The Consumer Protection Index

Methodology

This index is an original dataset, computed at build time from three of our own 50-state pages. We score these three rules because each is covered for every state and each decides a real consumer question. Every input is a real statutory figure. The point weights are our editorial model, and we publish them here so you can judge them. Each state earns points on three equally weighted factors, for a raw total out of 9, then normalized to a 0 to 100 score.

Small-claims access, up to 3 points. A higher limit lets you use the simple, lawyer-optional court for a bigger dispute instead of paying for a formal case. A limit of $15,000 or more earns 3, $10,000 or more earns 2, $5,000 or more earns 1, and less earns 0.

Lemon-law strength, up to 3 points. A lemon is easier to prove when the law asks for less. A state that presumes a lemon after three repair attempts rather than four earns a point, one that triggers after 24 days out of service or fewer earns a point, and one whose lemon law reaches used cars rather than new only earns a point.

Gift-card protection, up to 3 points. Federal law already floors gift-card life at five years, so we score only what a state adds on top. A state that bars expiration outright earns 3, one that clearly goes beyond the federal floor with a longer life or a full fee and cash-back regime earns 2, a state law that merely tracks the five-year floor earns 1, and reliance on the federal floor alone earns 0.

Why the cooling-off rule is not scored. The federal FTC Cooling-Off Rule already gives a three-business-day right to cancel a door-to-door sale nationwide, so almost every state reads the same and the field barely separates one state from another. Folding a near-constant rule into the score would add noise without signal, so we leave it out and note it here rather than pad the ranking.

A higher score means the law leans further toward the consumer on these three rules. It is not a measure of a state overall, and it does not cover every consumer protection. We publish the whole table and link every state to its full guides, each cited to the statute, so you can check our work.