Can a contract be revoked after acceptance?

Asked by: Magali Morissette  |  Last update: February 10, 2026
Score: 4.3/5 (59 votes)

No, generally a contract cannot be revoked after acceptance because acceptance forms a binding agreement; however, parties might be able to terminate or rescind the contract later due to specific legal grounds like fraud, mistake, duress, or breach, which are different from simply revoking the initial offer, with the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) allowing buyer revocation of acceptance for nonconforming goods.

Can you revoke a contract after acceptance?

An offeror may revoke an offer anytime before it is accepted. Once accepted, a binding contract is formed, and revocation of the entire contract would then require legal justification such as breach, mutual agreement, or incapacity.

Can an acceptance be revoked?

Nearly all colleges and universities these days include a disclaimer on their admission offers that reserves their right to revoke an offer. In most cases, that protects even the small number of colleges each year that mistakenly mail acceptance letters to students that have actually been rejected.

Can you revoke an offer once accepted?

Once someone has accepted an 'unconditional' job offer, they're in a legally binding contract of employment. However, a 'conditional' job offer can be withdrawn if the person does not meet the employer's conditions (for example, satisfactory references and health record).

Can acceptance be revoked in contract law?

An acceptance may be revoked at any time before the communication of the acceptance is complete as against the acceptor, but not afterwards.

Can A Job Offer Be Revoked After Acceptance? - Labor and Employment Law Expert

45 related questions found

Can a buyer back out after an offer is accepted?

Yes, a buyer can back out of an accepted home offer, but it's much easier and often penalty-free if done within the timeframes and conditions of contingency clauses (like inspection, appraisal, or financing) in the contract; otherwise, they risk losing their earnest money deposit and potentially facing legal action for breach of contract. The key is using contingencies to create legitimate reasons to exit the legally binding agreement. 

What are 6 things that void a contract?

We'll cover these terms in more detail later.

  • Understanding Void Contracts. ...
  • Uncertainty or Ambiguity. ...
  • Lack of Legal Capacity. ...
  • Incomplete Terms. ...
  • Misrepresentation or Fraud. ...
  • Common Mistake. ...
  • Duress or Undue Influence. ...
  • Public Policy or Illegal Activity.

What are the five ways a contract can be terminated?

What Are The Five Ways To Terminate A Contract?

  • Mutual Agreement. One of the most straightforward ways to terminate a contract is through mutual agreement. ...
  • Performance or Completion. Another way to terminate a contract is by fulfilling it. ...
  • Breach of Contract. ...
  • Impossibility of Performance. ...
  • Rescission.

Can an accepted offer be rescinded?

Once you decide to rescind a job acceptance, you might be wondering if that's even okay and how to go about it. In fact, it's a fairly common occurrence and can be successfully done, if you know how to decline a job offer you already accepted politely and respectfully.

What is the 3-day rescission rule?

A rescission period is a consumer protection under the federal Truth in Lending Act (TILA), which allows a borrower to cancel certain types of loans within 3 business days, typically starting the next business day after the loan documents are signed and ending at midnight on the third business day.

What makes an acceptance invalid?

Acceptor has an intention to fulfill the promise: For an acceptance to be valid, it is necessary that the offeree is able and willing to fulfill the promise. If the offeree has no intention to fulfill the promise then the acceptance is invalid.

What kind of offer cannot be revoked?

Irrevocable Offers

One type of offer that is irrevocable (cannot be revoked) is the option contract. An option contract occurs when an offeree has provided consideration (usually a payment) to the offeror in exchange for a promise to keep the offer open for a specified period.

Can you withdraw your acceptance?

Students can generally back out of the agreement if they can't afford the school, have a sick family member, or are facing an illness. Backing out without an acceptable reason can result in rescinded acceptance offers from other colleges, a lost deposit, and more.

Can I get out of a contract I just signed?

You generally cannot cancel a signed contract easily, as it's legally binding, but you might be able to if there's a specific "cooling-off period" (like for some door-to-door sales, timeshares, or home loans), a termination clause in the contract, mutual agreement, or if the other party significantly breached the terms, committed fraud, or there was mutual mistake. For most standard agreements, cancelling without cause means you'll likely face financial penalties or be in breach of contract, so checking contract terms or seeking legal advice is crucial. 

On what grounds can a contract be rescinded?

It includes the effect of rescission, the main grounds for rescinding a contract (misrepresentation, mistake, Undue influence, duress, non-disclosure, fiduciary misdealing and bribery) and the main bars to seeking rescission as a remedy of affirmation, intervention of third party rights and impossibility of restitution ...

What are the six ways an offer can be terminated?

Termination of the offeree's power of acceptance can result from any of the following six causes:

  • expiration or lapse of the offer,
  • rejection by the offeree,
  • a counteroffer by the offeree,
  • a qualified or conditional acceptance by the offeree,
  • a valid revocation of the offer by the offeror, and.
  • by operation of law.

Can a company rescind a signed contract?

Some contracts include a termination clause that allows one or both parties to end the agreement under specific circumstances. For example, a software development company may include an express right to terminate a contract if the client fails to pay for services rendered or breaches the confidentiality agreement.

Can you sue for a rescinded offer?

If an employer thereafter rescinds the offer, the individual may bring a claim for breach of contract against the employer.

Can a company retract an offer after signing?

After you've accepted it, but before you start.

This is a common time for offers to be rescinded. Even if you've already accepted the offer, companies can pull it back for reasons like failing pre-employment checks (such as a background check or drug test) or if the company faces financial or operational challenges.

What cancels a contract?

Termination by Agreement – The parties mutually decide to end the contract, either through a release, waiver, or novation. Termination by Breach – If one party fails to perform their obligations, the other party may have the right to terminate and seek remedies.

What are the 4 rules of a contract?

The four fundamental principles of contract law for a legally binding agreement are Offer, Acceptance, Consideration, and the Intention to Create Legal Relations, requiring a clear proposal, agreement to terms, an exchange of value, and a genuine purpose to be legally bound, respectively, for enforceability.
 

How to legally void a contract?

How to void a contract

  1. Prove its invalidity.
  2. Use capacity to end it.
  3. Agree to mutually void it.
  4. Exercise the “cooling off” rule.
  5. Use the terms of a voidable contract.

What makes a contract legally invalid?

Such a contract cannot be enforced by either party due to factors like illegality, lack of consent, or incapacity. Many of the issues that render contracts void are preventable errors: missing legal elements, vague language, or unenforceable terms.

How to get out of a contract legally?

How can I get out of a contract?

  1. Negotiate a Change or Cancellation. ...
  2. Express Right to Terminate. ...
  3. Cooling-off or Cancellation Periods. ...
  4. Inability to Perform. ...
  5. Mutual Mistake. ...
  6. Breaching a Contract. ...
  7. Voiding Factors. ...
  8. Contact Cornerstone Law Firm for help.

What are four types of mistakes that can invalidate a contract?

Four types of mistakes that can invalidate a contract, making it void or voidable, include Mutual Mistake (both parties share the same fundamental error), Unilateral Mistake (one party is mistaken, and the other knows or should know), Common Mistake (a shared error about the existence or quality of the subject matter, often rendering the contract void), and mistakes involving Misrepresentation or Fraud, where one party is misled by false statements about essential facts, though technically not just a "mistake" but a vitiating factor often grouped with them.