When is my deadline to file?
Every state sets a deadline, the statute of limitations, for filing a lawsuit after a crash. In most it is two years from the crash for an injury claim. Pick your state and the date to see your last day.
Every state's deadlines
| State | Injury | Vehicle damage | Wrongful death |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | two years | six years | two years |
| Alaska | two years | two years | two years |
| Arizona | two years | two years | two years |
| Arkansas | three years | three years | three years |
| California | two years | three years | two years |
| Colorado | three years | three years | two years |
| Connecticut | two years | two years | two years |
| Delaware | two years | two years | two years |
| District of Columbia | three years | three years | two years |
| Florida | two years | two years | two years |
| Georgia | two years | four years | two years |
| Hawaii | two years | two years | two years |
| Idaho | two years | three years | two years |
| Illinois | two years | five years | two years |
| Indiana | two years | two years | two years |
| Iowa | two years | five years | two years |
| Kansas | two years | two years | two years |
| Kentucky | two years | two years | two years |
| Louisiana | two years | two years | two years |
| Maine | six years | six years | three years |
| Maryland | three years | three years | three years |
| Massachusetts | three years | three years | three years |
| Michigan | three years | three years | three years |
| Minnesota | six years | six years | three years |
| Mississippi | three years | three years | |
| Missouri | five years | five years | three years |
| Montana | three years | two years | three years |
| Nebraska | four years | four years | two years |
| Nevada | two years | three years | two years |
| New Hampshire | three years | ||
| New Jersey | two years | six years | two years |
| New Mexico | three years | four years | three years |
| New York | three years | three years | two years |
| North Carolina | three years | three years | two years |
| North Dakota | six years | six years | two years |
| Ohio | two years | two years | two years |
| Oklahoma | two years | two years | two years |
| Oregon | two years | six years | three years |
| Pennsylvania | two years | two years | two years |
| Rhode Island | three years | three years | |
| South Carolina | three years | three years | three years |
| South Dakota | three years | six years | three years |
| Tennessee | one year | three years | one year |
| Texas | two years | two years | two years |
| Utah | four years | four years | two years |
| Vermont | three years | three years | two years |
| Virginia | two years | five years | two years |
| Washington | three years | three years | three years |
| West Virginia | two years | two years | two years |
| Wisconsin | three years | three years | two years |
| Wyoming | four years | four years | two years |
Quoted from each state's statute, checked October 2, 2026. This is the general rule; minors, late-discovered injuries and claims against a government can change your date.
Vehicle damage claim? The diminished value calculator estimates what a repaired car lost in value and shows this deadline for your state.
Questions
When does the deadline start?
Usually on the day of the crash. For wrongful death it often runs from the date of death, and some states pause the clock for children or for injuries discovered later.
Does an insurance claim stop the clock?
No. Talking to an insurer, even for months, does not extend the deadline to file a lawsuit. Only filing in court (or a written agreement where the law allows one) protects the claim.
Is the deadline different if a city or state vehicle hit me?
Often, yes. Many states require written notice of a claim against a government within months, long before the lawsuit deadline. Your state page lists the rule where a statute sets one.