{"id":376601,"date":"2016-03-31T21:36:52","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:36:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/texas-law\/texas-criminal-statute-of-limitations-laws.html"},"modified":"2025-03-28T14:18:14","modified_gmt":"2025-03-28T19:18:14","slug":"texas-criminal-statute-of-limitations-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/texas-law\/texas-criminal-statute-of-limitations-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Texas Criminal Statute of Limitations Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Texas 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 statutes of limitations<\/a> that restrict the time a person or entity has to file legal action. There are both civil and criminal statutes of limitations. The criminal statute of limitations establishes time limits on how long the prosecutor can wait to file formal criminal charges against a suspect.<\/p>\r\n

These time limits serve two main purposes. First, they ensure that the courts handle criminal cases more efficiently and urgently. Second, they help preserve the integrity of evidence,<\/a> including eyewitness testimony that may become unreliable with time.<\/p>\r\n

There are different statutes of limitations for different crimes. The more serious the alleged offense, the longer the limitations period. As you can imagine, felony offenses<\/a> have a much longer statute of limitations than misdemeanors and petty crimes.<\/p>\r\n

In Texas, as in other states, serious felonies such as murder<\/a> and certain sexual assaults are not bound by any statute of limitations.<\/p>\r\n

Here, we\u2019ll explain how the criminal statutes of limitations work in Texas and discuss the statute of limitations period for specific crimes, such as aggravated kidnapping and DWI<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

If you\u2019re facing criminal charges in Texas, contact an experienced criminal defense lawyer<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

Texas Criminal Statute of Limitations Laws at a Glance<\/b><\/h2>\r\n

The table below summarizes Texas law<\/a> and the Texas criminal statutes of limitations. At the end of this article, we\u2019ll also provide links to helpful FindLaw resources.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Texas penal code and relevant statutes<\/th>\r\n

Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Art. 12.01<\/a>, et seq.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

Felonies<\/th>\r\n

Felonies<\/b><\/p>\r\n

There is no statute of limitations<\/a> for the following criminal offenses:<\/p>\r\n

Misdemeanors<\/th>\r\n

The statute of limitations<\/a> is two years from the date of the crime.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

Crimes against children<\/th>\r\n
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  • Sexual abuse of young children: No time limit<\/li>\r\n
  • Indecency with a child: None<\/li>\r\n
  • Compelling prostitution of a minor: No time limit<\/li>\r\n
  • Exploitation of a child: Seven years<\/li>\r\n
  • Abandoning or endangering a child: Five years<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
Acts during which statute does not run<\/th>\r\n

The statute of limitations does not run when the accused is out of state or while a felony indictment, information, or complaint is pending.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

Other<\/th>\r\n