Contract deadlines by state

Start with the contract's own definitions, because they decide three things: whether "days" means calendar or business days, whether the acceptance date counts as day zero or day one, and what happens when the last day falls on a weekend or holiday. Calendar days vs business days in real estate contracts walks through each choice with examples, and the deadline calculator and business days calculator do the counting. Florida's AS IS contract rolls a weekend deadline forward; Georgia's GAR F201 doesn't; Colorado's CBS1 does only if the box is checked.

They are different tools with a similar purpose. A Texas option period and the due diligence periods in North Carolina, Georgia and South Carolina let the buyer walk away for any reason before they end, usually for a fee paid to the seller. An inspection period, as in Florida, Arizona, Tennessee or Pennsylvania, ties the buyer's exit to inspections and a repair negotiation. Attorney review in New Jersey and Illinois lets either side's lawyer approve or cancel the contract itself. See the Texas option period, the North Carolina due diligence period and the New Jersey attorney review period.

The contract decides. On many forms the buyer who stays silent is treated as having waived the contingency and loses the right to cancel over it, and possibly the earnest money. On others, such as California's RPA, a contingency stays in place until the buyer removes it in writing or the seller sends a notice to perform. Missed a contingency deadline? What happens next covers the common outcomes and what to do the same day.

Whatever the state, a residential contract usually sets dates for earnest money delivery, seller disclosures, inspections and objections, appraisal, loan approval, title review and closing. Real estate contract deadlines: a coordinator's guide lists them in order and shows how a transaction coordinator puts each one on the calendar on day one, which is when most missed deadlines are really missed.

In attorney states the contract often changes after signing. New Jersey's licensee-prepared contracts become final after three business days of attorney review; Illinois's Multi-Board 8.0 gives attorneys 5 business days. Massachusetts runs on an accepted offer, then a purchase and sale agreement by the date in the offer. Maryland and Virginia lean on statutory rescission windows. See the Illinois attorney review period, the Massachusetts P&S timeline, Maryland contract of sale deadlines, Virginia contract deadlines and the PA agreement of sale contingency period.

Most western and southern forms are broker-association or commission forms with fill-in periods. Colorado's CBS1 lists 43 dates in § 3.1; Utah's REPC puts the four key deadlines in Section 24; Wisconsin's WB-11 and Louisiana's 2026 agreement fill the blanks with defaults. See Colorado contract deadlines, the Utah REPC due diligence deadline, Arizona contract deadlines, Wisconsin WB-11 deadlines, the Louisiana due diligence period, the Georgia due diligence period, the South Carolina due diligence period and the Tennessee inspection period.

Some states have no single standard contract, so state law sets a few fixed dates and the agreement sets the rest. New York runs on the bar-association contract and attorney review; Michigan and Minnesota fix only disclosure, earnest money and cancellation rules in statute. Ohio, Oklahoma and Nevada have widely used association or commission forms with defaults. See the New York contract timeline, Ohio purchase agreement deadlines, Michigan purchase agreement deadlines, Minnesota purchase agreement deadlines, Oklahoma contract deadlines and the Nevada due diligence period.

When a contract says time is of the essence, a deadline is strict: missing it can be a breach even by a day. Time is of the essence in real estate contracts explains the clause and which forms use it, and how to extend a closing date covers amendments, signatures and when a new Closing Disclosure period starts. In Texas the option fee and earnest money run on separate clocks: see Texas option fee vs earnest money.