Squatters Rights by State 2025

Squatters Rights Minimum Years

Squatters Rights Maximum Years

Top ↓

Last ↑

Squatters Rights Minimum Years

1	Texas	30
1	New Jersey	30
3	Pennsylvania	21
3	Ohio	21
5	Hawaii	20
5	Delaware	20
5	South Dakota	20
5	Maine	20
5	Maryland	20
5	Massachusetts	20
5	North Dakota	20
5	North Carolina	20
5	Illinois	20
5	New Hampshire	20
5	Wisconsin	20
5	Idaho	20
17	Colorado	18
18	Oklahoma	15
18	Virginia	15
18	Minnesota	15
18	Kansas	15
18	Kentucky	15
18	Vermont	15
18	Connecticut	15
18	Michigan	15
26	Missouri	10
26	New York	10
26	Mississippi	10
26	Wyoming	10
26	Alabama	10
26	Washington	10
26	Nebraska	10
26	Indiana	10
26	South Carolina	10
26	Louisiana	10
26	Oregon	10
26	Iowa	10
26	Rhode Island	10
26	West Virginia	10
26	New Mexico	10
41	Utah	7
41	Alaska	7
41	Tennessee	7
41	Florida	7
41	Arkansas	7
41	Georgia	7
47	Nevada	5
47	Montana	5
47	California	5
50	Arizona	3

↑

Interactive Map
Squatters’ Rights
Key Findings
Squatters’ Rights by State
Source

Understanding Squatters’ Rights in the United States

Squatters’ rights, or adverse possession laws, allow someone to gain ownership of a property if they occupy it without permission for a certain period and meet specific legal conditions. These laws vary by state but generally require that the person live on the property openly, continuously, and exclusively, as though they were the rightful owner. Paying property taxes or having a valid but mistaken deed—known as color of title—can strengthen a claim.

Adverse possession doesn’t happen overnight. The claimant must prove they treated the property as their own and that the real owner took no action during the statutory period. When all requirements are met, a court case known as quiet title can transfer legal ownership.

Roommates or family members who refuse to leave a shared residence aren’t true squatters but still must be removed legally, usually through a formal eviction process. The same applies to tenants who remain after their lease ends: landlords must issue a notice to quit before filing an eviction. For short-term rentals like Airbnb, guests who stay fewer than 28 days are considered temporary occupants and can usually be removed without a court order if they overstay.

For property owners, prevention is key. Keeping land secured, posting “No Trespassing” signs, maintaining boundaries, and responding quickly to unauthorized occupation can avoid lengthy disputes. If someone refuses to leave, legal eviction is the safest path—starting with written notice, followed by a court order and, if necessary, sheriff enforcement.

The information below summarizes the key legal pathways and time requirements for each U.S. state.

Path to Ownership

This column shows the legal route through which a person can claim ownership after living on someone else’s property for a specific number of years. This is the essence of adverse possession.

To make such a claim, most states require that the occupant:

Lives on the property continuously for a defined period (anywhere from 3 to 30 years, depending on the state).
Uses the property openly and as an owner would—for example, by maintaining it, improving it, or paying property taxes.
Does so without permission from the legal owner (“hostile possession”).

Once the statutory period is met, the occupant can file a quiet title action in court to request legal ownership.

Examples:

In California, five years of continuous occupancy and payment of property taxes may allow a claim.
In New Jersey, the time requirement can reach 30 years (or 60 years for woodlands).

Holdover Tenants

Not all unlawful occupants are trespassers. A holdover tenant is a renter who stays after their lease ends without signing a renewal. When this happens, landlords must follow each state’s landlord-tenant eviction laws.

The process typically starts with a notice to quit—a written warning that gives the tenant a certain number of days (usually 3 to 14) to leave the property or face eviction. If they refuse, the landlord can then file an eviction lawsuit in court.

Unauthorized Occupants

This category covers individuals who enter or remain on a property without any legal right, such as people squatting in vacant homes, abandoned buildings, or unoccupied lots. Even though they have no tenancy rights, property owners usually must follow due process before removing them.

That means providing a written notice and allowing a legally defined waiting period—often 15 to 60 days, depending on the state—before filing for a court order or requesting law-enforcement assistance.

Some states allow faster removal when there’s clear evidence of recent trespass, while others require full civil proceedings even for short-term squatters.

Why Adverse Possession Laws Exist

Adverse possession laws were originally designed to encourage the productive use of land and prevent neglect. In practice, they reward long-term, open use of abandoned property—but also create challenges in modern cities, where housing shortages and foreclosures have made unauthorized occupation more common.

Region ↕	Squatters Rights Minimum Years↕	Squatters Rights Maximum Years↕
Texas	30	10
New Jersey	30	20+
Pennsylvania	21	20+
Ohio	21	20+
Hawaii	20	20+
Delaware	20	20
South Dakota	20	20+
Maine	20	20+
Maryland	20	20+
Massachusetts	20	20+
North Dakota	20	20+
North Carolina	20	20+
Illinois	20	20+
New Hampshire	20	20+
Wisconsin	20	20+
Idaho	20	20+
Colorado	18	15-20
Oklahoma	15	15-20
Virginia	15	15-20
Minnesota	15	15-20
Kansas	15	7
Kentucky	15	15-20
Vermont	15	15-20
Connecticut	15	15-20
Michigan	15	15-20
Missouri	10	10
New York	10	10
Mississippi	10	10
Wyoming	10	10
Alabama	10	10
Washington	10	10
Nebraska	10	10
Indiana	10	10
South Carolina	10	10
Louisiana	10	20+
Oregon	10	10
Iowa	10	10
Rhode Island	10	10
West Virginia	10	10
New Mexico	10	10
Utah	7	7
Alaska	7	10
Tennessee	7	20+
Florida	7	7
Arkansas	7	7
Georgia	7	20
Nevada	5	15-20
Montana	5	7
California	5	7
Arizona	3	10

Key Findings

The shortest periods for adverse possession are found in Arizona (3 years) if the squatter holds a deed and pays property taxes, California and Montana (5 years) with color of title, and Utah and Florida (7 years) when taxes are paid consistently.
The longest timeframes occur in New Jersey and Texas (30 years), with New Jersey extending to 60 years for woodland property, followed by Ohio and Pennsylvania (21 years) due to traditional common-law standards.
On average, most U.S. states require 10 to 20 years of open, continuous, and exclusive possession before an adverse possession claim is valid.
Southern states such as Alabama, Georgia, and Florida generally require 7–10 years, making them more permissive for claimants.
Northeastern states like New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania maintain 20–30-year thresholds, reflecting older property doctrines.
Western states, including California and Nevada, place greater emphasis on property tax payments and color of title rather than mere occupation duration.