Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Deadlines by State
Updated · all 51 jurisdictions · childhood and adult tracks researched separately · every row cites the statute
16 states currently set no civil time limit at all for childhood sexual abuse lawsuits — and in 9 jurisdictions there is a path open right now for claims that had already expired: Maryland, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont have retroactively abolished the deadline, and states including Rhode Island (window open July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2028) and California (two adult revival provisions running through 2026 and 2027) have live revival windows. Everywhere else the deadline below is the one that counts — childhood and adult claims almost always follow different rules, so check both columns for your state.
Two tracks, two rules. Every state treats abuse of a minor and assault of an adult under different statutes — this table researches both separately. Deadlines in this area change faster than almost any other field of law (four states changed their rules since 2023 alone), several revival windows are under constitutional challenge, and special rules (government defendants, notice-of-claim requirements) can shorten what you see here. Statutes change; if a citation link shows a different rule, the statute wins.
Where expired claims can be filed today — 9 jurisdictions
Two mechanisms: permanent retroactive abolition of the deadline (the Maryland model), and time-limited revival windows. Conditional paths are quoted as such.
California
Revival path openYes — two adult revival paths are open today; the childhood window (AB 218) closed Dec 31, 2022. (1) CCP § 340.16(b)(3) (enacted by AB 2777): adult sexual assault based on conduct on or after Jan 1, 2009, revived claims may be commenced until December 31, 2026 — no cover-up requirement. (2) CCP § 340.16(e) (rewritten by AB 250, Stats. 2025 ch. 682): claims otherwise barred before Jan 1, 2026 may be commenced Jan 1, 2…
Iowa
Revival path openIowa currently has a narrow, still-open revival window limited exclusively to claims against the bankruptcy estate of a congressionally chartered organization whose bankruptcy was initiated February 18, 2020 — i.e. claims within the Boy Scouts of America national bankruptcy settlement. 2024 Iowa Acts, ch. 1089 (S.F. 2431) revives such claims 'notwithstanding any then applicable statute of limitation,' applies retroac…
Maryland
Deadline abolished retroactivelyMaryland's Child Victims Act of 2023 (Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. §5-117), effective October 1, 2023, permanently and retroactively abolished the civil SOL for childhood sexual abuse: claims 'may be filed at any time,' applying even to claims already time-barred before the Act. Its constitutionality was directly challenged (institutions argued a 2017 predecessor law created a vested 'statute of repose') and UPHE…
Nevada
Deadline abolished retroactivelyNevada permanently abolished the civil statute of limitations for sexual abuse/exploitation of a minor against the perpetrator (NRS 11.215(1): 'at any time'), and the 2021 enacting act (2021 Nev. Stat., ch. 288, S.B. 203) expressly makes this retroactive: it applies to any qualifying act occurring before the act's effective date 'regardless of any statute of limitations that was in effect,' explicitly reviving civil …
North Carolina
Revival path openNorth Carolina's original SAFE Child Act lookback window (S.L. 2019-245, § 4.2(b)) revived all civil childhood-sexual-abuse claims time-barred under the prior G.S. 1-52, but only for filings between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021 — that calendar window is CLOSED. However, the same Act permanently added G.S. 1-17(e), still in force today with no sunset date: a plaintiff may file a civil action for childhood sex…
Oregon
Deadline abolished retroactivelyOregon has permanently abolished the civil SOL for child sexual abuse claims against the direct abuser (ORS 12.117(1)(b): claims 'may be commenced at any time'), and this abolition operates retroactively to revive previously time-barred claims. Each time the legislature extended or eliminated the ORS 12.117 deadline it added an explicit revival clause reaching back to claims already barred under the prior version — f…
Rhode Island
