Lien Waiver Laws by State (2026)

A lien waiver (lien release) is the receipt a contractor, subcontractor or supplier signs to give up mechanics lien rights in exchange for payment. 12 states prescribe the exact wording of the waiver, 2 require notarization, and in 12 a lien right cannot be waived in advance of payment.

Reviewed September 2026Source: state statutes, linked per row51 jurisdictions

Create a state-specific lien waiver

Statutory form required: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Wyoming.
Notary required: Mississippi, Wyoming.
Everywhere else: any form that clearly identifies the parties, the project, the payment and whether the waiver is conditional or unconditional, progress or final.

Lien waiver requirements by state, 2026
State	Statutory form	Notary	Advance waiver	Statute
Alabama	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	Ala. Code §§ 35-11-210 et seq. (liens of mechanics and materialmen)
Alaska	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	Alaska Stat. §§ 34.35.050 et seq. (liens for labor or materials)
Arizona	Yes — exact statutory wording	No	Void (with stated exceptions)	Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 33-1008(D)
Arkansas	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute
California	Yes — exact statutory wording	No	Void (with stated exceptions)	Cal. Civ. Code §§ 8132, 8134, 8136, 8138
Colorado	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 38-22-101 et seq. (mechanics' liens)
Connecticut	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 49-33 et seq. (mechanics' liens)
Delaware	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	Del. Code tit. 25, §§ 2701 et seq. (mechanics' liens)
District of Columbia	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	D.C. Code §§ 40-301.01 et seq. (mechanics' liens)
Florida	Yes — exact statutory wording	No	Void (with stated exceptions)	Fla. Stat. § 713.20(4)-(5)
Georgia	Yes — exact statutory wording	No	Void (with stated exceptions)	O.C.G.A. § 44-14-366(c)-(d)
Hawaii	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute
Idaho	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	Idaho Code §§ 45-501 et seq. (liens of mechanics and materialmen)
Illinois	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute
Indiana	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	Ind. Code §§ 32-28-3-1 et seq. (mechanic's liens)
Iowa	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	Iowa Code ch. 572 (mechanics' liens)
Kansas	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	Kan. Stat. §§ 60-1101 et seq. (mechanic's liens)
Kentucky	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	Ky. Rev. Stat. §§ 376.010 et seq. (mechanics' and materialmen's liens)
Louisiana	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute
Maine	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 10, §§ 3251 et seq. (liens on buildings and lots)
Maryland	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	Md. Code, Real Prop. §§ 9-101 et seq. (mechanics' liens)
Massachusetts	Yes — exact statutory wording	No	Void (with stated exceptions)	Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 254, § 32(4)
Michigan	Yes — exact statutory wording	No	Void (with stated exceptions)	Mich. Comp. Laws § 570.1115(9)
Minnesota	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	Minn. Stat. §§ 514.01 et seq. (mechanics' liens)
Mississippi	Yes — exact statutory wording	Yes	Void (with stated exceptions)	Miss. Code § 85-7-433(1)-(2)
Missouri	Yes — exact statutory wording	No	Not restricted by statute	Mo. Rev. Stat. § 429.016(27)
Montana	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	Mont. Code §§ 71-3-521 et seq. (construction liens)
Nebraska	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 52-125 et seq. (Nebraska Construction Lien Act)
Nevada	Yes — exact statutory wording	No	Void (with stated exceptions)	Nev. Rev. Stat. § 108.2457(5)
New Hampshire	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute
New Jersey	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	N.J. Stat. §§ 2A:44A-1 et seq. (Construction Lien Law)
New Mexico	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	N.M. Stat. §§ 48-2-1 et seq. (mechanics' and materialmen's liens)
New York	No — any clear form	No	Void (with stated exceptions)	N.Y. Lien Law art. 2, §§ 3 et seq. (mechanics' liens)
North Carolina	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 44A-7 et seq. (liens on real property)
North Dakota	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	N.D. Cent. Code ch. 35-27 (construction liens)
Ohio	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	Ohio Rev. Code §§ 1311.01 et seq. (mechanics' liens)
Oklahoma	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	Okla. Stat. tit. 42, §§ 141 et seq. (liens of mechanics and materialmen)
Oregon	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	Or. Rev. Stat. §§ 87.005 et seq. (construction liens)
Pennsylvania	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute
Rhode Island	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 34-28-1 et seq. (mechanics' liens)
South Carolina	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	S.C. Code §§ 29-5-10 et seq. (mechanics' liens)
South Dakota	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	S.D. Codified Laws §§ 44-9-1 et seq. (mechanics' and materialmen's liens)
Tennessee	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	Tenn. Code §§ 66-11-101 et seq. (mechanics' and materialmen's liens)
Texas	Yes — exact statutory wording	No	Void (with stated exceptions)	Tex. Prop. Code § 53.284
Utah	Yes — exact statutory wording	No	Void (with stated exceptions)	Utah Code § 38-1a-802(4)
Vermont	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	Vt. Stat. tit. 9, §§ 1921 et seq. (liens for labor and materials)
Virginia	No — any clear form	No	Void (with stated exceptions)	Va. Code §§ 43-1 et seq. (mechanics' and materialmen's liens)
Washington	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	Wash. Rev. Code ch. 60.04 (mechanics' and materialmen's liens)
West Virginia	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	W. Va. Code §§ 38-2-1 et seq. (mechanics' liens)
Wisconsin	No — any clear form	No	Not restricted by statute	Wis. Stat. §§ 779.01 et seq. (construction liens)
Wyoming	Yes — exact statutory wording	Yes	Not restricted by statute	Wyo. Stat. § 29-10-101(b)

How to read this table

Statutory form means the legislature wrote the waiver text and a waiver must follow it (usually four forms: conditional/unconditional × progress/final). Advance waiver says whether a clause in the construction contract that gives up lien rights before payment is enforceable.

Make the right waiver for your state

Our lien waiver generator uses the statutory wording automatically in the 12 form states and a clear general form everywhere else, with all four waiver types.

Cite this page

FormsByState, "Lien Waiver Laws by State (2026): Statutory Forms, Notary Rules and Conditional vs Unconditional Waivers," https://formsbystate.com/guides/lien-waiver-laws-by-state/ (reviewed September 2026). Free to link and quote with attribution.

Questions

What is the difference between a conditional and an unconditional lien waiver?

A conditional waiver takes effect only when the payment it describes actually clears, so it is safe to hand over with an invoice. An unconditional waiver takes effect the moment it is signed, even if the check bounces — sign one only after the funds are in your account.

Progress or final waiver?

A progress waiver releases lien rights only for work paid through a stated date and keeps retention and later work alive. A final waiver releases everything on the job. Using a final form for a progress payment is the most common and most expensive mistake.

What happens if I use the wrong form in a statutory-form state?

In states that prescribe the wording, a waiver that does not substantially follow the statute may be unenforceable — the owner or lender can refuse it, and in some states it does not release the lien at all. Use the state's exact form.

Do I need a notary?

Only a few states require one for the waiver itself (Mississippi, Wyoming in our data). Lenders and title companies sometimes ask for notarization anyway; the statute does not forbid it.

This page is general information about state statutes, not legal advice, and FormsByState is not a law firm. Statutes change; verify the cited section for your situation.