Free Tool · 50-State Filing Deadlines
How long do I have to file a lawsuit?
Every type of legal claim has a deadline — the statute of limitations. Miss it, and your case is permanently barred. Find your state-specific deadline below, with citations to the controlling statute, then talk to a verified attorney for free.
⚡ All entries below cite the controlling state statute. Reviewed by US attorneys.
States with live statute-of-limitations data
More states added weekly. Don't see yours? Pick one of the claim types below for a general explainer and connect with a lawyer who handles the same claim in your state.
All claim types
The 12 most common types of civil claim, each with its own filing-deadline rules per state.
| Claim type | What it covers |
|---|---|
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Personal Injury
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Bodily injury claims arising from negligence — car accidents, slip-and-falls, dog bites. Generally counted from the date of the injury, sometimes from discovery. |
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Medical Malpractice
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Negligence claims against medical professionals. Most states use a discovery rule plus a statute of repose ceiling. Specialized notice-of-intent requirements often apply. |
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Wrongful Death
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Survivor claims for death caused by another's negligence or intentional act. Generally measured from date of death, not date of underlying injury. |
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Product Liability
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Claims that a defective product caused injury or damage. Most states use a discovery rule with a separate statute of repose for products. |
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Breach of Written Contract
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Claims for breach of a contract that is reduced to writing. Generally longer than oral contracts. Note: signed agreements may have additional periods. |
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Breach of Oral Contract
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Claims for breach of an unwritten oral agreement. Generally shorter periods than written contracts. |
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Fraud
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Claims of intentional misrepresentation. Most states apply a discovery rule — the clock starts when the fraud is discovered or reasonably should have been. |
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Defamation (Libel & Slander)
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Claims for libel (written) or slander (spoken) defamation. Typically short statutes. Some states apply a single-publication rule for online content. |
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Employment Discrimination
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Claims under Title VII / ADA / ADEA require an EEOC charge typically within 180 or 300 days, plus a 90-day window to sue after right-to-sue notice. State-law parallels may differ. |
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Wrongful Termination
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Claims for unlawful firing — discrimination, retaliation, public-policy, or contract-based. Period depends on the underlying legal theory. |
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Property Damage
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Claims for damage to real or personal property — vehicle crashes, vandalism, trespass, conversion. Some states distinguish negligence from intentional damage. |
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Debt Collection
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Time within which a creditor must sue to collect an unpaid debt. Expiration generally bars a lawsuit but does not erase the debt; partial payment may reset the clock. |
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Ozempic / Mounjaro Lawsuit Deadlines
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GLP-1 receptor agonist (Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Rybelsus, Trulicity) lawsuits generally follow the state's product-liability statute of limitations, with a discovery-rule extension that begins running when the patient learns of the injury. |
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Hair Relaxer Cancer Lawsuit Deadlines
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Hair-relaxer cancer claims (MDL 3060) follow the state's product-liability statute of limitations, often extended by the discovery rule from the date of cancer diagnosis. |
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Tesla Autopilot Accident Lawsuit Deadlines
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Tesla Autopilot and FSD product-liability personal-injury claims follow the state's personal-injury statute of limitations from the date of the crash. |
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Vaping / JUUL Lawsuit Deadlines
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Vaping and JUUL personal-injury claims follow the state's product-liability or personal-injury statute of limitations, typically extended by the discovery rule for EVALI and seizures. |
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Talc / Baby Powder Cancer Lawsuit Deadlines
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Talc lawsuits (J&J baby powder, Shower-to-Shower) generally follow the state's product-liability statute of limitations with a discovery rule from the date of ovarian-cancer or mesothelioma diagnosis. |
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Tylenol / Acetaminophen Autism Lawsuit Deadlines
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Tylenol autism / ADHD lawsuits (MDL 3043) generally follow the state's product-liability statute of limitations, with a discovery rule from the date of the child's diagnosis. |
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AFFF Firefighting Foam Lawsuit Deadlines
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AFFF PFAS lawsuits (MDL 2873) generally follow the state's product-liability statute of limitations, with a discovery rule from the date the PFAS-related illness was diagnosed. |
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Paraquat Parkinson's Lawsuit Deadlines
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Paraquat lawsuits (MDL 3004) generally follow the state's product-liability statute of limitations, with a discovery rule from the date of Parkinson's diagnosis. |
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Roundup Cancer Lawsuit Deadlines
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Roundup non-Hodgkin's lymphoma lawsuits generally follow the state's product-liability statute of limitations, with a discovery rule from the date of NHL diagnosis. |
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Uber / Lyft Accident Lawsuit Deadlines
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Rideshare-accident personal-injury claims follow the state's personal-injury statute of limitations from the date of the crash. |