Revival path openRhode Island has an open, two-year civil revival window running July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028, enacted by H-7200A/S-2616A (signed by Gov. Dan McKee on June 11, 2026), amending R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-51. The revival covers claims against NON-PERPETRATOR defendants (institutions and supervisors — negligent supervision, hiring, training, monitoring, failure to report, or concealment) for childhood sexual abuse (victi…
Vermont
Deadline abolished retroactivelyVermont permanently and retroactively abolished the civil SOL for childhood sexual abuse. 12 V.S.A. § 522(d) makes the 2019 elimination of the limitations period apply retroactively to abuse occurring before July 1, 2019, 'irrespective of any statute of limitations in effect at the time the abuse occurred' — reviving even claims that were already fully time-barred. The Vermont Supreme Court upheld this retroactivity …
West Virginia
Revival path openWest Virginia has no discrete, calendar-dated lookback window (unlike NY/NJ/CA-style 1-2 year filing periods). Instead it reaches the same practical result — reviving already time-barred claims — through an extended, expressly retroactive statute of limitations. W. Va. Code § 55-2-15(a) sets the SOL for actions against the PERPETRATOR at 18 years after the victim reaches majority (i.e., until age 36) or 4 years after…
Civil deadlines in all 51 jurisdictions
“Childhood” = victim was a minor at the time; “Adult” = victim was 18 or older. The rule column spells out discovery alternatives and scope limits. Click a citation to read the statute itself. Rows marked † carry an open verification note — we show our best-supported reading rather than a guess.
| State | Childhood claims | The childhood rule | Adult claims | Statutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama † | by age 25 | No single dedicated childhood sexual abuse SOL, but Ala. Code § 6-2-8(b) (added by Act 2019-480, § 1) gives a specific 6-year tolling period -- not the general 3-year period under § 6-2-8(a) -- for any of the actions enumerated in Chapter 2 where 'the injury upon which the action is based arises from a sex offense as described in Section 15-20A-5.' A minor plaintiff (disability ends at 19 under Alabama law) therefore has until age 25 to sue, whether the claim is against the abuser directly (assault/battery, 6-year period under § 6-2-34(1)) or against a third party for negligent supervision etc. (2-year catch-all under § 6-2-38(l)) -- both are 'actions enumerated in this chapter' and both arise from a sex offense, so both get the 6-year post-majority window rather than the shorter general-disability period the base row used. Whether the separate 20-year-from-accrual outer cap stated in § 6-2-8(a) also constrains § 6-2-8(b) claims is not resolved by the statutory text or by located case law -- flagged for review. | 6 years. No adult-specific sexual assault statute. Sexual assault sounds in the tort of assault and battery / trespass to the person, governed by the general 6-year limitations period. Ala. Code § 6-2-34(1). No discovery rule. | Ala. Code § 6-2-8(a)-(b) (as amended by Act 2019-480, § 1) · Ala. Code § 6-2-34(1) |
| Alaska | No time limit | No time limit for civil actions based on conduct that would constitute felony sexual abuse of a minor (or felony sexual assault, unlawful exploitation of a minor, felony sex trafficking, or felony human trafficking) — Alaska Stat. § 09.10.065(a). Conduct rising only to misdemeanor sexual abuse of a minor, incest, or felony indecent exposure must be sued on within 3 years of accrual (§ 09.10.065(b)). This provision does not retroactively revive claims already time-barred before the statute's Oct. 1, 2001 effective date (Catholic Bishop of N. Alaska v. Doe, 141 P.3d 719 (Alaska 2006)). | No time limit for civil actions based on conduct that would constitute felony sexual assault against a victim of any age. Alaska Stat. § 09.10.065(a)(2). Misdemeanor sexual assault: 3 years from accrual (§ 09.10.065(b)(2)). | Alaska Stat. § 09.10.065(a)-(b) · Alaska Stat. § 09.10.065(a)(2), (b)(2) |
