3 Day Notice to Pay or Quit

Demand the overdue rent the way your state requires. The builder counts the 3 days for you, skipping weekends and holidays in California and Florida.

1. Notice type and state

State where the property is

California: Pay rent or quit

3 days, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and judicial holidays. The notice must state the amount due and the name, phone number and address of the person to pay (plus the usual days and hours they accept payment in person, or bank account details, or an existing electronic transfer method).

Source: Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1161(2) (checked 2026-10-13). All California rules

2. Who and where

Tenant name(s)

Every adult on the lease.

Landlord or agent name

Landlord phone

Landlord mailing address

Landlord email (optional)

Rental property address

Street, city, ZIP.

Unit (optional)

County (optional)

3. Notice details

Rent due now ($)

Only past-due rent; check your state before adding fees.

Rental period(s) unpaid

Pay to (name)

Payee phone

Payee address

Days and hours for in-person payment

Other way to pay (optional)

Bank name and account, or an existing electronic transfer method.

4. Serving the notice

Date you will serve it

How you will serve it

Name of the person serving it

Goes on the proof of service.

Personal delivery; or, if the tenant is absent from home and work, leaving a copy with a person of suitable age and discretion and mailing a copy; or, if neither works, posting a copy in a conspicuous place on the property, giving a copy to a person living there if one can be found, and mailing a copy. Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1162(a)

5. Sign

Signer name and title

Deadline

Pick a service date

Pick the date you will serve the notice.

Still blank (prints as a line to fill by hand): tenant names, property address, landlord name, amount due, who to pay (name, phone and address), service date.

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NOTICE TO PAY RENT OR QUIT

State of California

To (tenants): ____________________ (tenant names)

and all other occupants in possession of the premises

From (landlord or agent): ____________________ (landlord)

Premises: ____________________________________

Date of notice: ____________________

You are hereby notified that rent is due and unpaid for the premises listed above. The amount now due is $__________.

Within 3 days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays) after service of this notice, you are required to pay the full amount due or to vacate and deliver up possession of the premises. If you do neither, the landlord intends to terminate the rental agreement and may begin legal proceedings to recover possession of the premises, the rent due, and any other amounts allowed by law.

Pay to: ____________________.

Pay in full or move out by the end of: ____________________

Landlord or agent signature

____________________

Date

Notice period: Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1161(2). Rules checked against the official statute on 2026-10-13.

Prepared with evictionnoticemaker.com. A template, not legal advice.

This is a template and general information, not legal advice. Local ordinances, rent control, subsidized housing and federal rules can change what you must do. Read the disclaimer.

3 day notice to pay or quit: the rules in three states

	California	Florida	Texas
Period	3 days, excluding Sat, Sun and judicial holidays	3 days, excluding Sat, Sun and legal (court) holidays	3 days, unless the lease says otherwise
Must state	Amount due; payee name, phone, address; days and hours, or bank/EFT details	Statutory wording with the amount, address and county, and the date	For a first-time late tenant: a notice to pay rent or vacate
Service	Personal; substituted + mail; post + mail	Mail, hand delivery, email under § 83.505, or leave at residence if absent	Mail; inside the premises; hand to a tenant 16+; electronic if agreed
Statute	CCP §§ 1161(2), 1162	Fla. Stat. § 83.56(3), (4)	Prop. Code § 24.005

Worked example: counting a California 3-day notice

Served on Wednesday, October 14, 2026: day 1 is Thursday the 15th, day 2 is Friday the 16th, Saturday and Sunday do not count, and day 3 is Monday the 19th. The tenant has until the end of Monday, October 19 to pay. If a judicial holiday falls inside the window, add another day. Our calculator skips federal holidays and lists every day it skipped; check your court's calendar for state-only holidays.

Before you serve a pay or quit notice

Use the rent ledger to confirm the exact amount and the period it covers.
Check whether your state or city lets you include late fees or other charges. If unsure, demand rent only.
Name every adult tenant, and serve each one the way the statute allows.
Do not accept a partial payment without checking what that does to the notice in your state.
Keep a copy, a proof of service and any mailing receipts together.

Not about rent? Use a cure or quit notice for lease violations, or a notice to vacate to end a month-to-month tenancy.

Florida 3 day notice to pay rent or quit example using the statutory wording from section 83.56(3) — A Florida 3-day notice using the wording from Fla. Stat. § 83.56(3).

Frequently asked questions

Is a 3 day pay or quit legal in California?

Yes. Code of Civil Procedure § 1161(2) allows a 3-day notice to pay rent or quit, counting 3 days but excluding Saturdays, Sundays and judicial holidays. The notice must state the amount due and who to pay, with their phone number and address and the days and hours for in-person payment (or bank or electronic transfer details).

Do weekends count in a 3 day notice?

In California and Florida, no: both statutes exclude Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays from the 3 days. In Texas the 3-day notice to vacate under Property Code § 24.005 counts calendar days, unless the lease sets a different period.

What happens after a 3 day eviction notice in Florida?

If the tenant does not pay within 3 days (excluding weekends and court holidays) after delivery, the landlord may terminate the rental agreement and file an eviction action (Fla. Stat. § 83.56(3)). If the landlord accepts partial rent after posting the notice, § 83.56(5) requires a receipt, a court deposit, or a new 3-day notice.

Can I get a free form for a California 3-day notice to pay or quit?

Yes, the builder above is free and produces a PDF with the information § 1161(2) requires. The California courts' self-help site also explains the notice types.

How to fight a 3 day eviction notice as a tenant?

Read the notice carefully: check the amount, the deadline and how it was served, and contact your local legal aid office or court self-help center quickly. A notice is not a court order, and only a court can order an eviction. This site is for preparing notices and does not give legal advice.

Which states use a different rent notice period?

Among the states we verified: Arizona 5 days, New York 14 days, Virginia 14 days, and Washington 14 days on a mandatory statutory form. See the state rules page for each citation.

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Last updated October 13, 2026 · Written by the EvictionNoticeMaker editorial team and checked against the official state statutes cited on each page. Templates and general information, not legal advice.