The statute of limitations is the legal deadline for filing a lawsuit or bringing criminal charges. Once the deadline passes, you generally lose the right to take legal action — no matter how strong your case is. These time limits exist for fairness: evidence degrades, witnesses forget, and people deserve to move on. But the specific deadlines vary dramatically by state and type of claim.
Personal injury cases typically have 1–3 year deadlines. Contract disputes often have 3–6 years. Property damage claims are usually 2–5 years. Criminal charges range from 1 year (misdemeanors) to no limit at all (murder).
For most claims, the statute of limitations starts running on the date of the injury, breach, or criminal act. But the "discovery rule" in some cases delays the start until you knew (or should have known) about the harm.
Certain circumstances can pause the clock — the victim was a minor, the defendant left the state, the victim was mentally incapacitated, or the defendant fraudulently concealed the harm. The rules for tolling vary by state.
If you file after the statute of limitations has expired, the defendant will raise it as a defense and the court will almost certainly dismiss your case. There are very few exceptions, and courts enforce deadlines strictly.
Murder charges can be brought at any time in most states. Some states also have no time limit for certain sex crimes, especially those involving minors. War crimes and some fraud claims may also have no deadline.
More on this topic: General Legal Questions
Need a local attorney? Browse lawyers for General Legal Questions
NotALawyer.com provides general legal information, not legal advice.