Repair lien recording deadlines in 5 states

Each of the five statutes below sets its own day count based on specific trigger events like final furnishing or completion:

• Florida: record within 90 days after final furnishing, subject to a termination rule covered in the next step section.
• Washington: file within 90 days after you cease furnishing labor, professional services, materials or equipment.
• Ohio: sixty, seventy-five or one hundred twenty days, depending on the property and lien type.
• North Carolina: one hundred twenty days after the last furnishing of labor or materials at the site.
• Arizona: completion is marked thirty days after final inspection and written final acceptance, or after sixty consecutive days of stopped labor.

A shop owner who finished work on someone else’s building must look to the law of the jurisdiction containing that specific structure. The date you stopped working does not automatically trigger the same clock everywhere; the governing rule is tied to the physical location of the real estate. If your job site crosses a state line, or if you operate in multiple jurisdictions, you cannot assume one day count covers all your unpaid invoices. Each property location carries its own statutory deadline for recording the lien against that specific parcel. For related contract wording, see Written repair contract lines in 4 states .

For work performed in Florida, the deadline is tied to when you stopped providing labor or materials. According to Florida Legislature , a claim of lien may be recorded at any time during the progress of the work or thereafter, but not later than 90 days after the final furnishing of the labor or services or materials by the lienor. Generally, this 90-day period starts from your last contribution to the project, not from the date you received an invoice or the date the owner accepted the work. If you provided materials on a specific day, that date begins the clock. Once you stop furnishing anything to the site, the 90-day period runs from that final furnishing, subject to the termination rule below.

In addition to the recording deadline, Florida law includes a service requirement that affects the validity of the lien. The same source notes that failure to serve notice under Section 713.18 before recording or within 15 days after recording shall render the claim of lien voidable to the extent that the failure or delay is shown to have been prejudicial to any person entitled to rely on the service. Service may happen before recording or within 15 days after it. Track the 90-day recording limit and the service timing separately. A delay in service does not automatically void the lien, but it makes the lien vulnerable to challenge if someone can show they were harmed by the late notice. Keep records of when you mailed or delivered these notices to prove compliance.

Ohio Revised Code Section 1311.06 sets three distinct recording windows based on the type of property or lien involved, all measured from the date the last labor or work was performed or material was furnished by the person claiming the lien. According to Ohio Laws , the first window applies when the lien arises in connection with a one- or two-family dwelling or a residential unit of condominium property as defined in Chapter 5311 of the Revised Code. In that specific case, the claim must be recorded within sixty days from the date on which the last labor or work was performed or material was furnished by the person claiming the lien. This sixty-day limit is strictly tied to those residential property types and does not apply to other categories of work described in the statute.

The second clock covers liens arising under section 1311.021 of the Revised Code. For these claims, the deadline is one hundred twenty days from the date on which the last labor or work was performed or material was furnished by the person claiming the lien. This longer window is reserved for the specific statutory context referenced in that division, distinguishing it from the sixty-day residential and seventy-five-day catch-all clocks. Shop owners should note that this category is defined by its reference to section 1311.021 rather than by the physical characteristics of the building itself.

The third clock applies to any lien not described in the previous two divisions. If the lien is one not described in division (B)(1) or (2) of this section, the recording deadline is seventy-five days from the date on which the last of the labor or work was performed or material was furnished by the person claiming the lien. This serves as the catch-all timeframe for repair work that does not fit into the one- or two-family dwelling category or the specific section 1311.021 context. To determine which of these three periods governs your unpaid job, identify whether the property is a one- or two-family dwelling or condominium unit, whether the lien falls under section 1311.021, or if it belongs to the remaining category. Match that classification to the corresponding day count before calculating your recording deadline.

North Carolina sets a specific outer limit for when a claim of lien on real property can be filed. The North Carolina General Assembly states that claims may be filed at any time after the maturity of the obligation secured, but not later than 120 days after the last furnishing of labor or materials at the site of the improvement by the person claiming the lien. This deadline measures from your final day of work or material delivery at that specific location, not from the date you invoiced the owner or the date the project was contractually due. If you stop working on a building in North Carolina, the clock starts ticking immediately upon that last furnishing event.