| Arizona | by age 30 | Action must commence within 12 years after the plaintiff reaches 18 years of age, i.e. by age 30 — A.R.S. § 12-514(A)(1) (injury from an act causing sexual conduct/contact against a minor) and (A)(2) (failure to report under § 13-3620). Enacted 2019 (SB 1030). | 2 years. No adult-specific sexual assault provision; the general personal-injury statute of limitations applies: action must commence within 2 years after the cause of action accrues. A.R.S. § 12-542(A)(1). (A.R.S. § 12-511 separately extends the deadline by 1 year after final disposition of any related criminal proceeding against the defendant.) | A.R.S. § 12-514(A) · A.R.S. § 12-542 |
| Arkansas † | Rule-based | Discovery-only rule, no fixed age cap: for sexual abuse that occurred when the injured person was a minor but is not discovered until after reaching the age of majority, action must be brought within 3 years from the time of discovery of the sexual abuse. Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-130(a). If discovered while still a minor or shortly after majority, this section's plain text does not apply; general minority tolling plus the 3-year personal-injury statute (§ 16-56-105) would instead govern. | 3 years. No adult-specific sexual assault statute; the general 3-year limitations period for tort/negligence actions applies. Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-105(3) ('liability, expressed or implied'), as construed by Arkansas courts to govern personal-injury and negligence claims generally (e.g., Sublett v. Hipps, 330 Ark. 58 (1997); Tate v. Lab. Corp. of Am. Holdings (Ark. Ct. App. 2008)). | Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-130(a) · Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-105 |
| California | No time limit | No time limit for the commencement of a childhood sexual assault action. Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 340.1(a), as amended by Stats. 2023, ch. 655 (AB 452), eff. Jan. 1, 2024. Applies to claims where the childhood sexual assault occurred on or after Jan. 1, 2024 (§ 340.1(p)); for assault occurring on or before Dec. 31, 2023, the prior rule (commence within 22 years of reaching majority, i.e. by age 40, or within 5 years of discovery, whichever is later) still governs. A certificate of merit is required if the plaintiff is 40 or older at filing — a procedural filing requirement, not a limitations bar. | 10 years. The later of: (1) 10 years from the date of the last act of sexual assault, or (2) 3 years from the date the plaintiff discovers or reasonably should have discovered an injury or illness caused by the assault. Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 340.16(a). Applies where the assault occurred on or after the plaintiff's 18th birthday, for enumerated Penal Code offenses (§§ 243.4, 261, 264.1, 286, 287, 289, former §§ 262, 288a) or an attempt/assault with intent to commit them. | Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 340.1(a), (p) · Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 340.16(a) |
| Colorado | No time limit | No time limit — 'any civil action based on sexual misconduct, including any derivative claim, may be commenced at any time without limitation.' Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-103.7(1)(a), as amended by SB21-073, eff. Jan. 1, 2022. Applies to causes of action accruing on/after Jan. 1, 2022, and to earlier causes of action not yet time-barred as of that date (§ 13-80-103.7(1)(b)). Covers 'sexual offense against a child' per cross-reference to Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-3-411. | No time limit — same provision as childhood claims: 'any civil action based on sexual misconduct... may be commenced at any time without limitation.' Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-103.7(1)(a). 'Sexual misconduct' is defined in § 13-80-103.7(2) to include specified felony/first-degree-misdemeanor sex offenses against a person of any age. Applies to causes of action accruing on/after Jan. 1, 2022 (or earlier if not yet time-barred as of that date). | Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-103.7(1)(a), (3) · Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-103.7(1)(a), (2) |
