All 50 states · Updated September 2026

Real Estate Wholesaling Laws by State

Wholesaling is legal in every state, but the rules are not the same everywhere. Pick your state for a full guide to its law, how closings work, and a step-by-step plan, or find your city below for a local market guide. For the wholesaling laws passed since 2024, see our State of Wholesaling 2026 report.

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State guides

Choose your state

Every guide covers that state’s current law, required disclosures, who handles closings, the strongest markets, and common questions.

City guides

Wholesaling in major US cities

Our programs are 100% online, so you can learn and wholesale in any of these markets, whether you live there or not. Click any city for its local wholesaling guide: county records, price points, where investors buy, and how to find sellers and cash buyers.

Northeast

Connecticut

Hartford · New Haven · Bridgeport · Waterbury · Stamford

Delaware

Wilmington · Dover · Newark

Maine

Portland · Lewiston · Bangor

Maryland

Baltimore · Hagerstown · Frederick · Salisbury

Massachusetts

Boston · Worcester · Springfield · Lowell · Brockton · Cambridge · Lynn · Quincy · New Bedford

New Hampshire

Manchester · Nashua · Concord

New Jersey

Newark · Jersey City · Paterson · Trenton · Camden · Lakewood · Elizabeth · Edison · Woodbridge · Toms River

New York

New York City · Buffalo · Rochester · Syracuse · Albany · Yonkers

Pennsylvania

Philadelphia · Pittsburgh · Allentown · Reading · Scranton · Erie

Rhode Island

Providence · Warwick · Pawtucket

Vermont

Burlington · Rutland

Southeast

Alabama

Birmingham · Huntsville · Montgomery · Mobile · Tuscaloosa

Arkansas

Little Rock · Fayetteville · Fort Smith · Jonesboro

Florida

Jacksonville · Tampa · Orlando · Miami · Fort Lauderdale · St. Petersburg · Lakeland · Ocala · Port St. Lucie · Cape Coral · Hialeah · Tallahassee · Pembroke Pines · Hollywood · Gainesville · Palm Bay · Miramar · Coral Springs · West Palm Beach · Pompano Beach · Clearwater · Miami Gardens · Davie · Palm Coast · Boca Raton · Fort Myers · Deltona

Georgia

Atlanta · Augusta · Columbus · Macon · Savannah · Athens · South Fulton · Sandy Springs

Kentucky

Louisville · Lexington · Bowling Green · Covington

Louisiana

New Orleans · Baton Rouge · Shreveport · Lafayette

Mississippi

Jackson · Gulfport · Hattiesburg · Southaven

North Carolina

Charlotte · Raleigh · Greensboro · Durham · Fayetteville · Winston-Salem · Cary · Wilmington · High Point · Concord

South Carolina

Columbia · Charleston · Greenville · Spartanburg · North Charleston

Tennessee

Memphis · Nashville · Knoxville · Chattanooga · Clarksville · Murfreesboro

Virginia

Richmond · Virginia Beach · Norfolk · Chesapeake · Roanoke · Newport News · Alexandria · Hampton · Suffolk

West Virginia

Charleston · Huntington · Morgantown

Midwest

Illinois

Chicago · Rockford · Peoria · Springfield · Joliet · Aurora · Naperville · Elgin

Indiana

Indianapolis · Fort Wayne · Evansville · South Bend · Gary · Carmel · Fishers

Iowa

Des Moines · Cedar Rapids · Davenport · Waterloo

Kansas

Wichita · Kansas City · Topeka · Overland Park · Olathe

Michigan

Detroit · Grand Rapids · Flint · Lansing · Kalamazoo · Warren · Sterling Heights · Ann Arbor · Dearborn · Clinton

Minnesota

Minneapolis · St. Paul · Duluth · Rochester

Missouri

Kansas City · St. Louis · Springfield · Columbia · Independence · Lee’s Summit

Nebraska

Omaha · Lincoln · Grand Island

North Dakota

Fargo · Bismarck · Grand Forks

Ohio

Columbus · Cleveland · Cincinnati · Toledo · Akron · Dayton

South Dakota

Sioux Falls · Rapid City

Wisconsin

Milwaukee · Madison · Green Bay · Racine

Southwest

Arizona

Phoenix · Tucson · Mesa · Chandler · Glendale · Scottsdale · Gilbert · Peoria · Tempe · Surprise · Buckeye · Goodyear · Yuma · Avondale

New Mexico

Albuquerque · Las Cruces · Santa Fe · Rio Rancho

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City · Tulsa · Norman · Lawton · Broken Arrow · Edmond

