Statute of limitations · By state
Statute of limitations by state
A statute of limitations is the deadline to file a lawsuit. Miss it and the court will almost always dismiss the case, however strong it is. Each state sets its own deadlines, and they differ by the type of claim. Pick your state below for every civil deadline, cited to the code, with a calculator that gives your exact date.
By topic: Statute of limitations on debt — how long a debt stays legally enforceable, the re-aging trap that restarts the clock, and your rights on time-barred debt, across all 50 states.
§ 1Choose your state
Comprehensive, cited civil deadlines with an embedded filing-deadline calculator:
- California statute of limitations Personal injury, medical malpractice, debt, wrongful death, government claims, and more.
- Florida statute of limitations The post-HB 837 two-year negligence deadline, medical malpractice, debt, and more.
- Texas statute of limitations Two-year injury deadline (§ 16.003), four-year contracts and debt, and the six-month Tort Claims Act notice — with shorter city-charter traps.
- New York statute of limitations A three-year injury deadline (CPLR § 214), 2½-year medical malpractice, and the 90-day municipal notice of claim.
- Illinois statute of limitations Two-year injury deadline, an unusually long ten-year written-contract period (§ 13-206), and the one-year local-government deadline.
- Georgia statute of limitations Two-year injury deadline (§ 9-3-33), six-year written contracts, and the six-month city ante litem notice.
- Michigan statute of limitations A three-year injury deadline (MCL 600.5805), six-year contracts, one-year defamation, and the one-year Court of Claims notice.
- Ohio statute of limitations A two-year injury deadline (§ 2305.10), one-year medical malpractice with a four-year repose, six-year written and four-year oral contracts, and the two-year Court of Claims limit.
- Arizona statute of limitations A two-year injury deadline (§ 12-542), six-year written and three-year oral contracts, one-year defamation, and the brutal 180-day government notice-of-claim deadline.
- Virginia statute of limitations A two-year injury deadline (§ 8.01-243) with no general discovery rule, five-year written and three-year oral contracts, one-year defamation, and the one-year Tort Claims Act notice.
- Tennessee statute of limitations One of the shortest injury deadlines in the country — just one year (§ 28-3-104) — plus six-year contracts, three-year property and fraud, and a six-month slander deadline.
- Pennsylvania statute of limitations A two-year injury deadline (42 Pa.C.S. § 5524), four-year contracts, one-year defamation, and the six-month government notice-of-claim deadline.
More states are being added. Every state page is verified against its primary statute and stamped with the date it was checked.
§ 2How the deadline works
The clock usually starts on the date of the injury or the event, not when you finish dealing with it. For most personal-injury claims it runs from the day you were hurt — not when treatment ends and not while you negotiate with an insurer. A few claims use a discovery rule that starts the clock when the harm could reasonably have been found, but that is the exception, not the rule.
Deadlines also depend on who you are suing. Claims against a government entity almost always carry a much shorter notice deadline — sometimes as little as six months — separate from the ordinary lawsuit deadline. Each state page spells these out.
§ 3What happens if you miss it
A statute of limitations is an affirmative defense. File late, and the defendant raises the expired deadline, and the court must dismiss the case — regardless of how clear the liability or how serious the injury. Insurers track these dates precisely.
§ 4Common questions
What is a statute of limitations?
It is the legal deadline to file a lawsuit. After it passes, the court will generally refuse to hear the case if the other side raises the expired deadline.
How long is the statute of limitations for personal injury?
It varies by state — commonly two to four years from the injury. Choose your state above for the exact cited deadline.
Does it differ by type of claim?
Yes. Personal injury, medical malpractice, debt, contract, property damage, and government claims each have their own periods within a state.
Is this legal advice?
No. These pages are educational and cite each deadline to the statute. Confirm your specific deadline with a licensed attorney before acting.
Legal data verified — July 2026
Every state page cites each deadline to the primary statute and is dated. How we verify · Educational only, not legal advice.