Do stores have to accept returns? What US law actually says

A return window is usually store policy, not a legal right

Most people assume there is a law behind the 30-day return. In practice the window is a promise the store makes, and stores make different promises. The Federal Trade Commission puts it plainly in its consumer advice on gift returns: return and exchange policies vary by store, and many stores won't take returns or exchanges after a certain time, like 30 or 90 days. The same advice notes that policies and deadlines are often printed on the back of receipts.

State officials say the same thing from the other side. The California Attorney General's office writes that most retail stores allow returns within a reasonable time, but when a store clearly displays a limited or no-refund policy, refunds and exchanges are not required by law. New York's Department of State, in a December 2024 consumer alert, says New York law does not require retailers to accept returns, as long as they post a conspicuous notice before the point of sale saying no returns will be accepted.

So the first question is what this store said at the register, and that is worth reading before you pay rather than after something goes wrong.

What happens when a store does not post its policy

Where states step in, it is mostly about disclosure, and California and New York are two clear examples. Under California Civil Code section 1723, a retailer that won't give a full refund or credit, or allow an equal exchange, within seven days of purchase when goods come back with a receipt must display its policy at each register and sales counter, at each public entrance, on tags attached to the items, or on its order forms. According to the Attorney General, the rule does not apply to perishable items, final-sale items, goods used or damaged after purchase, custom orders, goods returned without their original packaging, or items that can't be resold for health reasons.

If a California store breaks that rule by not displaying its limited or no-return policy, the Attorney General says you can return the item with proof of purchase for a full refund within 30 days.

New York's General Business Law section 218-a works in a similar way. The policy has to be posted on the item, at the register or at the store entrance, and New York City's consumer protection department lists what the sign must spell out: any restocking fees, whether 'as is' items are excluded, whether refunds come as cash, credit or store credit only, whether proof of purchase is required, and that customers can ask for a written copy of the policy. If a store posts nothing, it must accept a return within 30 days of purchase, as long as the merchandise is not used or damaged and you can show the purchase date with a receipt or other proof of purchase, and it must let you choose cash or credit.

Two federal rules people mix up

The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule is the federal rule most people have half-heard of, and it is narrower than its reputation. It gives you three days to cancel certain sales made at your home, workplace or dormitory, or at a seller's temporary location such as a hotel room, convention center, fairground or restaurant. It does not cover sales under $25 made at your home or under $130 made at temporary locations, and it does not cover sales made entirely online, by mail or by telephone, or sales completed at the seller's permanent place of business.

When it does apply, your right to cancel lasts until midnight of the third business day after the sale. Saturday counts as a business day; Sundays and federal holidays do not. If you cancel, the seller has 10 days to refund your money.

The second rule is about shipping, not changing your mind. Under the FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule, a seller needs a reasonable basis for any shipping time it promises, or for shipping within 30 days if it promises none. If it can't ship on time, it has to ask for your consent to the delay and tell you that you can cancel for a full and prompt refund instead.

Broken is a different question

Everything above is about returning something that works but that you no longer want. A defective product falls under warranty rules instead, and those don't depend on the store's return window. The FTC's gift-return advice notes that you might have to contact the manufacturer to return a defective or damaged product after the seller's return deadline.

California's Attorney General points to the same route: if a product doesn't work, check whether it has a warranty, and remember that an implied warranty often exists by law even when the seller makes no specific promises. The FTC describes the most common one, the warranty of merchantability, as the seller's promise that a product will do what it is supposed to do. Implied warranties can be excluded when a product is clearly sold 'as is', where state law allows it.

Common mistakes that cost people a return

Counting on the law after the window closes. In the states above, a clearly posted policy is the deal you accepted, and a day late is usually too late unless the store chooses to be flexible.

Throwing out the receipt. California's Attorney General notes that many retailers require the original receipt, and both state defaults described above depend on proof of purchase. The FTC warns that without a receipt you should expect store credit, often for the lowest sales price.

Using the item or binning the box. New York's default covers merchandise that is not used or damaged, and California's posting rule excludes goods used or damaged after purchase and goods returned without their original packaging. Keep the packaging until you are sure.

Missing fees and final-sale tags. Some stores charge a restocking fee or won't take back 'final sale' and 'as is' items, according to California's Attorney General, and New York requires stores to disclose return fees. For online orders, the FTC suggests checking who pays return shipping, since returning to a local store may save the cost.

Keep the last day where you will see it

The fix is unglamorous: read the policy when you buy, work out the actual last day, and keep the receipt where you can find it. The hard part is remembering in the right week. Warrantime handles that part: log the item with its purchase date and the window printed on the receipt, and it reminds you three days before the last day, with a photo of the receipt kept on the item.

This guide summarizes consumer information published by the FTC, the California Attorney General and New York State and City agencies. It is not legal advice. Rules differ by state and change over time; for a specific dispute, contact your state attorney general or a consumer protection office.

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