Statute of limitations lookup

How statutes of limitations work

A statute of limitations is the legal deadline to file a lawsuit. Miss it by a single day and the defendant can ask the court to dismiss your case before anyone reaches the merits. These deadlines are set by state statute, and they vary enormously — from as short as one year for defamation in some states to as long as 10 years for written contracts in Illinois.

Common statutes across the 50 states

• Personal injury — most states set this at 2–4 years. California, Pennsylvania, and Texas are two years. New York and Massachusetts are three. Florida is four.
• Written contracts — typically 4–10 years. California is four. New York, Ohio, and New Jersey are six. Illinois leads at ten.
• Oral contracts — usually shorter than written. California is two years. Most states range 3–6.
• Property damage — 2–6 years depending on state, often aligned with personal-injury timing.
• Fraud — 2–6 years, almost always running from discovery rather than the fraudulent act itself.
• Medical malpractice — the shortest statutes by far, usually 1–3 years, with strict statutes of repose (absolute cut-offs that run from the date of treatment regardless of discovery).
• Wrongful death — typically 2–3 years from the date of death.
• Defamation / libel — notoriously short, usually 1 year, sometimes 2.
• Debt collection — 3–10 years from the last payment or acknowledgment. This is the one most consumers encounter: old debts become legally unenforceable after the statute runs, though creditors still try to collect.

The discovery rule

Many states apply a "discovery rule" to claims where the harm is hidden — fraud, product defects, medical malpractice, legal malpractice, asbestos exposure. Under the discovery rule, the statute doesn't begin until the plaintiff knew or reasonably should have known about the injury. This can extend filing deadlines by years, but most states also have an absolute outer limit (a statute of repose) that runs from the original act — often 6, 10, or 20 years — regardless of discovery.

Tolling — when the clock pauses

Several events can pause the running of the statute:

• Minority — the clock doesn't start running for minors until they turn 18 in most states.
• Mental incapacity — incapacitated plaintiffs get a similar tolling benefit.
• Defendant absence — if the defendant leaves the state or goes into hiding to avoid service, most states pause the clock until the defendant is available.
• Fraudulent concealment — if the defendant actively concealed the existence of the claim, most states toll the statute.
• Administrative prerequisites — some claims (like Title VII employment discrimination) require filing a charge with an agency first. The statute is typically tolled while the agency investigates.

Why getting this right matters

Unlike most legal defenses, the statute of limitations is a complete bar to suit. Judges rarely extend deadlines for sympathetic reasons. If you're close to the statute, file — you can always dismiss the case later if you don't want to proceed. Once the statute runs, the claim is permanently gone.

This tool's limitations

The table in this calculator covers the most common states and claim types — but sub-categories abound. Personal-injury claims against government entities have short, separate tort-claims-act deadlines (often 6 months with notice requirements). UCC claims (sale of goods) have their own statutes. Federal claims (civil rights, securities fraud, antitrust) have federal statutes that preempt state law. Before any filing, confirm the specific statute section with a licensed attorney.