Use the calculator below to determine the notice period required in your state,
your earliest court filing date, and projected eviction milestones based on the
date you plan to serve notice.

📋 Notice Period Calculator

Select your state, eviction reason, and the date you plan to serve notice. We'll calculate your earliest filing date and key milestones.

State — Select a State —AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington DCWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming

Reason for Eviction Nonpayment of Rent Lease Violation

Date You Will Serve Notice

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⚠️ Disclaimer: These calculations are estimates based on state statutes and typical court timelines. Actual results vary by county, court backlog, and case specifics. Always verify current requirements with your local courthouse. This is not legal advice.

Underground Landlord

Explore Notice Requirements by State

Every state has its own notice period rules. Click your state on the map below
to view the complete eviction law guide including statutes, court procedures,
timelines, and required forms.

Understanding Eviction Notice Periods Across the United States

One of the most common and costly mistakes a landlord can make is serving the wrong
notice or serving the right notice with the wrong timeline. Before a landlord can
file an eviction complaint in any U.S. state, they must first provide the tenant
with proper written notice — and the rules governing that notice vary significantly
from state to state, and in some cases from county to county.

What Is an Eviction Notice Period?

A notice period is the minimum number of days a landlord must give a tenant before
filing an eviction lawsuit. The clock typically starts the day after the notice is
served — not the day it is delivered — and in some states business days are counted
rather than calendar days, which changes the math considerably.

In most states, the notice period depends on why you are evicting the tenant.
Nonpayment of rent evictions typically carry the shortest notice requirements,
while lease violation evictions often require longer notice and may include a cure
period giving the tenant an opportunity to correct the violation and remain in the
property.

How Notice Periods Vary by State

The range is dramatic. At the short end, states like Arkansas require only a 3-day
notice for nonpayment of rent, making it one of the fastest eviction processes in
the country when no other delays intervene. Florida similarly requires a 3-day
notice for nonpayment, though the notice must state the exact amount owed —
overcharging by even a small amount can void the notice entirely and force you
to start over.

At the longer end, states with stronger tenant protections require significantly
more lead time. Oregon requires 72 hours for nonpayment but 30 days or more for
no-cause terminations. California’s notice requirements span from 3 days for
nonpayment to 60 or 90 days for certain no-fault terminations depending on the
tenant’s length of tenancy.

Several states count business days rather than calendar days. Alabama, for example,
uses 7 business days for its nonpayment notice under §35-9A-421 — a distinction
that matters significantly on weeks containing holidays.

Lease Violation Notices vs. Nonpayment Notices

Many landlords assume a lease violation follows the same notice rules as
nonpayment. In most states it does not. Lease violation notices are often longer
and frequently include a mandatory cure period — typically 10 to 30 days — during
which the tenant has the right to correct the violation and avoid eviction. If the
tenant cures the violation within the notice period the landlord generally cannot
proceed with the filing even if the same issue recurs shortly after.

Georgia is notable in the opposite direction — it has no mandatory notice period
for lease violations at all. Landlords there can file a dispossessory affidavit
immediately after a lease breach without serving a prior notice, though the tenant
still has 7 days from service of the court summons to file an answer.

Why Getting the Notice Right Matters

A defective notice is one of the most common reasons eviction cases are dismissed.
Courts are strict about notice compliance because the notice period is a
tenant’s statutory right — not a courtesy. A notice with the wrong number of days,
improper service method, incorrect dollar amount, or missing required language can
result in immediate dismissal, sending you back to square one and adding weeks
or months to an already expensive process.

Use the calculator above to confirm your required notice period, identify your
earliest possible filing date, and plan your eviction timeline before you serve
a single piece of paper. For the complete eviction guide for your state — including
court procedures, filing fees, writ timelines, and state-specific warnings — click
your state on the map above or browse the full state directory below.

Browse All State Eviction Guides