Wrongful Death Statute of Limitations: State-by-State Comparison

How does your state’s wrongful death deadline compare to the rest of the country? Death caused by another's negligence or wrongful act. Here’s the full picture.

Range: Wrongful Death deadlines span from 1 year (Kentucky, Louisiana, Tennessee) to 3 years (Arkansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, and 14 others). The most common deadline is 2 years, used by 31 states.

States Grouped by Filing Window

1-Year States — Act Immediately

Kentucky — 1 year

Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 413.140(1)(a). No major statutory exception documented.

Kentucky Details →

Louisiana — 1 year

La. Civ. Code Ann. art. 2315.2. No major statutory exception documented.

Louisiana Details →

Tennessee — 1 year

Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104(a)(1). No major statutory exception documented.

Tennessee Details →

2-Year States — The Most Common Deadline

StateDeadlineOfficial StatuteKey Exception
Alabama2 yearsAla. Code § 6-5-410Estate must bring claim, not heirs directly
Alaska2 yearsAlaska Stat. § 09.55.580Personal representative must bring claim
Arizona2 yearsAriz. Rev. Stat. § 12-542Gov entity 180-day notice required
California2 yearsCal. Civ. Proc. Code § 335.1Gov entity 6-month administrative claim required
Colorado2 yearsColo. Rev. Stat. § 13-21-203
Connecticut2 yearsConn. Gen. Stat. § 52-555
Delaware2 yearsDel. Code Ann. tit. 10, § 8107
District of Columbia2 yearsD.C. Code § 16-2702
Florida2 yearsFla. Stat. § 95.11(4)(d)Pre-suit notice required 90 days before filing
Georgia2 yearsO.C.G.A. § 51-4-1Ante litem notice required for gov entities
Hawaii2 yearsHaw. Rev. Stat. § 663-3
Idaho2 yearsIdaho Code § 5-219(4)
Illinois2 years740 Ill. Comp. Stat. 180/2
Indiana2 yearsInd. Code § 34-23-1-1
Iowa2 yearsIowa Code § 614.1(2)
Kansas2 yearsKan. Stat. Ann. § 60-1902
Maine2 yearsMe. Rev. Stat. tit. 18-C, § 2-807
Nebraska2 yearsNeb. Rev. Stat. § 30-810
Nevada2 yearsNev. Rev. Stat. § 11.190(4)(e)
New Jersey2 yearsN.J. Stat. Ann. § 2A:31-3
New York2 yearsN.Y. E.P.T.L. § 5-4.1Notice of Claim required within 90 days for gov entities
North Carolina2 yearsN.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-53(4)
North Dakota2 yearsN.D. Cent. Code § 32-21-02
Ohio2 yearsOhio Rev. Code § 2125.02
Oklahoma2 yearsOkla. Stat. tit. 12, § 1053
Pennsylvania2 years42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5524(2)
Texas2 yearsTex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003(b)Gov entity: 6-month notice required
Utah2 yearsUtah Code Ann. § 78B-3-107
Virginia2 yearsVa. Code Ann. § 8.01-244
West Virginia2 yearsW. Va. Code § 55-7-6
Wyoming2 yearsWyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-38-102

3-Year States — Longest Deadline

Arkansas — 3 years

Ark. Code Ann. § 16-62-102. No major statutory exception documented.

Arkansas Details →

Maryland — 3 years

Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 3-904. No major statutory exception documented.

Maryland Details →

Massachusetts — 3 years

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 229, § 2. No major statutory exception documented.

Massachusetts Details →

Michigan — 3 years

Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5805(2). No major statutory exception documented.

Michigan Details →

Minnesota — 3 years

Minn. Stat. § 573.02(1). No major statutory exception documented.

Minnesota Details →

Mississippi — 3 years

Miss. Code Ann. § 11-7-13. No major statutory exception documented.

Mississippi Details →

Missouri — 3 years

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 537.100. No major statutory exception documented.

Missouri Details →

Montana — 3 years

Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-204. No major statutory exception documented.

Montana Details →

New Hampshire — 3 years

N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 556:11. No major statutory exception documented.

New Hampshire Details →

New Mexico — 3 years

N.M. Stat. Ann. § 41-2-2. No major statutory exception documented.

New Mexico Details →

Oregon — 3 years

Or. Rev. Stat. § 30.020. No major statutory exception documented.

Oregon Details →

Rhode Island — 3 years

R.I. Gen. Laws § 10-7-2. No major statutory exception documented.

Rhode Island Details →

South Carolina — 3 years

S.C. Code Ann. § 15-51-40. No major statutory exception documented.

South Carolina Details →

South Dakota — 3 years

S.D. Codified Laws § 21-5-3. No major statutory exception documented.

South Dakota Details →

Vermont — 3 years

Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 14, § 1492. No major statutory exception documented.

Vermont Details →

Washington — 3 years

Wash. Rev. Code § 4.20.010. No major statutory exception documented.

Washington Details →

Wisconsin — 3 years

Wis. Stat. § 895.04(3). No major statutory exception documented.

Wisconsin Details →

Key Observations

Most Plaintiff-Friendly States

Most Defendant-Friendly States

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⚠️ Legal Disclaimer: This comparison is for general informational purposes. Statutes change frequently and exceptions apply. Always verify the current rule with a licensed attorney in your state.