Which states give you the least time to sue after an injury?

Last checked November 8, 2026

Tennessee and Kentucky have the shortest general injury deadlines in our 51-jurisdiction table: one year.12 Kentucky gives two years for most car crash claims.3 Claims against a city or county can be much shorter. New Hampshire's notice is due in 60 days.4 Check your exact state, and do not rely on a general list.

See if you are owed money

$0 upfront. No fee unless you win.

Which states have the shortest deadline to sue for an injury?

A statute of limitations is the time you have to file a lawsuit. We checked the general injury deadline in all 50 states and DC, using statute text. Two came in at one year.

StateGeneral injury deadlineImportant exception
Tennessee1 year1Two years in certain cases where criminal charges are brought.5
Kentucky1 year2Motor vehicle tort claims may be brought within two years after the injury, death or last reparation payment, whichever is later.3

So for most people hurt in a Kentucky car crash, the number to remember is two years, not one, if the state's motor vehicle law applies. For a dog bite or a fall in the same state, the general one-year rule is the one to watch. This is the kind of detail a short list cannot show.

Most states give you two or three years

Two years is the most common answer. By our count of the table, 25 jurisdictions set two years and 16 set three. A few examples of two-year rules:

  • California: two years for injury caused by the wrongful act or neglect of another.6
  • Florida: two years for an action founded on negligence.7
  • Louisiana: two years for delictual actions.8 Until a recent change, it was one year.9

At the other end, some states allow longer. Maine sets six years for civil actions,10 and Minnesota's six-year list includes any other injury to the person or rights of another not otherwise listed.11 We could not confirm Arkansas from the statute text, so it is not in these counts.

Why older lists may be wrong about Louisiana

If you read an older article, you may see Louisiana listed at one year. It was. The digest of the 2024 bill says it changed tort periods from one year to two years,9 and the act took effect on July 1, 2024.12 Older injuries may follow the older rule. Before you rely on any list, check when it was last updated.

The real shortest deadlines: claims against a city, county or state

If a government body caused your injury, the general deadline is often not the first one you face. Many states require a notice of claim, and those clocks run much faster. These examples come from the same table.

StateDeadlineApplies to
New Hampshire60 days4Notice to a governmental unit. Exceptions can apply.
Rhode Island60 days13Highway, causeway or bridge injuries, notice to the town
New York90 days14Notice of claim to a public corporation, such as a city or county
New Jersey90 days15Claim to a public entity
Kentucky90 days16Notice to a city for a defective street or sidewalk
Michigan120 days17Notice of a defective highway
Arizona180 days18Claim against a public entity, school or employee

These rules are full of details. Some apply only to certain agencies or certain kinds of injury. Some have exceptions when the government already knew about the problem, or for a minor. If your injury may involve a government body, look for the notice rule first.

What can change your deadline?

The number of years is only a starting point. These things can change it, and each varies by state:

  • The type of injury. Medical errors, product injuries and dog bites can each have their own rule.
  • When you found out. Some states start the clock when you discovered, or should have discovered, the injury.
  • Your age. Many states pause the clock for minors in some situations.
  • A criminal case. Tennessee's two-year rule is one example.5
  • A death. Wrongful death claims have their own deadlines.
  • Who you are claiming against, as shown in the table above.

What should you do with this information?

  1. Find out which state's law applies. It is usually where the crash happened, but not always.
  2. Write down the date you were hurt.
  3. Find out if a government vehicle, road or building was involved. If so, look for a notice rule right away.
  4. Mark the deadline on your calendar, then pick an earlier date to act by.
  5. Do not assume that talking to an insurer pauses the clock. In general, it does not.
  6. If you are near a deadline, talk to a lawyer licensed in that state as soon as you can.

This list reflects statute text we checked on November 8, 2026. Laws change, and exceptions matter. Use it as a starting point, not as the answer for your case.

Questions

What state has the shortest statute of limitations for personal injury?

In our table, Tennessee and Kentucky have the shortest general deadline, at one year.12 Kentucky has a two-year rule for most motor vehicle claims.3

Is one year the shortest deadline I could face?

No. Claims against a government body can be much shorter. New Hampshire's notice is due within 60 days.4

Which state gives the most time to sue?

Maine sets six years for civil actions,10 and Minnesota lists six years too.11 Some injury types have different rules.

Did Louisiana change its deadline?

Yes. A 2024 act changed tort periods from one year to two,9 effective July 1, 2024.12

Find out if you are owed money.

A free case review. $0 upfront. No fee unless you win.

See if I’m owed money

Keep reading

Guides

Sources

  1. Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104(a)(1)(A) (via Justia), checked 2026-11-08. “the following actions shall be commenced within one (1) year after the cause of action accrued: - (A) Actions for libel, injuries to the person”
  2. KRS § 413.140(1)(a), checked 2026-11-08. “The following actions shall be commenced within one (1) year after the cause of action accrued: (a) An action for an injury to the person of the plaintiff”
  3. KRS § 304.39-230(6), checked 2026-11-08. “An action for tort liability not abolished by KRS 304.39-060 may be commenced not later than two (2) years after the injury, or the death, or the date of issuance of the last basic or added reparation payment made by any reparation obligor, whichever later occurs.”
  4. N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 507-B:7, checked 2026-11-08. “shall be notified by registered mail within 60 days after the time of the injury or damage or discovery of the injury or damage”
  5. Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104(a)(2) (via Justia), checked 2026-11-08. “Criminal charges are brought against any person alleged to have caused or contributed to the injury”
  6. Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 335.1, checked 2026-11-08. “Within two years: An action for assault, battery, or injury to, or for the death of, an individual caused by the wrongful act or neglect of another.”
  7. Fla. Stat. § 95.11(5)(a), checked 2026-11-08. “(5) WITHIN TWO YEARS. - (a) An action founded on negligence.”
  8. La. Civ. Code art. 3493.1, checked 2026-11-08. “Delictual actions are subject to a liberative prescription of two years.”
  9. Louisiana Legislature, HB 315 digest, checked 2026-11-08. “Changes prescriptive periods for tort actions from one year to two years.”
  10. 14 M.R.S. § 752, checked 2026-11-08. “All civil actions shall be commenced within 6 years after the cause of action accrues and not afterwards”
  11. Minn. Stat. § 541.05, checked 2026-11-08. “for criminal conversation, or for any other injury to the person or rights of another, not arising on contract, and not hereinafter enumerated”
  12. Louisiana Acts 2024, No. 423, checked 2026-11-08. “This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2024.”
  13. R.I. Gen. Laws § 45-15-9(a), checked 2026-11-08. “A person so injured or damaged shall, within sixty (60) days, give to the town by law obliged to keep the highway, causeway, or bridge in repair, notice of the time, place, and cause of the injury or damage”
  14. N.Y. Gen. Mun. Law § 50-e(1)(a), checked 2026-11-08. “within ninety days after the claim arises”
  15. N.J.S.A. 59:8-8(a) (via Justia), checked 2026-11-08. “The claimant failed to file the claim with the public entity within 90 days of accrual of the claim”
  16. KRS § 411.110, checked 2026-11-08. “This notice shall be filed within ninety (90) days of the occurrence for which damage is claimed”
  17. MCL § 691.1404(1), checked 2026-11-08. “within 120 days from the time the injury occurred”
  18. A.R.S. § 12-821.01(A), checked 2026-11-08. “shall file claims with the person or persons authorized to accept service for the public entity, public school or public employee as set forth in the Arizona rules of civil procedure within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues.”

Editorial policy

See if I’m owed moneyNo fee unless you win
AccidentsCitiesStatesGuides
See if I’m owed money