Comparison matrix
Gift card law comparison: all 51 US jurisdictions
Every US state and the District of Columbia, side by side. Sort visually by region, scan for the strictest and most-business-friendly states, or find your state and click through to the full page.
| State | Protection level | Expiration | Dormancy fees | Cash redemption | Escheatment | Primary statute | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL Alabama | Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | Code of Alabama §35-12-70 et seq. (Unclaimed Property) | View |
| AK Alaska | Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | Alaska Stat. §34.45.110 et seq. (Unclaimed Property) | View |
| AZ Arizona | Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | Ariz. Rev. Stat. §44-301 et seq. (Unclaimed Property) | View |
| AR Arkansas | Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | Ark. Code §18-28-201 et seq. (Unclaimed Property) | View |
| CA California | Strict | No expiration permitted (with narrow exceptions) | No | Under $10 — cash redemption required on request | No | Cal. Civil Code §§1749.45–1749.6 (Gift Certificates) | View |
| CO Colorado | Strict | No expiration permitted on most gift cards | No | Under $5 — cash redemption required on request | No | Colo. Rev. Stat. §6-1-722 (Gift Cards) | View |
| CT Connecticut | Strict | No expiration permitted | No | Under $3 — cash redemption required on request | No | Conn. Gen. Stat. §3-65c (Gift Certificates) | View |
| DE Delaware | Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Yes | 12 Del. C. §1101 et seq. (Escheats and Abandoned Property) | View |
| Strict | No expiration permitted on gift certificates above the statutory threshold | No | Not required by statute | Partial | DC Code §28-3905 (Consumer Protection Procedures Act) | View | |
| FL Florida | Strict | No expiration permitted (with narrow exceptions) | No | Not required by state statute | No | Fla. Stat. §501.95 (Gift Certificates) | View |
| GA Georgia | Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | O.C.G.A. §44-12-190 et seq. (Disposition of Unclaimed Property) | View |
| HI Hawaii | Moderate | No expiration permitted on most gift certificates (with exceptions for promotional) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | HRS §481B-13 (Gift Certificates) | View |
| ID Idaho | Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | Idaho Code §14-501 et seq. (Unclaimed Property) | View |
| IL Illinois | Strict | No expiration in less than 5 years (state minimum aligned with federal) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | 815 ILCS 505/2SS (Consumer Fraud Act — Gift Certificates) | View |
| IN Indiana | Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | Ind. Code §32-34-1 et seq. (Unclaimed Property) | View |
| IA Iowa | Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | Iowa Code Ch. 556 (Disposition of Unclaimed Property) | View |
| KS Kansas | Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | K.S.A. §58-3901 et seq. (Unclaimed Property) | View |
| KY Kentucky | Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | KRS §393A.020 et seq. (Unclaimed Property) | View |
| LA Louisiana | Moderate | 5 years minimum | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | La. R.S. §51:1423 (Gift Certificates) | View |
| ME Maine | Strict | No expiration permitted on most gift certificates | Limited | Under $5 — cash redemption required on request | No | 33 M.R.S. §1953 (Gift Obligations & Stored-Value Cards) | View |
| MD Maryland | Moderate | 4 years minimum (federal 5 years applies as floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | Md. Code, Com. Law §14-1319 | View |
| Strict | 7 years minimum (one of the strictest in the US) | No | Under $5 (after 90% redeemed) — cash refund required | No | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 200A §5D; ch. 255D §1 | View | |
| MI Michigan | Moderate | 5 years minimum | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | MCL §445.901 et seq. (Michigan Consumer Protection Act) | View |
| MN Minnesota | Strict | No expiration permitted on most gift certificates | No | Not required by state statute | No | Minn. Stat. §325G.53 (Gift Certificates) | View |
| MS Mississippi | Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | Miss. Code §89-12-1 et seq. (Unclaimed Property) | View |
| MO Missouri | Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | Mo. Rev. Stat. §447.500 et seq. (Unclaimed Property) | View |
