Statute of Limitations by State

Every injury claim has a filing deadline, called the statute of limitations. Miss it, and a court will usually dismiss the case no matter how strong it is. The deadline is set by state law, and it often differs by the type of claim — a product liability case can run on a different clock than a medical malpractice case in the same state.

Use the lookup below to see the standard period for your state and claim type, the statute it comes from, and how much of that period remains from a date you enter. The full 50-state table follows the tool.

Filing Deadline Lookup

Pick a state and claim type to see the standard statute of limitations, the statute it comes from, and — if you enter a date — roughly how much of that period remains.

StateType of claimDate of injury or discovery (optional)

This shows the standard period only. Real deadlines can be shorter or longer: discovery rules, minors, claims against government agencies (which often require written notice within months), statutes of repose, and tolling rules all change the date. Figures reflect our review of state statutes as of November 2026. Torts and Actions is not a law firm and this is not legal advice — confirm any deadline with a licensed attorney in your state.

State	Personal injury	Product liability	Wrongful death	Medical malpractice	Product repose
Alabama	2 years Ala. Code § 6-2-38(l)	2 years	2 years	2 years	None
Alaska	2 years Alaska Stat. § 09.10.070(a)	2 years	2 years	2 years	None
Arizona	2 years Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-542(1)	2 years	2 years	2 years	None
Arkansas	3 years Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-105	3 years	3 years	2 years	None
California	2 years Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1	2 years	2 years	3 years	None
Colorado	2 years Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-102(1)(a) (motor-vehicle torts: 3 years, § 13-80-101(1)(n))	2 years	2 years	2 years	None
Connecticut	2 years Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-584 (2 years from injury or discovery; 3-year repose from act or omission)	3 years	2 years	2 years	10 years
Delaware	2 years Del. Code Ann. tit. 10, § 8119	2 years	2 years	2 years	None
District of Columbia	3 years D.C. Code § 12-301(8) (residual 3-year period)	3 years	2 years	3 years	None
Florida	2 years Fla. Stat. § 95.11(5)(a) (2026 numbering; negligence moved from 4 to 2 years by HB 837 for causes of action accruing after Mar. 24, 2023)	4 years	2 years	2 years	12 years
Georgia	2 years O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33	2 years	2 years	2 years	10 years
Hawaii	2 years Haw. Rev. Stat. § 657-7	2 years	2 years	2 years	None
Idaho	2 years Idaho Code § 5-219(4)	2 years	2 years	2 years	None
Illinois	2 years 735 ILCS 5/13-202	2 years	2 years	2 years	12 years
Indiana	2 years Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4(a)(1)	2 years	2 years	2 years	10 years
Iowa	2 years Iowa Code § 614.1(2)	2 years	2 years	2 years	15 years
Kansas	2 years Kan. Stat. Ann. § 60-513(a)(4) (discovery rule; 10-year outer limit under § 60-513(b))	2 years	2 years	2 years	None
Kentucky	1 year KRS 413.140(1)(a)	1 year	1 year	1 year	None
Louisiana	2 years La. Civ. Code art. 3493.1 (Act 423 of 2024; applies to delictual actions arising after July 1, 2024; 1 year under art. 3492 for earlier injuries)	2 years	2 years	1 year	None
Maine	6 years 14 M.R.S. sec. 752	6 years	3 years	3 years	None
Maryland	3 years Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. sec. 5-101	3 years	3 years	5 years	None
Massachusetts	3 years M.G.L. c. 260, sec. 2A	3 years	3 years	3 years	None
Michigan	3 years MCL 600.5805(2)	3 years	3 years	2 years	None
Minnesota	6 years Minn. Stat. sec. 541.05, subd. 1(5)	4 years	3 years	4 years	None
Mississippi	3 years Miss. Code Ann. sec. 15-1-49	3 years	3 years	2 years	None
Missouri	5 years Mo. Rev. Stat. sec. 516.120(4)	5 years	3 years	2 years	None
Montana	3 years Mont. Code Ann. 27-2-204(1)	3 years	3 years	3 years	10 years
Nebraska	4 years Neb. Rev. Stat. sec. 25-207	4 years	2 years	2 years	10 years
Nevada	2 years NRS 11.190(4)(e)	2 years	2 years	3 years	None
New Hampshire	3 years RSA 508:4, I	3 years	3 years	3 years	None
New Jersey	2 years N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2	2 years	2 years	2 years	None
New Mexico	3 years NMSA 1978, sec. 37-1-8	3 years	3 years	3 years	None
New York	3 years N.Y. CPLR 214(5)	3 years	2 years	2.5 years	None
North Carolina	3 years N.C. Gen. Stat. sec. 1-52(16)	3 years	2 years	3 years	12 years
North Dakota	6 years N.D.C.C. § 28-01-16(5)	6 years	2 years	2 years	10 years
Ohio	2 years Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.10(A)	2 years	2 years	1 year	10 years
Oklahoma	2 years 12 Okla. Stat. § 95(A)(3)	2 years	2 years	2 years	None
Oregon	2 years ORS 12.110(1)	2 years	3 years	2 years	10 years
Pennsylvania	2 years 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524(2), (7)	2 years	2 years	2 years	None
Rhode Island	3 years R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-14(b)	3 years	3 years	3 years	None
South Carolina	3 years S.C. Code § 15-3-530(5)	3 years	3 years	3 years	None
South Dakota	3 years S.D. Codified Laws § 15-2-14(3)	3 years	3 years	2 years	None
Tennessee	1 year Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104(a)(1)	1 year	1 year	1 year	10 years
Texas	2 years Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003(a)	2 years	2 years	2 years	15 years
Utah	4 years Utah Code § 78B-2-307(4) (catch-all 'relief not otherwise provided for by law', applied to negligence/personal injury)	2 years	2 years	2 years	None
Vermont	3 years 12 V.S.A. § 512(4) (accrues on discovery of the injury)	3 years	2 years	3 years	None
Virginia	2 years Va. Code § 8.01-243(A)	2 years	2 years	2 years	None
Washington	3 years RCW 4.16.080(2)	3 years	3 years	3 years	None
West Virginia	2 years W. Va. Code § 55-2-12(b)	2 years	2 years	2 years	None
Wisconsin	3 years Wis. Stat. § 893.54(1m)(a)	3 years	3 years	3 years	15 years
Wyoming	4 years Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(iv)(C)	4 years	2 years	2 years	None

How filing deadlines work

Most periods start on the date of injury. Many states also apply a discovery rule, which starts the clock when a person knew, or reasonably should have known, that they were harmed and what caused it. That matters in drug, device and toxic-exposure cases, where an illness can appear years after the exposure.

Some states also have a statute of repose: an outer limit, often 10 to 15 years from the date a product was sold, that can end a claim even if the harm was discovered later. Claims against government agencies frequently require a written notice within a few months — far sooner than the ordinary deadline.

Frequently asked questions

Does joining a mass tort pause the deadline?

Not automatically. An MDL consolidates cases that have already been filed. Each person still needs a timely claim under the law that applies to them, although some MDLs enter tolling agreements; an attorney can tell you whether one applies.

What about minors?

Most states pause, or “toll,” the deadline until a child turns 18, but medical malpractice rules for minors are often stricter. The notes in the lookup flag state-specific rules we identified.

How current is this information?

We reviewed state statutes in November 2026 and list the citation for each figure. Laws change, and courts interpret them; confirm any deadline with a licensed attorney in your state.