Personal Injury Statute of Limitations by State (2026 Chart + Calculator)

If you’ve been hurt in an accident, the most important number in your case isn’t the size of your medical bills — it’s the deadline to file. Every state puts a hard time limit on personal injury lawsuits called the statute of limitations. Miss it, and even an airtight claim is gone: the court will throw it out no matter how badly you were injured or how clearly someone else was at fault. That single date controls whether you can recover anything at all, which is why understanding the personal injury statute of limitations by state is the first thing you should sort out after an injury.

Here’s the catch that surprises most people: there’s no national deadline. The window ranges from just 1 year in states like Tennessee to a full 6 years in Maine and North Dakota. Most states land in the middle at 2 years, but “most” is not “all,” and guessing wrong can cost you the entire case. Below you’ll find the exact deadline and governing statute for all 50 states plus D.C., a breakdown of what those buckets mean, and the rules that can quietly speed up or extend your clock.

The personal injury statute of limitations by state: full chart

State	Deadline	Statute
Alabama	2 yrs	Ala. Code § 6-2-38
Alaska	2 yrs	Alaska Stat. § 09.10.070
Arizona	2 yrs	Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-542
Arkansas	3 yrs	Ark. Code § 16-56-105
California	2 yrs	Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 335.1
Colorado	2 yrs	Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-102
Connecticut	2 yrs	Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-584
Delaware	2 yrs	Del. Code tit. 10 § 8119
District of Columbia	3 yrs	D.C. Code § 12-301
Florida	2 yrs	Fla. Stat. § 95.11(4)(a)
Georgia	2 yrs	Ga. Code § 9-3-33
Hawaii	2 yrs	Haw. Rev. Stat. § 657-7
Idaho	2 yrs	Idaho Code § 5-219
Illinois	2 yrs	735 ILCS 5/13-202
Indiana	2 yrs	Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4
Iowa	2 yrs	Iowa Code § 614.1(2)
Kansas	2 yrs	Kan. Stat. § 60-513
Kentucky	1 yr	Ky. Rev. Stat. § 413.140
Louisiana	1 yr	La. Civ. Code art. 3492 (now art. 3493.1, 2-yr eff. 2024)
Maine	6 yrs	Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14 § 752
Maryland	3 yrs	Md. Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-101
Massachusetts	3 yrs	Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260 § 2A
Michigan	3 yrs	Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5805
Minnesota	2 yrs	Minn. Stat. § 541.07
Mississippi	3 yrs	Miss. Code § 15-1-49
Missouri	5 yrs	Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120
Montana	3 yrs	Mont. Code § 27-2-204
Nebraska	4 yrs	Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-207
Nevada	2 yrs	Nev. Rev. Stat. § 11.190
New Hampshire	3 yrs	N.H. Rev. Stat. § 508:4
New Jersey	2 yrs	N.J. Stat. § 2A:14-2
New Mexico	3 yrs	N.M. Stat. § 37-1-8
New York	3 yrs	N.Y. C.P.L.R. § 214
North Carolina	3 yrs	N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-52
North Dakota	6 yrs	N.D. Cent. Code § 28-01-16
Ohio	2 yrs	Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.10
Oklahoma	2 yrs	Okla. Stat. tit. 12 § 95
Oregon	2 yrs	Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.110
Pennsylvania	2 yrs	42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5524
Rhode Island	3 yrs	R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-14
South Carolina	3 yrs	S.C. Code § 15-3-530
South Dakota	3 yrs	S.D. Codified Laws § 15-2-14
Tennessee	1 yr	Tenn. Code § 28-3-104
Texas	2 yrs	Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003
Utah	4 yrs	Utah Code § 78B-2-307
Vermont	3 yrs	Vt. Stat. tit. 12 § 512
Virginia	2 yrs	Va. Code § 8.01-243
Washington	3 yrs	Wash. Rev. Code § 4.16.080
West Virginia	2 yrs	W. Va. Code § 55-2-12
Wisconsin	3 yrs	Wis. Stat. § 893.54
Wyoming	4 yrs	Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105

Want the deadline applied to your specific accident date? Run it through the free statute of limitations calculator and you’ll get the exact day your window closes.

The 1-year states (act fast)

Three states give you the shortest window in the country — just one year to file a personal injury claim:

• Kentucky — 1 yr (Ky. Rev. Stat. § 413.140)
• Tennessee — 1 yr (Tenn. Code § 28-3-104)
• Louisiana — historically 1 yr (La. Civ. Code art. 3492)

A single year disappears faster than people expect. Between getting medical treatment, dealing with insurance adjusters, and gathering records, twelve months can slip by before you’ve even decided to sue. If you live in one of these states, treat the clock as urgent from day one.

Louisiana is a special case. Louisiana long held the strictest deadline in the nation at one year, but the legislature changed that: for injuries occurring on or after July 1, 2024, the period is now two years under art. 3493.1. The key word is occurring — older injuries may still fall under the one-year rule, so the date of your accident determines which deadline applies. If your injury happened in the state, confirm the details on our Louisiana personal injury page before you assume you have the longer window.