| Connecticut | by age 51 | Action may not be brought later than 30 years from the date the person attains age 21 — i.e. by age 51. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-577d. Applies to personal injury (including emotional distress) to a person under 21 years of age caused by sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, or sexual assault. No discovery-rule alternative is stated in the statute itself. | 3 years. No sexual-assault-specific provision for persons who were 21 or older at the time of the assault (persons under 21, including ages 18-20, instead fall under the extended rule of Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-577d — 30 years from attaining age 21). For those 21 or older, the general tort statute of limitations applies: 3 years from the date of the act or omission. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-577. | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-577d · Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-577 |
| Delaware | No time limit | No time limit — a cause of action based on the sexual abuse of a minor by an adult may be filed at any time following the commission of the act(s). 10 Del. C. § 8145(a) (enacted 2007). Applies specifically to abuse of a minor 'by an adult'; the section's separate 2-year revival window (§ 8145(b)) for previously time-barred claims closed in July 2009 and is not part of the current prospective rule. | 2 years. No sexual-assault-specific provision for adult victims; the general personal-injury statute of limitations applies: 2 years from the date the injury was sustained. 10 Del. C. § 8119. | 10 Del. C. § 8145(a) · 10 Del. C. § 8119 |
| District of Columbia | by age 40 | For sexual abuse that occurred while the victim was under 35 (which includes all minors): barred at the date the victim attains age 40, or 5 years from when the victim knew or reasonably should have known of the abuse, whichever is later. D.C. Code § 12-301(a)(11), as amended by D.C. Law 22-311 (2019). | Not a single uniform adult rule — D.C. Code § 12-301(a) splits by the victim's age at the time of the abuse: (11) abuse while the victim was under 35 (covers adults aged 18-34 as well as minors): barred at the date the victim turns 40, or 5 years from discovery, whichever is later; (12) abuse while the victim was 35 or older: barred 5 years from accrual, or 5 years from discovery, whichever is later. D.C. Code § 12-301(a)(11)-(12), as amended by D.C. Law 22-311 (2019). | D.C. Code § 12-301(a)(11) · D.C. Code § 12-301(a)(11)-(12) |
| Florida | No time limit | Not expressible as a single age. No time limit for victims under 16 at the time of a sexual battery (Fla. Stat. § 794.011) offense (Fla. Stat. § 95.11(10)). For other childhood abuse-based intentional torts (including incest and human trafficking under § 787.061), action may be commenced within 7 years after the age of majority (about age 25), or within 4 years after the injured person leaves the abuser's dependency, or within 4 years from discovery of the injury and its causal relationship to the abuse — whichever occurs later (Fla. Stat. § 95.11(8)). | 4 years. No sexual-assault-specific SOL for adult (18+) victims; general 4-year intentional-tort limitations period applies (Fla. Stat. § 95.11(3)(n)), since sexual battery/assault of an adult is pled as a battery/intentional tort. | Fla. Stat. § 95.11(10) · Fla. Stat. § 95.11(3)(n) |
| Georgia | by age 23 | 23 (age); action must be commenced on or before the date the plaintiff turns 23, for childhood sexual abuse committed on or after July 1, 2015. Alternatively, action may be commenced within 2 years from the date the plaintiff knew or had reason to know of the abuse and that it caused injury (established by competent medical/psychological evidence), even after age 23, subject to a court pretrial finding on the discovery date (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33.1(b)(2)). | 2 years. No sexual-assault-specific SOL for adult (18+) victims; general personal-injury limitation applies: 2 years from accrual (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33). May be tolled up to 6 additional years while a related criminal prosecution is pending (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-99). | O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33.1(b)(2)(A) · O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33 |
| Hawaii | by age 50 | 50 (age); i.e., 32 years after the victim's 18th birthday, or 5 years from discovery of psychological injury/illness caused by the abuse, whichever is later. Applies to sexual abuse committed on or after July 1, 2024 (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 657-1.8(a)(2)). For abuse committed before July 1, 2024: 8 years after the 18th birthday (age 26), or 3 years from discovery, whichever is later (§ 657-1.8(a)(1)). | 2 years. No sexual-assault-specific SOL for adult (18+) victims; general personal-injury limitation applies: 2 years (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 657-7). | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 657-1.8(a)(2) · Haw. Rev. Stat. § 657-7 |
