§PlainStatute

Consumer · Gift Cards

Can a Gift Card Expire? The Rule in Each State

Whether a store gift card can expire where you live, plus the cash-back rules, the fee limits, and how far each state goes above the federal five-year floor. Each cited to the statute.

6 of 50 states published. 2 verified against the official statute; the rest drafted from corroborating sources while the official portal is confirmed.Every state sits at or above the federal five-year floor. The question is how far above: no-expiration, a longer minimum, or just the federal rule.

Read this first: a federal floor, then state add-ons

Federal law sets a floor everywhere: the CARD Act bars any gift card from expiring earlier than five years and blocks dormancy fees before 12 months of inactivity. States can be stricter, never weaker, so the real question is how far each goes above that floor.

Three tiers emerge. California and Florida are strongest: a store card cannot expire at all. New York sets a nine-year minimum and a sub-$5 cash-back right. Texas, Pennsylvania, and Illinois sit at or just above the federal floor, with Illinois adding a no-fee rule and Texas the weakest, allowing disclosed expiration and fees. This is closed-loop store cards; open-loop bank cards follow their own federal rules. Every figure links to the source, and pages still pending verification say so.

Pick your state

The verdict, the cash-back rule where there is one, and the statute on each card.

C

CA
CaliforniaDraft
Cannot expire
In this state
Cash backBalance under $15
Statute§1749.5

F

FL
Florida
Cannot expire
In this state
Statute§501.95

I

IL
IllinoisDraft
5-year minimum
In this state
Statute815 ILCS 505/2SS

N

NY
New York
9-year minimum
In this state
Cash backBalance under $5
Statute§396-i

P

PA
PennsylvaniaDraft
Federal 5-year floor
In this state
Statute§1005.20

T

TX
TexasDraft
Federal 5-year floor
In this state
StatuteTex. Bus. & Com. Code Ch. 60…

What these pages are, and what they aren't

Each state page is a reference for the gift-card expiration and fee rules and the neutral steps you can take if a balance is dishonored. They are deliberately not advice for your specific card: exceptions for promotional, bank, and charitable cards can change the answer, so each page links to the statute and a consumer complaint route. This is legal information, not legal advice.