Personal Injury Statute of Limitations by State
Every state sets a deadline to file an injury lawsuit, and missing it can end your case before it starts. Choose your state to see the general filing deadline, plus the exceptions that can move it. Free, instant, and nothing to sign up for.
Where the injury happened, which is usually the state whose deadline applies.
Courts rarely make exceptions. If you are close to a deadline, treat it as urgent and get advice right away.
It usually starts the day of the injury. The sooner a claim begins, the more room there is to build it.
General information only, not legal advice. Exceptions apply and deadlines change. Confirm your exact date with a licensed attorney before relying on it.
Filing deadlines for all 50 states and DC
The general personal injury deadline in each state, grouped by length. Most states give you 2 years, but the range runs from 1 to 6, and specific claim types can differ.
| Deadline | States and jurisdictions | Count |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | Kentucky, Tennessee | 2 |
| 2 years | Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia | 26 |
| 3 years | Arkansas, District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin | 17 |
| 4 years | Nebraska, Utah, Wyoming | 3 |
| 5 years | Missouri | 1 |
| 6 years | Maine, North Dakota | 2 |
Exceptions that can change your deadline
The general deadline is the starting point. These common rules can shorten or extend it, sometimes dramatically.
The discovery rule
If an injury could not reasonably have been found right away, the clock may start when you discovered it, not the date it happened.
Claims against the government
Suing a city, county, or state agency usually requires a formal notice of claim first, often within 30 to 180 days. These windows are short, so act early.
Injured minors
Many states pause the deadline for a child until they turn 18, though the rules and any caps vary by state.
Different claim, different clock
Medical malpractice, product liability, and wrongful death can run on their own deadlines, separate from a standard injury claim.
How the deadline works
Five things that decide whether your claim is still on time.
Find the date
The clock usually starts on the date the injury happened, or when you reasonably discovered it.
Identify your state rule
Each state sets its own filing deadline, from 1 to 6 years for a standard injury claim.
Check for exceptions
Government claims, minors, and the discovery rule can shorten or extend the window.
File before it closes
Miss the deadline and the court can dismiss your case for good, no matter how strong it is.
Talk to a lawyer early
Deadlines are easy to misjudge. A local attorney confirms the exact date that applies to you.
Deadline questions, answered
Clear answers about injury filing deadlines. For your exact date, a local attorney can confirm.
It is the legal deadline to file a lawsuit. For a personal injury claim it is usually counted in years from the date of the injury. If you file after it passes, the court can throw the case out, so the deadline matters as much as the facts.
In almost every case you lose the right to sue, even if the other side was clearly at fault. That is why it is worth confirming your exact deadline early and starting a claim well before it runs out.
It can. A few states set a different clock for motor vehicle claims, and some have short notice rules when a government vehicle is involved. The lookup notes these where they apply, but a local attorney can confirm.
Usually the date of the injury. Under the discovery rule, it can instead start when you found, or reasonably should have found, the harm. This matters most for injuries that are not obvious right away.
No. These are the general deadlines, and real cases often involve exceptions that move the date. Use the lookup to get oriented, then let a local attorney confirm the exact deadline for your situation before you rely on it.
Keep going
Worried your deadline is close?
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