| Idaho | by age 23 | 23 (age); i.e., 5 years after turning 18. Alternatively, action may be commenced within 5 years of the time the (now-adult) survivor discovers or reasonably should have discovered the abuse and its causal relationship to an injury, whichever is later — this discovery track has no fixed outer age cap (Idaho Code § 6-1704(1)). | 2 years. No sexual-assault-specific SOL for adult (18+) victims; general 2-year limitations period for intentional torts applies (Idaho Code § 5-219(5), covering 'assault, battery ... or seduction'; the general personal-injury period under § 5-219(4) is likewise 2 years). Idaho is not a discovery jurisdiction for this claim type — the cause of action accrues when 'some damage' becomes objectively ascertainable, generally at the time of the assault. | Idaho Code § 6-1704(1) · Idaho Code § 5-219(4)-(5) |
| Illinois | No time limit | No time limit — action may be commenced at any time (735 ILCS 5/13-202.2(f)), for childhood sexual abuse (an act of sexual abuse occurring when the victim was under 18). | 2 years. No sexual-assault-specific SOL for adult (18+) victims as a standalone statute; general personal injury limitation of 2 years applies (735 ILCS 5/13-202). Exception: if damages arise from the commission of a Class X felony (e.g., aggravated criminal sexual assault) and the perpetrator is convicted of that crime, there is no time limit. Also, 735 ILCS 5/13-202.3 tolls the 2-year period for sexual-conduct/sexual-penetration injuries while the victim is subject to threats, intimidation, manipulation, or fraud by the perpetrator. | 735 ILCS 5/13-202.2(f) · 735 ILCS 5/13-202 |
| Indiana | Rule-based | Not expressible as a single age. Action must be commenced within the later of: (1) 7 years after the cause of action accrues (generally the date of the abuse), or (2) 4 years after the person ceases to be a dependent of the alleged abuser (Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4(b)). Unlike most states, this is not anchored to the victim's age of majority. | 2 years. No sexual-assault-specific SOL for adult (18+) victims; general personal-injury limitation applies: 2 years after the cause of action accrues (Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4(a)(1)), covering injury to person including intentional torts such as assault/battery. | Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4(b) · Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4(a)(1) |
| Iowa | Rule-based | Not expressible as a single age. Iowa's specific sexual-abuse-of-a-'child' discovery statute (Iowa Code § 614.8A) applies only where the abuse was not discovered until after the age of majority, and Iowa courts have held 'child' in this section means a person under 14 years of age (Iowa Code § 702.5; Doe v. Cherwitz, 518 N.W.2d 362 (Iowa 1994)): in that case, suit must be brought within 4 years of discovering both the injury and its causal link to the abuse, with no fixed outer age limit stated in the statute. If the abuse WAS discovered while the victim was still a minor (or the victim was 14-17 at the time of abuse), the general personal-injury SOL applies (2 years, Iowa Code § 614.1(2)), generally tolled during minority. Separately, sexual abuse by a counselor, therapist, school employee, or adult providing training/instruction must be brought within 5 years of the date the victim was last treated or last enrolled/attended the school (Iowa Code § 614.1(12)), regardless of the victim's age. | 2 years. No sexual-assault-specific SOL for adult (18+) victims; general personal-injury limitation applies: 2 years (Iowa Code § 614.1(2)). | Iowa Code § 614.8A · Iowa Code § 614.1(2) |
