State Foreclosure Laws

State law controls much of what happens in foreclosure -- your rights in foreclosure, foreclosure procedures, available defenses, whether you are liable for a deficiency judgment after foreclosure, and more.

Below we've provided information on some of the important features of each state’s law on foreclosures. When reading about your state, keep in mind that:


• This is only a summary of your state’s laws and does not tell the entire story. It is intended for owners of single-family residences and doesn’t address special laws for agricultural land or the rights of tenants in foreclosed homes owned by their landlords.


• This discusses only the most common method of foreclosure in your state. For example, it provides information about non­judicial foreclosures for the states where they are the most common procedure, even though judicial foreclosures are allowed in some circumstances. 


• Laws change. Foreclosure laws and procedures are complex and subject to change by legislatures and to interpretation by courts. 


For these reasons, you should use this information as a starting point for additional research. Citations to each state’s statutes are included so you can look up the laws themselves. (For more information on foreclosure, visit our Foreclosure topic.)