42-day-from-first-nonpayment floor is therefore the binding statutory minimum. | RCW 19.150.040; RCW 19.150.060 |
| West Virginia | 75 days | Enforcement requires more than 60 days of default (§38-14-5(a)), so day 61 is the first enforcement day. Pre-sale notice sent day 61 demands payment within ≥14 days from mailing date (§38-14-5(b)(3)(C)) — earliest sale day 75. The advertising requirement (§38-14-5(b)(4)) only obliges the ad to run ≥3 days before the sale, so it can run inside the 14-day demand period (placed by day 72 for a day-75 sale). Earliest sale: day 61 + 14 = day 75. | W. Va. Code §§ 38-14-5(a), 38-14-5(b)(3)(C), 38-14-5(b)(4) |
| Wisconsin | 36 days | Default requires 7 consecutive days past the due date (§704.90(1)(a)). Second notice demands payment within ≥14 days (§704.90(5)(b)2.c.). After demand expires, one newspaper ad must run; sale cannot occur until ≥15 days after publication (§704.90(6)(a)6.). Minimum from rent due date: 7 (default) + 0 (first notice, no mandatory gap) + 14 (second notice demand) + 15 (post-publication wait) = 36 days. | Wis. Stat. §§ 704.90(1)(a), 704.90(5)(b)2.c., 704.90(6)(a)4., 704.90(6)(a)6. |
| Wyoming | No statutory path | No statutory minimum days between notice and sale. The statute requires certified-mail notice to known interest holders and a commercially reasonable sale — but sets no specific waiting period. Many operators use 14 days as a working floor; that is not a statutory requirement. | W.S. 29-7-105(b) |
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