| Kansas | by age 31 | 31 (age); i.e., 13 years after the victim turns 18. Alternatively, action may be commenced within 3 years after a criminal conviction for a qualifying offense related to the abuse, if that is later (no fixed age cap on this conviction-based track) (K.S.A. § 60-523(a)). | 1 years. No sexual-assault-specific SOL for adult (18+) victims; Kansas has no separate statute for sexual assault of an adult. The claim is pled as a battery, governed by the 1-year limitation period for 'assault, battery, malicious prosecution, or false imprisonment' under K.S.A. § 60-514(b) — Kansas courts apply this 1-year period to intentional-tort claims such as battery (Baska v. Scherzer, 283 Kan. 750, 764 (2007)). This is shorter than Kansas's general 2-year personal-injury catch-all (K.S.A. § 60-513(a)(4)), which by its own terms applies only to injuries 'not herein enumerated' elsewhere (i.e., not to assault/battery). | K.S.A. § 60-523(a) · K.S.A. § 60-514(b) |
| Kentucky | by age 28 | 28 (age); i.e., 10 years after the victim turns 18 (KRS § 413.249(2)). Applies to claims against both the perpetrator and entities whose wrongful/negligent act was a legal cause of the abuse (KRS § 413.249(3)). | 5 years. 5 (years); this is a scoped sexual-offense civil SOL (not Kentucky's general 1-year personal-injury/battery SOL) covering enumerated sex offenses under KRS Chapter 510 (rape, sodomy, sexual abuse degrees), certain KRS 529.100/.110 commercial-sexual-activity offenses, incest (530.020), and use of a minor in a sexual performance (531.090/.100), committed against a victim 18 or older. The 5-year period runs from whichever of these events occurs last: (a) the act (or last act by the same perpetrator), (b) the date the victim knew or should have known of the act, (c) the date the victim learned the perpetrator's identity, or (d) the date of the civil defendant's criminal conviction for a qualifying offense (KRS § 413.2485(2)). For sexual-offense claims outside this statute's enumerated scope, Kentucky's general 1-year personal-injury/battery limitations period applies instead (KRS § 413.140(1)(a)). | KRS § 413.249(2) · KRS § 413.2485(2) |
| Louisiana | No time limit | No time limit — the civil action for sexual abuse of a minor does not prescribe (Louisiana's term for statute of limitations). Same rule applies to physical abuse of a minor resulting in permanent impairment/injury/scarring, and to any action against a person convicted of a crime against the child. | 3 years. 3 years from the day the injury/damage is sustained, or from the day the victim is notified of the offender's identity by law enforcement or a judicial agency, whichever is later. This is a dedicated sexual-assault provision (not the general PI prescriptive period), applying to 'any act of sexual assault' as defined in La. R.S. 46:2184. | La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 9:2800.9(A)(1) · La. Civ. Code art. 3496.2 |
| Maine | No time limit | No time limit — actions based upon sexual acts toward minors may be commenced at any time. | 6 years. General personal-injury/tort statute of limitations — Maine has no sexual-assault-specific civil statute for adults. A 2021 amendment (PL 2021, c. 207) removed assault, battery, and false imprisonment from the special 2-year bucket in 14 M.R.S. §753 (leaving only slander/libel there), so claims sounding in assault/battery — including adult sexual assault — now fall under the general 6-year tort period. | 14 M.R.S. § 752-C(1) · 14 M.R.S. § 752 |
| Maryland | No time limit | No time limit — an action for damages arising out of a claim or claims of sexual abuse that occurred while the victim was a minor may be filed at any time (Child Victims Act of 2023). | 3 years. General three-year civil limitation period — Maryland has no sexual-assault-specific civil statute for adults. The 1-year period in CJP §5-105 applies only to the narrow tort of 'assault' (plus libel/slander); adult sexual assault/rape claims are typically pled as battery, which is not listed in §5-105 and is therefore governed by the general three-year period in §5-101. | Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-117(b) · Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-101 |
| Massachusetts | by age 53 | 35 years from the acts alleged to have caused the injury, OR 7 years from when the victim discovered or reasonably should have discovered the emotional/psychological injury was caused by the abuse — whichever expires later. The 35-year period is tolled (does not begin running) until the victim turns 18, so for abuse occurring in childhood the effective outer deadline is the victim's 53rd birthday (18 + 35), subject to the alternative 7-year discovery track running later still. | 3 years. General tort statute of limitations — Massachusetts has no sexual-assault-specific civil statute for adults (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, §4C is expressly limited to abuse occurring while the victim was a minor). | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 4C · Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2A |