Texas

Houston · Dallas · San Antonio · Austin · Fort Worth · El Paso · Arlington · Corpus Christi · Plano · Lubbock · Laredo · Irving · Garland · Frisco · McKinney · Grand Prairie · Amarillo · Brownsville · Denton · Killeen · Mesquite · McAllen · Pasadena · Waco · Midland · Round Rock · Lewisville · Carrollton · Abilene · Pearland · College Station · Odessa · New Braunfels · League City · Conroe · Richardson · Tyler · Allen · Beaumont · Edinburg · Sugar Land · Georgetown · Wichita Falls · San Angelo

West

Alaska

Anchorage · Fairbanks · Juneau

California

Los Angeles · San Diego · Sacramento · Fresno · Bakersfield · Riverside · San Bernardino · Stockton · San Jose · San Francisco · Long Beach · Oakland · Anaheim · Irvine · Santa Ana · Chula Vista · Santa Clarita · Fremont · Fontana · Modesto · Moreno Valley · Oxnard · Huntington Beach · Glendale · Ontario · Elk Grove · Santa Rosa · Rancho Cucamonga · Oceanside · Garden Grove · Lancaster · Roseville · Palmdale · Corona · Salinas · Hayward · Sunnyvale · Pomona · Visalia · Escondido · Victorville · Fullerton · Torrance · Orange · Pasadena · Santa Clara · Clovis · Simi Valley · Vallejo · Concord · Fairfield · Thousand Oaks · Berkeley · Antioch · Menifee · Temecula · Richmond · Murrieta · Carlsbad · Santa Maria · Ventura · Costa Mesa · Downey · Jurupa Valley · Rialto · West Covina · Chico · El Monte · Vacaville · San Mateo · Burbank · Hesperia · Tracy · El Cajon · Inglewood · Daly City

Colorado

Denver · Colorado Springs · Aurora · Pueblo · Fort Collins · Lakewood · Thornton · Arvada · Westminster · Greeley · Centennial · Boulder · Longmont

Hawaii

Honolulu · Hilo · Kailua

Idaho

Boise · Nampa · Idaho Falls · Pocatello · Meridian

Montana

Billings · Missoula · Great Falls

Nevada

Las Vegas · Henderson · Reno · North Las Vegas · Sparks

Oregon

Portland · Salem · Eugene · Medford · Gresham · Hillsboro · Bend

Utah

Salt Lake City · Ogden · Provo · West Valley City · West Jordan · St. George

Washington

Seattle · Spokane · Tacoma · Vancouver · Bellevue · Kent · Everett · Spokane Valley · Renton

Wyoming

Cheyenne · Casper

Start with the fundamentals

How to wholesale real estate, step by stepGuide Is wholesaling legal?Guide Do you need a license to wholesale?Guide How to choose a marketGuide Best markets to wholesale in 2026Guide Virtual wholesalingGuide How to find motivated sellersGuide How to find cash buyersGuide

Why it matters

Why the state you work in changes everything

Disclosure rules

Many states now spell out what you must tell sellers and buyers, in what form, and when. Your contracts have to match the state the property is in.

Seller protections

Some states give sellers a right to cancel, especially when required disclosures are missing. That changes how you set timelines and deposits.

Licensing lines

Every state draws its own line between buying a contract as a principal and acting as an unlicensed broker. Know where it sits before you market a deal.

In every state

Five habits that keep you compliant anywhere

Act as a principal. You are the buyer on the contract, with an assignment clause (“and/or assigns”).
Disclose in writing. Tell the seller you may assign the contract, and tell your buyer they are buying your contract interest.
Market the contract, not the house. Never advertise a property for sale as if you own it.
Keep an exit. Every contract gets an inspection period so you can cancel in writing if the deal does not work.
Close with a pro. Use an investor-friendly title company or closing attorney and have them review your paperwork once per state.

Start with the free kit

The deal analyzer, starter contracts, seller script, and buyer’s list checklist, free.

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FAQ

Wholesaling laws: common questions

Is wholesaling real estate legal in all 50 states?

Yes, wholesaling is legal in every state, but the rules differ from state to state. Open your state’s guide above for the specific requirements.

Do the rules depend on where I live or where the property is?

Where the property is. Follow the laws of the state where the house sits, even if you live somewhere else.

Can I wholesale in a state I don’t live in?

Yes. Wholesaling is done by phone, contract, and title company, and many investors work markets in other states.

Do you have guides for individual cities?

Yes. We publish local market guides for major cities such as Houston, Atlanta, Detroit, and Philadelphia. Each one covers the county offices you will use, where investors buy, and how to find sellers and cash buyers. See the city list above. The state guide always sets the legal rules.

How often are these guides updated?

Each state guide shows the date it was last reviewed. Wholesaling laws change often, so confirm current rules with a local attorney or title company before your first deal.