| MT Montana | Strict | No expiration permitted on most gift certificates | No | Under $5 — cash redemption required on request | No | Mont. Code Ann. §30-14-108 | View |
| NE Nebraska | Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | Neb. Rev. Stat. §69-1301 et seq. (Unclaimed Property) | View |
| NV Nevada | Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | Nev. Rev. Stat. §120A.500 et seq. (Unclaimed Property) | View |
| Strict | No expiration permitted on most gift certificates | No | Under $5 — cash redemption required on request | No | N.H. RSA §358-A:1 et seq. (Consumer Protection) | View | |
| NJ New Jersey | Strict | No expiration permitted on most gift certificates | No | Not required by state statute (some local interpretations vary) | Partial | N.J.S.A. §56:8-110 (Gift Certificates and Gift Cards) | View |
| NM New Mexico | Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | N.M. Stat. §7-8A-1 et seq. (Unclaimed Property) | View |
| NY New York | Strict | Must remain valid for at least 9 years from issuance | Limited | Under $5 — cash refund required upon request | Partial | N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law §396-i (Gift Certificates) | View |
| Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | N.C. Gen. Stat. §66-67.4 (Gift Certificates) | View | |
| ND North Dakota | Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | N.D.C.C. §47-30.2-01 et seq. (Unclaimed Property) | View |
| OH Ohio | Moderate | 5 years minimum (federal floor applies above state 2-year minimum) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | Ohio Rev. Code §1349.61 (Gift Certificates) | View |
| OK Oklahoma | Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | 60 O.S. §651 et seq. (Uniform Unclaimed Property Act) | View |
| OR Oregon | Strict | No expiration permitted on most gift certificates | No | Under $5 — cash refund required on request | No | Or. Rev. Stat. §646A.272 | View |
| PA Pennsylvania | Moderate | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | 72 Pa.C.S. §1301.1 et seq. (Disposition of Abandoned and Unclaimed Property) | View |
| RI Rhode Island | Strict | No expiration permitted on most gift certificates | No | Under $1 — cash refund required on request | No | R.I. Gen. Laws §6-13-12 | View |
| Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | S.C. Code §27-18-10 et seq. (Unclaimed Property) | View | |
| SD South Dakota | Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | S.D. Codified Laws §43-41B-1 et seq. (Unclaimed Property) | View |
| TN Tennessee | Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | T.C.A. §66-29-101 et seq. (Unclaimed Property) | View |
| TX Texas | Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor; state minimum was 1 year) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | Tex. Bus. & Com. Code §604.001 et seq.; Tex. Prop. Code §72.001 et seq. | View |
| UT Utah | Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | Utah Code §67-4a-101 et seq. (Unclaimed Property) | View |
| VT Vermont | Strict | No expiration permitted on most gift cards | No | Under $1 — cash redemption required on request | No | 9 V.S.A. §4001a (Gift Certificates) | View |
| VA Virginia | Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | Va. Code §55.1-2500 et seq. (Uniform Unclaimed Property Act) | View |
| WA Washington | Strict | No expiration permitted on most gift certificates | No | Under $5 — cash redemption required on request | No | RCW §19.240.020 (Gift Certificates) | View |
| Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | W.Va. Code §36-8-1 et seq. (Unclaimed Property) | View | |
| WI Wisconsin | Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | Wis. Stat. §177.01 et seq. (Uniform Unclaimed Property Act) | View |
| WY Wyoming | Federal Baseline | 5 years minimum (federal CARD Act floor) | Limited | Not required by state statute | Partial | Wyo. Stat. §34-24-101 et seq. (Unclaimed Property) | View |
How to read this matrix. Protection level summarizes the overall consumer protection
strength. Cells show the most operationally relevant rule per category. Click any state name for the full
plain-English summary, compliance checklist, and recommended software.
Next steps
Use this matrix to plan multi-state compliance
If you sell gift certificates in more than one state, the safest path is to identify the strictest rule in any state where you have customers, and apply that rule across the board. Start with the strictest-states analysis, then build your unified policy from the multi-state compliance checklist.