| Michigan | by age 28 | Age 28, OR 3 years after the individual discovers (or through reasonable diligence should have discovered) both the injury and its causal relationship to the criminal sexual conduct — whichever is later. Does not apply retroactively to claims already time-barred before this provision's 2018 enactment (Michigan Supreme Court, McLain v. Roman Catholic Diocese of Lansing, 514 Mich. 1 (2024)). | 10 years. 10 years for a civil action to recover damages sustained because of 'criminal sexual conduct' (Michigan's statutory term covering rape/sexual-assault offenses under MCL 750.520b–520g). No criminal conviction is required. This is a dedicated sexual-conduct provision, not the general PI SOL, and applies without an age restriction (minor victims may additionally invoke the more generous age-28/discovery rule in MCL 600.5851b). | Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5851b(1) · Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5805(6) |
| Minnesota † | No time limit | No time limit for an action against the person who committed sexual abuse of a minor, or against a person who negligently permitted such abuse — 'may be commenced at any time in the case of alleged sexual abuse of an individual under the age of 18' — EXCEPT: (1) a claim against a natural-person abuser who was under 14 years old at the time of the abuse must be commenced before the plaintiff turns 24; and (2) a claim based on vicarious liability/respondeat superior (e.g., against an institution) must be commenced within 6 years of the alleged abuse, or before the plaintiff turns 24 if the plaintiff was under 18 at the time. | 6 years. 6 years from the alleged sexual abuse, for sexual abuse of an individual who was 18 years or older at the time. This is Minnesota's dedicated sexual-abuse civil-action statute (defining 'sexual abuse' as conduct described in Minn. Stat. §§ 609.342–609.3451, 609.3458), not the general PI SOL. | Minn. Stat. § 541.073, subd. 2(a) · Minn. Stat. § 541.073, subd. 2(a)(1) |
| Mississippi † | by age 24 | Mississippi has NO dedicated childhood-sexual-abuse civil statute of limitations. The general 'catch-all' personal-injury SOL (3 years, Miss. Code Ann. §15-1-49(1)) applies, tolled during the plaintiff's minority under the general minors'-savings statute (Miss. Code Ann. §15-1-59) until the disability of infancy is removed. Mississippi's statutory age of majority for this purpose is 21 (Miss. Code Ann. §1-3-27), so a childhood sexual abuse claim generally must be filed by the victim's 24th birthday (21 + 3 years). No discovery-rule extension applies, as Mississippi courts have declined to extend §15-1-49(2)'s discovery rule to intentional torts. | 1 years. 1 year, under the intentional-torts provision covering 'assault, assault and battery.' Mississippi has no sexual-assault-specific civil statute; Mississippi courts apply the 1-year period strictly to civil claims sounding in assault/battery (including violent sexual attacks) and have refused to let plaintiffs recharacterize such claims as 'negligence' to invoke the longer 3-year catch-all period. | Miss. Code Ann. §§ 15-1-49(1), 15-1-59, 1-3-27 · Miss. Code Ann. § 15-1-35 |
| Missouri | by age 31 | 10 years after the plaintiff turns 21 (i.e., generally by the victim's 31st birthday), OR 3 years after the plaintiff discovers or reasonably should have discovered that the injury/illness was caused by the childhood sexual abuse — whichever is later. Applies to actions against the individual abuser (subsec. 2) and, per subsec. 1's definition, is keyed to abuse occurring under age 18. Effective for actions arising on or after August 28, 2025 (Missouri has periodically expanded this provision; earlier versions used shorter age-18/age-21-based formulas). | 2 years. 2 years, for an action alleging assault or battery. Missouri has no sexual-assault-specific civil statute; Missouri case law confirms sexual abuse/assault of an adult may be brought as a battery action subject to this 2-year period (as opposed to the 5-year residual tort period in §516.120(4), which applies only to torts 'not herein otherwise enumerated'). | Mo. Rev. Stat. § 537.046.2 · Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.140 |
