Side-by-side deadline comparisons for all 50 US states — sorted by region, case type, or deadline length. Find out how your state compares.
Select a case type to see how all 50 states compare side by side, sorted from shortest to longest deadline.
Compare personal injury deadlines across all 50 states with official citations.
View Comparison →Compare medical malpractice deadlines across all 50 states with official citations.
View Comparison →Compare written contract deadlines across all 50 states with official citations.
View Comparison →Compare oral contract deadlines across all 50 states with official citations.
View Comparison →Compare defamation deadlines across all 50 states with official citations.
View Comparison →Compare wrongful death deadlines across all 50 states with official citations.
View Comparison →Compare property damage deadlines across all 50 states with official citations.
View Comparison →Compare fraud deadlines across all 50 states with official citations.
View Comparison →Compare slip & fall deadlines across all 50 states with official citations.
View Comparison →Compare dog bite deadlines across all 50 states with official citations.
View Comparison →Compare product liability deadlines across all 50 states with official citations.
View Comparison →Compare assault & battery deadlines across all 50 states with official citations.
View Comparison →Compare sexual assault deadlines across all 50 states with official citations.
View Comparison →Compare nursing home abuse deadlines across all 50 states with official citations.
View Comparison →See how deadlines cluster by geography. Southern states and Midwestern states often have different approaches to filing deadlines than coastal states.
NY, PA, NJ, MA, CT, RI, NH, VT, ME, DE, MD
View Comparison →IL, OH, MI, IN, WI, MN, IA, MO, ND, SD, NE, KS
View Comparison →FL, GA, NC, SC, VA, WV, KY, TN, AL, MS, AR, LA
View Comparison →CA, TX, AZ, NV, OR, WA, CO, UT, ID, MT, WY, NM, AK, HI
View Comparison →Which states give the most and least time to file?
View Comparison →These states give injured parties the least amount of time to file. If injured in one of these states, consult an attorney immediately.
These states provide the most time to investigate and file claims. Evidence is still best preserved when you act quickly.
Use the filter below to compare any case type across all 50 states. Click any column header to sort.
| State ↕ | Years ↕ | Official Statute | Key Exception |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | 1 yr | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 413.140(1)(a) | Gov entities: Notice of claim within 1 year |
| Tennessee | 1 yr | Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104(a)(1) | Gov entities: Notice within 12 months under GTLA |
| Alabama | 2 yrs | Ala. Code § 6-2-38 | Gov entities: must file Notice of Claim within 6 months |
| Alaska | 2 yrs | Alaska Stat. § 09.10.070 | Minors: tolled until age 18, then 2 years |
| Arizona | 2 yrs | Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-542 | Gov entities: 180-day notice of claim required |
| California | 2 yrs | Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 335.1 | Gov entities: Gov't Tort Claims Act — 6 months to file claim with agency |
| Colorado | 2 yrs | Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-101 | Gov entities: 182-day notice of claim required |
| Connecticut | 2 yrs | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-584 | Gov entities: Notice of claim within 90 days required |
| Delaware | 2 yrs | Del. Code Ann. tit. 10, § 8119 | Gov entities: Notice within 1 year required |
| Florida | 2 yrs | Fla. Stat. § 95.11(3)(a) | ⚠️ Shortened from 4 years to 2 years effective March 24, 2023 |
| Georgia | 2 yrs | O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33 | Gov entities: Ante Litem notice within 12 months for counties, 6 months for muni… |
| Hawaii | 2 yrs | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 657-7 | Gov entities: 6-month notice of claim required |
| Idaho | 2 yrs | Idaho Code § 5-219(4) | Gov entities: 180-day notice of claim required |
| Illinois | 2 yrs | 735 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/13-202 | Gov entities: State must file within 1 year; municipalities within 1 year |
| Indiana | 2 yrs | Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4 | Gov entities: Notice of tort claim within 270 days |
| Iowa | 2 yrs | Iowa Code § 614.1(2) | Gov entities: 60-day notice of claim required |
| Kansas | 2 yrs | Kan. Stat. Ann. § 60-513(a)(4) | Gov entities: Notice of claim within 1 year required |
| Louisiana | 2 yrs | La. Civ. Code Ann. art. 3493.10 | ⚠️ Extended from 1 year to 2 years effective July 1, 2024 |
| Nevada | 2 yrs | Nev. Rev. Stat. § 11.190(4)(e) | Gov entities: Notice of claim within 2 years |