Arizona uses different triggers to determine when a project is considered complete for lien purposes. Under the statute titled "33-993 - Procedure to perfect lien; notice and claim of lien; service; recording; definitions," the Arizona Legislature defines completion in two distinct ways relevant to your job. Second, it identifies cessation of labor for a period of sixty consecutive days as a marker, except when such cessation is due to a strike, shortage of materials, or act of God. These definitions help establish when the timeline for perfection begins under Arizona law, distinguishing between formal government acceptance and actual stoppage of work.

When managing an unpaid repair job, do not assume that a pause in work automatically resets or extends these deadlines. In Arizona, if labor stops for sixty consecutive days due to reasons other than strikes, material shortages, or acts of God, this cessation period contributes to the definition of completion. In North Carolina, the focus remains strictly on the last furnishing of labor or materials. Write down the exact date you finished the physical work or delivered the final materials for your current job. Compare that date against the 120-day window in North Carolina or the specific completion definitions in Arizona to understand where you stand relative to the statutory limits.

The table below lists each state statute’s recording count or completion trigger, using the day count quoted in that state’s law. Each row names the publisher and the exact window stated in its text. Use this comparison to match your job’s final work date to the correct state limit.

Suppose your last material delivery at a North Carolina site was 90 days ago. The statute allows 120 days after that furnishing, so 30 days remain to file. A Florida job with the same date would be at its 90-day limit today.

Write the last day you furnished labor or materials on one unpaid job. Set that date next to the day count for the state where that property sits. Florida Legislature states that a claim for a lien attaching prior to termination may not be recorded after 90 days following the date of such termination or 90 days after the final furnishing of labor, services, or materials by the lienor, whichever occurs first. Use only the count from the statute governing your specific property location. Do not apply a day count from another state to this job. Record the deadline before the window closes. Compare the dates on the invoice with Auto repair invoices: 7 checks before you bill a job .

Related guides: Parts pricing spreadsheet: 6 fields for repair quotes · Pre-1978 repair lead rules: 4 lines to check .

When does a Florida claim of lien have to be recorded?

According to the Florida Legislature , the claim may be recorded at any time during the work or after it ends. The usual deadline is not later than 90 days after final furnishing, with an earlier termination rule covered in the next step section. This window applies specifically to claims under that state’s statutes.

What does Washington call its ninety-day filing?

The Washington State Legislature calls the ninety-day window a “period of limitation”; no foreclosure action can be maintained unless the claim is filed within it. The rule requires filing in the county where the subject property is located. The deadline is not later than ninety days after the person ceased to furnish labor, professional services, materials, or equipment, or the last date employee benefit contributions were due.

Which Ohio clock applies to which lien?

For a one- or two-family dwelling or a residential unit of condominium property, the Ohio Laws allow sixty days from the date the last labor or work was performed or material was furnished. Liens arising under section 1311.021 have a one-hundred-twenty-day deadline, and all other liens not described in the first two divisions have a seventy-five-day deadline. Identify the property type to pick the correct clock.

What does North Carolina's 120-day rule measure from?

The North Carolina General Assembly states that claims of lien on real property may be filed not later than 120 days after the last furnishing of labor or materials at the site of the improvement. The count starts from that last furnishing, not from contract dates or invoice issuance. The filing can occur at any time after the obligation matures but must meet this 120-day cutoff.

What happens in Arizona if the owner does not mail the notice of completion within fifteen days?

If the owner fails to mail the notice of completion and related recording information within fifteen days of recording, the Arizona Legislature provides that the person from whom the owner received a preliminary twenty-day notice shall have one hundred twenty days from completion to impress and secure the lien. This extension applies specifically when the owner has received a preliminary twenty-day notice and the required mailing is missed. The definition of completion is found in section 33-993 of the state code.