{"id":372174,"date":"2016-03-31T21:34:44","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:34:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/criminal-laws\/criminal-statute-of-limitations.html"},"modified":"2025-05-28T13:00:15","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T18:00:15","slug":"criminal-statute-of-limitations","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/criminal-laws\/criminal-statute-of-limitations.html","title":{"rendered":"State Criminal Statute of Limitations Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n \n State Criminal Statute of Limitations Laws\n <\/h1>\n \n Learn about your state’s laws by using the links below.\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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\n By Christie Nicholson, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by FindLaw Staff<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

Every state has laws called statutes of limitations that dictate how long a person has to pursue legal action. Civil statutes of limitation impose filing deadlines on people filing personal injury lawsuits. Criminal statutes of limitation require the prosecutor to file criminal charges within a specific amount of time.<\/p>\r\n

Criminal statutes of limitations vary depending on the type of crime a person commits. For example, when it comes to murder, there is no statute of limitations. The government can file charges a year or a decade after a person commits a homicide.<\/p>\r\n

For rape or sexual assault, the statute of limitations ranges anywhere from three to 30 years, depending on where you live.<\/p>\r\n

This article provides links to the statute of limitations laws in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It also offers immediate access to FindLaw resources on crimes and related topics.<\/p>\r\n

If you have questions about your criminal case, it\u2019s a good idea to consult a local criminal defense attorney<\/a>. Don\u2019t wait too long because the state may already be building its case against you.<\/p>\r\n

How Long Are Most Criminal Statutes of Limitation?<\/h2>\r\n

As you might imagine, statutes of limitations are longer for serious crimes like arson and manslaughter than they are for less serious offenses.<\/p>\r\n

For example, there is a five-year statute of limitations for most robbery cases, whereas the statute of limitations for most third-degree manslaughter cases is closer to ten years.<\/p>\r\n

The crimes that have no time limit or an extended statute of limitations period include serious offenses such as:<\/p>\r\n