Do Stores Have to Accept Returns? MD, VA and DC Rules

For something that works fine and you simply changed your mind about, the short answer is usually no: a store sets its own return rules. But in our region the store has to tell you those rules before you pay, and what happens when it does not depends on which side of the river you shop on. In Maryland, a store that never disclosed its policy has to take a return within a reasonable time. In Virginia, a store that refuses refunds has to say so on a sign. And something that is broken is a different matter from something you just don't want.

Changed your mind? The store's posted policy decides. Broken item? That is a warranty question, and the rules are stronger.

With holiday shopping starting and gift returns coming in January, here is what each place's own consumer office and rule book says, in plain words. This is general information, not legal advice; for your own dispute, the consumer offices listed at the end are free to call.

Do stores have to accept returns at all?

Not by default. The Federal Trade Commission's guide to solving problems with a business (updated September 2024) explains that return and exchange policies vary from store to store, and that many stores stop taking returns after a set period such as 30 or 90 days. It points shoppers to receipts, packaging, warranties and the seller's website to find those rules.

The FTC also notes that sellers are often happier to give store credit than cash back, because it costs them less and keeps you shopping there. So "the store only offered credit" is often within the rules, as long as that is what the store disclosed.

What the states add is not a right to return anything. It is a right to know the rules first, plus a default for stores that skip that step.

What does Maryland require?

Maryland's rule is a regulation under its consumer protection law, COMAR 02.01.05.04. It treats it as an unfair or deceptive practice for a store to fail to disclose its refund and exchange terms, including a "no refunds" policy, in writing. In a shop, that means a clearly visible sign or a conspicuous label on the goods. For online sales, the policy has to be on a page you must see before you finish checking out.

The regulation also says a store is treated as playing fair when, asked within a reasonable time, it follows the policy it disclosed, or else gives:

1. Cash back for a cash purchase.
2. Cash back or an account credit for a credit purchase.
3. Cash back, an account credit or an exchange for a gift.

Howard County's consumer office spells out what that means in practice in a 2015 fact sheet: if a store does not disclose its policy, it must accept returns for a reasonable period, with cash refunds for cash purchases and cash or credit refunds for credit purchases. The same sheet confirms stores can still set strict terms, such as requiring proof of purchase, unopened packaging, store credit only, or no returns at all, as long as they disclose them.

What does Virginia require?

Virginia puts the rule in the state's consumer protection law itself: Code of Virginia § 59.1-200, item 16. A seller has to disclose all conditions, charges and fees for returning goods for a refund, exchange or credit. The disclosure is a sign attached to the goods or placed where shoppers will readily notice and read it. A store that allows no refunds, exchanges or credit has to post that on a similar sign.

Two details shoppers miss:

• A receipt is not enough on its own. Fairfax County's consumer office says a refund policy printed on the store receipt does not meet the law's requirement, since you only see a receipt after paying.
• Generous stores are exempt from the sign. The posting rule does not apply to a store whose policy gives a cash or credit-card refund for at least 20 days after purchase, for defective, unused or undamaged items returned with proof of purchase. Fairfax also lists exemptions for clearly distressed, out-of-date, post-season or clearance goods, special orders and vehicle sales.

What about Washington, DC?

The DC Attorney General's complaint guidance does not set out a return-posting rule like its neighbors' in the pages we checked. What it does give is a clear path when a return goes wrong: decide what you want (a replacement, a refund), go from salesperson to manager to headquarters, and keep copies of receipts, warranties and a log of every call. The office mediates complaints for DC residents and businesses, and it notes that DC small claims court hears claims up to $5,000 under the city's consumer protection law. If you shop in DC, read the posted policy before you pay, and ask for it in writing if you can't find it.

Is it different if the item is broken?

Yes, and this is the part most "no returns" signs don't tell you. A return policy covers items that work. A defective item is a warranty question.

Howard County's fact sheet says that in Maryland all goods, new or used, carry an implied warranty that they work and are fit for their purpose for a reasonable time, and that a store cannot cancel that by stamping a sale "as is." If goods are defective, it says, the seller must repair, replace or refund. Maryland's Commercial Law § 2-316.1 backs this up: for consumer goods, wording that tries to exclude those implied warranties is unenforceable, with a narrow exception for some older, high-mileage vehicles.

The FTC adds a practical point: once a store's return window closes, a defective product may be a matter for the manufacturer's warranty instead.

A checklist before you buy (and before you return)

The FTC's holiday gift guidance (December 2023) adds two more: in-store returns may require ID, and for online gifts check who pays return shipping, since a local store drop-off can save the fee.

If a store won't honor its own policy, these offices take calls: Howard County Office of Consumer Affairs, 410-313-6420; Fairfax County Consumer Services, 703-222-8435; the DC Attorney General, 202-727-3400.

The bottom line

No store in our region has to take back something you simply changed your mind about. But in Maryland and Virginia it has to show you its rules before you pay, Maryland stores that stay silent must take returns within a reasonable time, and a broken item has protections a "final sale" sign can't erase. Read the rules first, keep the receipt, and move fast.

Shopping with us? Our return and pickup rules are on the FAQ, so you can read them before you bid or buy on Buy Now or Auctions. For more on your rights, see refunds for recalled products and the FTC's 30-day rule for orders that never arrive.

Know someone with a pile of returns waiting for January? Send them this before the deadlines start.