{"id":376430,"date":"2016-03-31T21:36:48","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:36:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/tennessee-law\/tennessee-criminal-statute-of-limitations-laws.html"},"modified":"2025-04-30T13:05:38","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T18:05:38","slug":"tennessee-criminal-statute-of-limitations-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/tennessee-law\/tennessee-criminal-statute-of-limitations-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Tennessee Criminal Statute of Limitations Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Tennessee Criminal Statute of Limitations Laws<\/h1>\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 dictating how long prosecutors must file criminal charges against a would-be defendant. These laws are criminal statutes of limitations<\/a>. Like every other state, Tennessee has laws that impose specific time limits on prosecutors hoping to pursue a criminal case.<\/p>\r\n

Here, we’ll explain the statute of limitations periods for the most common crimes and misdemeanors<\/a> in the state of Tennessee and offer links to other FindLaw resources on this and related topics.<\/p>\r\n

Contact an experienced Tennessee criminal defense attorney<\/a> if you’re facing criminal charges.<\/p>\r\n

Criminal Statute of Limitations in Tennessee: Overview<\/b><\/h2>\r\n

The Tennessee Code<\/a> imposes strict filing deadlines on state prosecutors. If the state doesn’t file charges within a certain period of time, it loses the right to do so. Of course, lawmakers deem some crimes so severe that there are no statutes of limitations. Murder is an example of one of these crimes.<\/p>\r\n

Under Tennessee law, the statute of limitations does not apply to crimes punishable by death or life imprisonment<\/a>. Other felonies have statutes of limitations ranging from two to 15 years. Most misdemeanors in the state have a 12-month time limit.<\/p>\r\n

The following chart details the various time limits for filing criminal charges<\/a> in Tennessee.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Tennessee code section<\/th>\r\n

Tenn. Code Ann. Sections 40-2-101<\/a> to 40-2-106<\/a><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

Felony offenses<\/th>\r\n

Crimes punishable by death or life in prison, aggravated rape<\/a>, and rape: None<\/p>\r\n

Class A felonies: 15 years<\/p>\r\n

Class B felonies: Eight years<\/p>\r\n

Class C or D felonies: Four years<\/p>\r\n

Class E felonies: Two years<\/p>\r\n

Revenue law offenses: Three years (generally)<\/p>\r\n

Specific revenue offenses have a six-year statute of limitations, including:<\/p>\r\n

Misdemeanors<\/th>\r\n

One-year statute of limitations for most misdemeanors<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

Crimes against children<\/th>\r\n

There is no statute of limitations for the following crimes involving a child<\/a> in Tennessee (subject to applicable time limits set by law before July 1, 2019):<\/p>\r\n

Acts during which statute does not run<\/th>\r\n