The 2-year majority

Two years is the most common personal injury deadline in the United States. A solid block of 25 states uses it, including some of the most populous:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

If you’re in California, Texas, or Florida — three of the four largest states — you’re working with a two-year clock. Don’t let the round number lull you, though. Two years feels like plenty of time right after an accident, but serious injuries often involve long treatment timelines, and the closer you get to the deadline, the harder it becomes to find an attorney willing to take the case on short notice. Note also that New York, despite its size, is not a two-year state — personal injury claims there get three years.

The longer-deadline states (3–6 years)

A large group of states gives you three years: Arkansas, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Beyond that, a handful of states stretch even further:

• 4 years: Nebraska, Utah, Wyoming
• 5 years: Missouri
• 6 years: Maine (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14 § 752) and North Dakota (N.D. Cent. Code § 28-01-16)

Maine and North Dakota sit at the far end of the spectrum with six-year windows — six times longer than Tennessee or Kentucky. A longer deadline is a cushion, not a license to wait. Evidence fades, witnesses move, and memories blur regardless of how much time the statute allows, so the practical advice is the same in a six-year state as in a one-year state: start early.

When does the personal injury clock start?

Knowing your state’s deadline is only half the equation — you also need to know when the clock starts running. The default rule is the date of injury: the day the accident happened. In a straightforward car crash or slip-and-fall, that’s usually obvious, and counting forward from that date gives you your filing deadline.

But not every injury announces itself immediately. Some harms — toxic exposure, a surgical error, a slow-developing condition — aren’t discovered until long after the underlying event. For these situations, many states apply the discovery rule, which starts the clock when you knew or reasonably should have known about the injury and its cause, rather than on the date it occurred. This can dramatically change your real deadline. Because the rule and its exceptions vary widely, it’s worth reading our full breakdown in the discovery rule explained before assuming your clock started on the accident date.

What can pause your deadline

Even after the clock starts, certain circumstances can toll — legally pause — the statute of limitations, effectively extending your time to file. The most common tolling situations include:

• Minors: If the injured person is a child, the clock is often paused until they reach the age of majority (typically 18), giving them time to bring a claim as an adult.
• Mental incapacity: If the injured person is legally incapacitated and unable to manage their affairs, the period may be suspended until that condition ends.
• Military service: Active-duty service members may have their civil deadlines tolled under federal protections.
• Defendant absence: If the at-fault party leaves the state or hides to avoid suit, that time may not count against your deadline.

Tolling rules are state-specific and full of exceptions, so don’t count on an extension without confirming it applies to your facts. Our tolling explained guide walks through how each scenario works.

Car accidents, slip-and-falls, and other PI claims

“Personal injury” is a broad category. It covers car and truck accidents, motorcycle crashes, slip-and-fall and other premises-liability cases, dog bites, and most other claims where someone’s negligence caused you physical harm. In most states, all of these share the same general personal injury deadline shown in the chart above.

There are wrinkles worth knowing. A few states treat motor-vehicle cases under their own timeline — and Colorado, for example, gives car accident claims three years even though its general personal injury deadline is two. If a vehicle was involved in your injury, cross-check the car accident statute of limitations by state chart, since the number that applies to you may not match the general PI figure. Claims against government entities are another common trap: they frequently carry much shorter notice deadlines — sometimes just months — that run separately from the regular statute. For a full picture across every claim type, see our master statute of limitations by state reference.

This article is general information, not legal advice; for guidance on your specific situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the personal injury statute of limitations in most states?

Two years is the most common deadline — 25 states use it, including California, Texas, and Florida. But the range runs from 1 year (Kentucky, Tennessee, and historically Louisiana) up to 6 years (Maine and North Dakota), so you should always confirm your own state rather than assume.

What happens if I miss the deadline to file?

If you file after the statute of limitations expires, the defendant can ask the court to dismiss your case — and courts almost always grant it. You lose the right to recover compensation regardless of how strong your claim is or how serious your injuries are.

When does the personal injury clock actually start?

Usually on the date of the injury. In cases where the harm wasn’t immediately apparent, many states use the discovery rule, which starts the clock when you knew or should have known about the injury. See our discovery rule explained guide for details.

Can the deadline ever be extended?

Yes. Tolling can pause the clock for injured minors, people who are legally incapacitated, active-duty military members, and cases where the defendant flees the state. These rules vary by state — our tolling explained guide covers how they work.

Don’t let your clock run out

The personal injury statute of limitations by state determines whether you can sue at all, and the difference between a one-year and a six-year window is enormous. The safest move is to know your exact deadline early and act well before it arrives. Find your accident date, pick your state and claim type, and let the free statute of limitations calculator tell you the precise day your window closes — so the date never catches you by surprise.