What happens if I don’t register my new furnace or AC?

On most major brands, the parts warranty drops to the unregistered base — typically 5 years instead of 10. The registration windows are short: 60 days from installation for Lennox, Trane, American Standard, Goodman, and Amana; 90 days for Carrier, Bryant, and York. Rheem and Ruud windows vary by the certificate shipped with the unit. These terms come from each manufacturer’s own published warranty pages.

Which states don’t require warranty registration?

Some states prohibit conditioning warranty benefits on registration, and manufacturers publish exemptions with effective dates. Goodman and Amana list California (installs on/after Jan 1, 2004), Florida (on/after July 1, 2024), Georgia (on/after Jan 1, 2026), and Quebec; Lennox and Bryant publish similar lists. In an exempt state you receive the registered-level coverage automatically. The lists are per-manufacturer with effective dates — an install the day before the effective date is not exempt.

Do water heaters have registration windows too?

The current Bradford White residential warranty has no registration conditioning at all, and Rheem tankless warranties likewise condition nothing on registration. The lever for water heaters is different: without documented proof of the installation date, the warranty clock starts from the manufacture date plus a short grace (3 months for Bradford White, 90 days for Rheem tankless) — so a unit that sat in a warehouse loses real coverage. Photograph the invoice and serial plate on install day.

Can the contractor register the warranty for me?

Yes — many manufacturers allow dealer registration on the homeowner’s behalf, and a good contractor treats it as part of the job. Ask for the registration confirmation with your invoice. If it wasn’t done and you’re inside the window, register directly on the manufacturer’s site with the model and serial numbers from the data plate.

Free check · manufacturer-page sourced

Your warranty is half the size until you register it.

On most major HVAC brands, an unregistered unit carries a 5-year parts warranty; registered in time, it’s 10. The window is 60 or 90 days from installation — and some states waive the requirement entirely. Check yours:

The windows, by manufacturer

Brand	Window	What registration is worth
Lennox	60 days	5-yr parts unregistered → 10-yr registered (12-yr Signature)
Carrier / Bryant	90 days	5-yr parts → 10-yr (Carrier offers a labor-option election)
Trane / American Standard	60 days	"typically" 5-yr → 10-yr (Trane’s own wording)
Goodman / Amana	60 days	5-yr → up to 10-yr (original owner, original home)
York	90 days	5-yr parts standard → 10-yr + lifetime compressor/HX on select models
Rheem / Ruud	varies	The window differs by certificate (60 or 90 days) — read the unit’s own certificate

Sources — and what we refuse to claim

Every window and coverage figure above comes from the manufacturer’s own current warranty page or certificate (verified July 2026). What we refuse: A.O. Smith terms (their certificates could not be verified — read yours); Rheem/Ruud as a single number (it varies by certificate); and every “X% of homeowners lose their warranty” statistic in circulation — none has a primary source. State exemptions are per-manufacturer with effective dates, not a blanket rule.

We chase these windows automatically

Morthn runs the back office for service businesses. Every installed unit gets its registration window tracked against the manufacturer’s actual terms — chased before it closes, skipped honestly in exempt states, and for water heaters, the install-date proof captured on day one, because that’s what actually decides the claim.

See the Home Services pack →Also: does your changeout need a permit?