Tennessee Criminal Statute of Limitations Laws

By FindLaw Staff | Legally reviewed by Steve Foley, Esq. | Last reviewed October 19, 2020

Criminal Statute of Limitations in Tennessee: Overview

Prosecutors must file charges against a defendant within a certain period of time in all but the most serious crimes. These time limits are called the statute of limitations, which also apply to civil cases (see Time Limits to Bring a Case: The Statute of Limitations to learn more).

In Tennessee, the statute of limitations does not apply to any crime punishable by death or life in prison. Other felonies have statute of limitations ranging from two years to 15 years. Most misdemeanors in the state have a 12-month time limit.

The following chart details the various time limits for filing criminal charges in Tennessee.

State	Tennessee
Topic	Criminal Statute of Limitations
Definition	The criminal statute of limitations is a time limit the state has for prosecuting a crime. Under Tennessee law, the statute of limitations depends on the severity of the crime you face, ranging from 6 months to no limit.
Code Section	T.C.A. Sections 40-2-101 to 40-2-106
Felonies	Any crime punishable by death or life in prison, aggravated rape, or rape: none Class A felony: 15 years Class B felony: 8 years Class C or D felony: 4 years Class E felony: 2 years Revenue law offenses: generally 3 years Specific revenue offenses, including defrauding the state or its agencies, tax evasion, preparing a false or fraudulent tax return, not paying taxes owed: 6 years Arson: 8 years
Misdemeanors	1 year except gaming, which is 6 months
Crimes in Which a Child Is a Victim	Sex trafficking, aggravated rape, rape, aggravated sexual battery, sexual battery, statutory rape, aggravated statutory rape, mitigated statutory rape, felonious indecent exposure, prostitution, sexual abuse, solicitation, unlawful photographing, incest, or sexual exploitation: none (subject to applicable time limits set by law before July 1, 2019)
Acts During Which Statute Does Not Run	When the suspect conceals the crime, or when the suspect is not publicly residing in Tennessee.
Other	Criminal impersonation by using a fraudulently obtained driver license: 1 year from the date the license expires or 3 years from when the non-expired license was last used, whichever is longer.

Note: State laws are constantly changing. FindLaw makes an effort to regularly update state laws, although they may not always reflect recent changes. Make sure you contact a Tennessee criminal defense attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching.

What is the Purpose of Time Limits for Criminal Charges?

The criminal statute of limitations is meant to encourage an efficient criminal justice system, discourage the constant threat of arrest, and make sure evidence (including witness testimony) is reliable at the time charges are filed. If someone has committed theft, for example, but isn't arrested until 45 years later, it's unlikely the evidence is reliable after so much time has passed. These time limits also hold police and prosecutors to a higher standard of urgency and diligence by ensuring a suspect has a speedy trial.

Research the Law

Tennessee Law
Criminal Law
Official State Codes - Links to the official online statutes (laws) in all 50 states and DC.