| New Jersey | 2 yrs | N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2A:14-2 | Gov entities: Notice of Claim within 90 days under NJ Tort Claims Act |
| Ohio | 2 yrs | Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.10 | Gov entities: Notice within 180 days for political subdivisions |
| Oklahoma | 2 yrs | Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 95(A)(3) | Gov entities: Notice of claim within 1 year |
| Oregon | 2 yrs | Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.110(1) | Gov entities: Notice of Tort Claim within 180 days |
| Pennsylvania | 2 yrs | 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5524(2) | Gov entities: 6-month notice required for most claims |
| Texas | 2 yrs | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003 | Gov entity: written notice within 6 months required |
| Virginia | 2 yrs | Va. Code Ann. § 8.01-243(A) | Gov entities: Notice of claim within 1 year |
| West Virginia | 2 yrs | W. Va. Code § 55-2-12(b) | Gov entities: Notice within 1 year |
| Arkansas | 3 yrs | Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-105 | Gov entities: written notice within 1 year required |
| Maryland | 3 yrs | Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-101 | Gov entities: Notice of claim within 1 year required |
| Massachusetts | 3 yrs | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2A | Gov entities: Present claim to government within 2 years |
| Michigan | 3 yrs | Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5805(2) | Gov entities: 60-day notice required, then 1 year to file |
| Mississippi | 3 yrs | Miss. Code Ann. § 15-1-49 | Gov entities: Notice of claim required |
| Montana | 3 yrs | Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-204 | Gov entities: Notice of claim within 1 year |
| New Hampshire | 3 yrs | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 508:4 | Gov entities: Notice of claim within 180 days |
| New Mexico | 3 yrs | N.M. Stat. Ann. § 37-1-8 | Gov entities: Notice of claim within 90 days |
| New York | 3 yrs | N.Y. C.P.L.R. § 214(5) | Gov entities: Notice of Claim within 90 days |
| North Carolina | 3 yrs | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-52(5) | Gov entities: written notice within 1 year required |
| Rhode Island | 3 yrs | R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-14(b) | Gov entities: Presentment within 3 years with additional procedures |
| South Carolina | 3 yrs | S.C. Code Ann. § 15-3-530(5) | Gov entities: Notice of Claim within 1 year under the SCTCA |
| South Dakota | 3 yrs | S.D. Codified Laws § 15-2-14.1 | Gov entities: Notice within 1 year required |
| Vermont | 3 yrs | Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 12, § 512(4) | Gov entities: Notice within 1 year of incident |
| Washington | 3 yrs | Wash. Rev. Code § 4.16.080(2) | Gov entities: Notice of claim within 1 year under RCW 4.96 |
| Wisconsin | 3 yrs | Wis. Stat. § 893.54(1m) | Gov entities: Notice within 120 days required |
| District of Columbia | 3 yrs | D.C. Code § 12-301(8) | Gov entities: Notice within 6 months required |
| Nebraska | 4 yrs | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-207 | Gov entities: State Tort Claims Act — notice within 2 years |
| Utah | 4 yrs | Utah Code Ann. § 78B-2-307 | Gov entities: Notice of claim within 1 year |
| Wyoming | 4 yrs | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-3-105(a)(iv)(C) | Gov entities: Notice within 1 year required |
| Missouri | 5 yrs | Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120(4) | Gov entities: 90-day notice required |
| Maine | 6 yrs | Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 752 | Gov entities: written notice within 180 days |
| Minnesota | 6 yrs | Minn. Stat. § 541.07(1) | Gov entities: Notice of claim within 180 days |
| North Dakota | 6 yrs | N.D. Cent. Code § 28-01-16(5) | Gov entities: Notice of claim within 3 years |
The United States has no single federal statute of limitations for civil cases (with limited exceptions under federal law). Each of the 50 state legislatures independently sets its own deadlines, which is why a personal injury victim in Kentucky has only 1 year to file while someone in Maine has 6 years for the same type of claim.
These differences reflect each state's policy choices about balancing the rights of injured parties against the interests of defendants in having certainty and finality.
State legislatures regularly amend their statutes of limitations. Recent examples include Florida shortening its personal injury deadline from 4 to 2 years in 2023, Louisiana extending from 1 to 2 years in 2024, and Ohio shortening its contract deadlines in 2021.
This is why it is critical to verify current law rather than relying on information that may be outdated. Data on this site was last reviewed in October 2026.
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