Squatters Rights By State 2024

Required Occupation Time (Years)

Squatters Rights Required Occupation Time (Years)

1.	Arizona	3
2.	Texas	5
3.	Montana	5
4.	California	5
5.	Wisconsin	7
6.	Utah	7
7.	Tennessee
8.	Kentucky	7
9.	Illinois	7
10.	Georgia	7
11.	Florida	7
12.	Colorado	7
13.	Arkansas	7
14.	Alaska	7
15.	Wyoming	10
16.	West Virginia	10
17.	Washington	10
18.	South Dakota	10
19.	South Carolina	10
20.	Rhode Island	10
21.	Oregon	10
22.	North Dakota	10
23.	New York	10
24.	New Mexico	10
25.	Nebraska	10
26.	Missouri	10
27.	Mississippi	10
28.	Louisiana	10
29.	Iowa	10
30.	Indiana	10
31.	Idaho	10
32.	Alabama	10
33.	Virginia	15
34.	Vermont	15
35.	Oklahoma	15
36.	Nevada	15
37.	Minnesota	15
38.	Michigan	15
39.	Kansas	15
40.	Connecticut	15
41.	North Carolina	20
42.	New Hampshire	20
43.	Massachusetts	20
44.	Maryland	20
45.	Maine	20
46.	Hawaii	20
47.	Delaware	20
48.	Pennsylvania	21
49.	Ohio	21
50.	New Jersey	30

↑

Interactive Map
Squatters' Rights in the United States
By Region
Table

Squatters' Rights in the United States

Understanding the complexities of squatters' rights—laws that allow someone to occupy a property without the is owner’s permission, and under certain conditions, potentially assume ownership—is essential for both property owners and those who find themselves in the unenviable position of squatting. While these laws are complex and vary significantly by state, this matter can greatly affect individuals and communities and plays a critical role in discussions around housing rights, homelessness, and property ownership in the United States. Key findings from the data include:

Significant variation exists in the required occupation time for squatters' rights laws across US states, ranging from three years in Arizona to up to 30 years in New Jersey.
While several states such as Arizona, Texas, Montana, and California require a relatively short occupation period of five years or less, the majority of states seem to require a longer period of ten years or more.
Midwestern states such as Wisconsin, Illinois, Arkansas, and others tend to have a medium-term occupation requirement, generally around seven years.
States with the longest required occupation time, notably New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and several eastern coastal states, require 20 years or more of uninterrupted occupation.
Interestingly, the states with larger urban populations, like New York, California, and Florida, tend to have a comparatively lesser occupation time.

By Region

Alabama

See Less

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#32

Alaska

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#14

Arizona

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

Arkansas

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#13

California

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

Colorado

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#12

Connecticut

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#40

Delaware

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#47

Florida

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#11

Georgia

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#10

Hawaii

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#46

Idaho

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#31

Illinois

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

Indiana

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#30

Iowa

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#29

Kansas

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#39

Kentucky

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

Louisiana

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#28

Maine

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#45

Maryland

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#44

Massachusetts

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#43

Michigan

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#38

Minnesota

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#37

Mississippi

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#27

Missouri

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#26

Montana

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

Nebraska

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#25

Nevada

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#36

New Hampshire

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#42

New Jersey

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#50

New Mexico

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#24

New York

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#23

North Carolina

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#41

North Dakota

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#22

Ohio

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#49

Oklahoma

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#35

Oregon

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#21

Pennsylvania

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#48

Rhode Island

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#20

South Carolina

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#19

South Dakota

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#18

Tennessee

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

Texas

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

Utah

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

Vermont

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#34

Virginia

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#33

Washington

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#17

West Virginia

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#16

Wisconsin

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

Wyoming

Metric

Value

Rank

Required Occupation Time (Years)

#15

Table

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

Squatters Rights By State

Table of Contents

Squatters' Rights in the United States

By Region

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Table

Additional Miscellaneous Datasets

State Densities

States with Least Natural Disasters

States with the Most Counties

Stop and ID States

Strictest Gun Laws By State

Train Accidents By State