Foreclosure happens when your mortgage lender or bank takes your house or other real property to pay off your mortgage. It's usually a complicated and long process, and each state has its own laws or statutes on how the process works - from giving you notice of your default (like a failure to make mortgage payments) to how and when your property can be sold at a foreclosure sale.

Your mortgage document and state court rules (usually called rules of civil procedure, or R. Civ. Proc.), may also control the foreclosure process.

Foreclosure Laws in Your State

Note: Some of web sites linked below won't give you the specific laws noted in the chart. When this happens, find the specific law by using the navigation or search tools on the web site you're taken to.

State

Statutes and Rules

Alabama

Ala. Code Tit. 35, Art. 10; Ala. R. Civ. Proc.

Alaska

Alaska Stat. Tit. 34, Ch. 20; Alaska R. Civ. Proc.

Arizona

Ariz. Rev. Stat. §§ 33-701 et seq.; Ariz. R. Civ. Proc.

Arkansas

Ark. Code Ann. Tit. 18, Ch. 49, 50; Ark. R. Civ. Proc.

California

Cal. Civ. Code §§ 2920 et seq.; Cal. R. Civ. Proc.

Colorado

Colo. Rev. Stat. Tit. 38, Arts. 37 through 40; Colo. R. Civ. Proc.

Connecticut

Conn. Gen. Stat. Tit. 49; Conn. R. Civ. Proc.

Delaware

Del. Code Tit. 25, Ch. 21 and 16; Del. R. Civ. Proc.

District of Columbia

D.C. Code Div VII, Tit. 42, Subtit. I, Ch. 8 (DC ST § 42-801 et seq.); D.C. R. Civ. Proc.

Florida

Fla. Stat. Tit. XL, Ch. 702; Fla. R. Civ. Proc.

Georgia

Ga. Code Ann. Tit. 44, Ch. 14; Ga. R. Civ. Proc.

Hawaii

Haw. Rev. Stat. Ch. 667; Haw. R. Civ. Proc.

Idaho

Idaho Tit. 45, Ch. 13, 15, and 16; Idaho R. Civ. Proc.

Illinois

765 Ill. Comp. Stat. 905 et seq.; Code of Civil Procedure (735 ILCS 5/)

Indiana

Ind. Code Tit. 32, Art. 29, Tit. 32, Art. 30, Ch. 10, and Tit. 32, Art. 30, Ch. 10.5; Ind. R. Civ. Proc.

Iowa

Iowa Code Tit. XV, Subtit. 5, Ch. 654; Iowa R. Civ. Proc.

Kansas

Kan. Stat. Ann. Ch. 58, Art. 3, Art. 23; Kan. R. Civ. Proc.

Kentucky

Ky. Rev. Stat. Ch. 426; Ky. R. Civ. Proc.

Louisiana

La. Rev. Stat. §§ 10:9-601, 10:9-629; La. R. Civ. Proc.

Maine

Me. Rev. Stat. Tit. 14, Ch. 713 and Tit. 33, Ch. 9; Me. R. Civ. Proc.

Maryland

Md. Real Prop. Code Tit. 7 and Real Prop. Code § 14-204; Md. R. Civ. Proc.

Massachusetts

Mass. Gen. Laws Pt. III, Tit. III, Ch. 244; Mass. R. Civ. Proc.

Michigan

Mich. Comp. Laws Ch. 31 (236-1961-31) and Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.6070; Mich. R. Civ. Proc.

Minnesota

Minn. Stat. Ch. 580, 581, and 582; Minn. R. Civ. Proc.

Mississippi

Miss. Code Tit. 89, Ch. 1 and Miss. Code § 11-5-111; Miss. R. Civ. Proc.

Missouri

Mo. Rev. Stat. Tit. XXIX, Ch. 443; Mo. R. Civ. Proc.

Montana

Mont. Code Ann. Tit. 71; Mont. R. Civ. Proc.

Nebraska

Neb. Rev. Stat §§ 25-1516 et seq.; Neb. R. Civ. Proc.

Nevada

Nev. Rev. Stat. §§ 40.430 et seq.; Nev. R. Civ. Proc.

New Hampshire

N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. Tit. XLVIII, Ch. 479; N.H. R. Civ. Proc.

New Jersey

N.J. Stat. §§ 2A:15-9 et seq. and 2A:50-1 et seq.; N.J. R. Civ. Proc.

New Mexico

N.M. Stat. §§ 39-5-1 et seq., 48-7-1 et seq., and 48-10-1 et seq.; N.M. R. Civ. Proc.

New York

N.Y. Real Prop. Acts. Law Art. 13 and 16; N.Y. R. Civ. Proc.

North Carolina

N.C. Gen. Stat. Ch. 45; N.C. R. Civ. Proc.

North Dakota

N.D. Cent. Code Ch. 32-19, 35-03, and 35-22; N.D. R. Civ. Proc.

Ohio

Ohio Rev. Code §§ 2323.07 and 2329.08; Ohio R. Civ. Proc.

Oklahoma

Okla. Stat. Title 46; Okla. R. Civ. Proc.

Oregon

Or. Rev. Stat. Ch. 88; Or. R. Civ. Proc.

Pennsylvania

Pa. R. Civ. Proc. 1141 et seq., 3181 et seq., and 3276 et seq.

Rhode Island

R.I. Gen. Laws Ch. 34-23, 34-26, and 34-27; R.I. R. Civ. Proc.

South Carolina

S.C. Code Tit. 29, Ch. 3, Art. 7; S.C. R. Civ. Proc.

South Dakota

S.C. Codified Laws Ch. 21-47, 21-48, 21-49, 21-50, 21-51, and 21-52; S.C. R. Civ. Proc.

Tennessee

Tenn. Code Tit. 21, Ch. 1, Pt. 8 and Tit. 66 Ch. 8; Tenn. R. Civ. Proc.

Texas

Tex. Prop. Code Tit. 5, Subtit. B, Ch. 51; Tex. R. Civ. Proc.

Utah

Utah Code Tit. 57, Ch. 1; Utah R. Civ. Proc.

Vermont

Vt. Stat. Tit. 12, Ch. 163; Vt. R. Civ. Proc.

Virginia

Va. Code Tit. 55, Ch. 4; Va. R. Civ. Proc.

Washington

Wash. Rev. Code §§ 61.12 and 61.24; Wash. R. Civ. Proc.

West Virginia

W. Va. Code Ch. 38, Art. 1; W. Va. R. Civ. Proc.

Wisconsin

Wis. Stat. § 846.01 et seq.; Wis. R. Civ. Proc. (Wis. Stat. Ch. 801 through 847)

Wyoming

Wyo. Stat. Tit. 29, Ch. 1 and Tit. 34, Ch. 3 and Ch. 4; Wyo. R. Civ. Proc.