Statute of limitations checker

Estimates only. Statutes of limitations vary by state, claim type, and specific facts, and can be shortened by notice requirements or extended by tolling and discovery rules. This tool provides a general estimate only, not a deadline calculation you should rely on without attorney verification. See our full disclaimer.

Filing deadline estimator

Type of claim

Your state's general deadline category

Date of incident, injury, or discovery Use the date you discovered the harm if that's later than the incident itself and your state recognizes a discovery rule.

Estimated filing window

Confirm your exact deadline with an attorney

General estimates aren't a substitute for a deadline calculation specific to your state, your facts, and any applicable tolling or notice rules. An attorney can confirm your exact filing window before it's too late.

How do statutes of limitations actually work?

A statute of limitations sets a hard deadline for filing a civil lawsuit after an event occurs, and once it expires the defendant can have the case dismissed regardless of how strong the underlying claim is. For most claims the clock starts on the date of the injury or breach, but many states recognize a discovery rule that delays the start date until the harm was discovered or reasonably should have been discovered, which matters most for latent injuries, fraud, and medical malpractice.

Deadlines vary significantly by claim type and state. A 2-year window is the most common deadline for personal injury claims nationwide, while written contracts commonly run 3 to 15 years and defamation claims are frequently limited to just 1 year from publication. Once you've confirmed you're within your filing window, our settlement demand builder and wrongful death claim intake tool help move the claim forward.

What's the difference between a statute of limitations and a statute of repose?

A statute of limitations is triggered by the injury or its discovery. A statute of repose runs from a fixed, unrelated event, commonly the date a product was sold or a building was completed, regardless of when the plaintiff was actually harmed or found out about it. Some states apply a statute of repose specifically in product liability and construction defect cases as an outer limit even where a discovery rule would otherwise extend the deadline.

Can a statute of limitations deadline be paused or extended?

Yes, through a legal concept called tolling. Common tolling triggers include the plaintiff being a minor at the time of injury, the defendant leaving the state, active settlement negotiations in some jurisdictions, or the defendant fraudulently concealing their wrongdoing. Tolling rules are highly state and fact specific, so a general estimate can be meaningfully off if any tolling doctrine applies to your situation.

Are there shorter deadlines for claims against government entities?

Yes, and this is one of the most commonly missed deadlines. Claims against a city, county, state, or federal government agency typically require a formal notice of claim filed within a much shorter window, often just 60 to 180 days from the incident, well before the general statute of limitations would otherwise expire. Missing this separate, earlier notice deadline can bar the claim even if the standard statute of limitations hasn't run out yet.

Frequently asked questions about statutes of limitations

The defendant will almost certainly raise the expired statute of limitations as an affirmative defense, and if the court agrees the deadline has passed, the case is dismissed regardless of its merits. This is one of the few outcomes in litigation that's nearly always fatal to a claim once it happens, which is why confirming your exact deadline early matters so much.

Generally no. The clock runs from the original triggering event, not from when you first filed or from any voluntary dismissal, though some states have narrow savings statutes that allow a brief refiling window after certain types of dismissal. This is highly state specific and shouldn't be relied on without confirmation.

No. Many states carve out different deadlines within personal injury law itself, commonly giving medical malpractice a shorter window than a general car accident claim, or giving motor vehicle accidents a different deadline than other negligence claims. Always confirm the specific sub-category deadline that applies to your claim type, not just the general personal injury number.

Most states toll, meaning pause, the statute of limitations while the injured person is a minor, with the clock typically starting once they turn 18, though the exact mechanics and any outer limits vary by state. This is one of the most common and significant tolling exceptions, so it's worth flagging specifically if it applies to your situation.

Not automatically in most states. Ongoing settlement talks with an insurance adjuster don't by themselves pause the statute of limitations clock, and insurers are sometimes aware that delaying negotiations can run out the deadline on an unrepresented claimant. Filing suit before the deadline, even while negotiations continue, is often the only way to fully protect the claim.