| Montana | by age 27 | Age 27, OR not later than 3 years after the plaintiff discovers or reasonably should have discovered that the injury was caused by the act of childhood sexual abuse — whichever is later. The identical age-27/3-years-discovery formula applies both to an action against the individual abuser (subsec. 1) and to an action against an entity whose wrongful/negligent act was a legal cause of the abuse (subsec. 3). | 2 years. 2 years, for an action for 'assault, battery ... or seduction.' Montana has no standalone sexual-assault-specific civil statute for adults; a claim pled as an intentional tort (assault/battery) is subject to this 2-year period, while the same facts pled on a negligence theory (e.g., negligent security, negligent hiring/retention/supervision) are subject to the general 3-year period in the same section's subsection (1). | Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-216(1) · Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-204(3) |
| Nebraska | No time limit | Bifurcated rule, not a single age: no time limit at all against the individual perpetrator (for violations of §§ 28-319.01/28-320.01 occurring on/after Aug 24, 2017, or earlier if not already time-barred); an action against any other person or entity (e.g., an institution) must be brought within 12 years after the plaintiff's 21st birthday (i.e., by age 33). | 4 years. No Nebraska-specific adult sexual assault SOL; the general catch-all personal-injury tort SOL applies: 4 years from the injury. | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-228 · Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-207(3) |
| Nevada | No time limit | No time limit against the alleged perpetrator or a person convicted of the sexual abuse/exploitation. This limitations waiver applies only to claims against the perpetrator/convicted person, not to third parties (Nevada Supreme Court has held NRS 11.215(1) does not extend to non-perpetrator defendants). | No time limit against the alleged perpetrator or a person convicted of the sexual assault. | Nev. Rev. Stat. § 11.215(1) · Nev. Rev. Stat. § 11.217(1) |
| New Hampshire | No time limit | No time limit: a person subjected to any offense under RSA 632-A (Sexual Assault and Related Offenses) or RSA 639:2 (Incest) may commence a personal action at any time. RSA 632-A is not limited to child victims, so this single provision governs both childhood and adult sexual-assault civil claims in New Hampshire; current text effective September 18, 2020. | No time limit: same statute as childhood — a person subjected to any RSA 632-A (Sexual Assault and Related Offenses, victims of any age) or RSA 639:2 (Incest) offense may commence a personal action at any time. | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 508:4-g |
| New Jersey | by age 55 | 37 years after the minor reaches the age of majority (18 + 37 = 55), or 7 years from the date of reasonable discovery of the injury and its causal relationship to the act, whichever is later. | Discovery-only rule with no fixed years-from-act cap: action must be commenced within 7 years from the date of reasonable discovery of the injury and its causal relationship to the act (not 7 years from the act itself). | N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2A:14-2a(a)(1) · N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2A:14-2a(b)(1) |
| New Mexico † | by age 24 | Before the person's 24th birthday, or 3 years from the date the person first disclosed the childhood sexual abuse to a licensed medical or mental health care provider in the context of receiving health care, whichever is later. | 3 years. No New Mexico-specific adult sexual assault SOL; the general personal-injury SOL applies: 3 years from the injury. | N.M. Stat. Ann. § 37-1-30(A) · N.M. Stat. Ann. § 37-1-8 |
| New York | by age 55 | Action may be commenced against any party whose intentional or negligent acts or omissions resulted in a Penal Law Article 130 sexual offense, specified incest, or use of the person in a sexual performance, committed against a person under 18, on or before the plaintiff reaches age 55. | 20 years. 20 years from the act, but only for the specific enumerated sex offenses listed in the statute (various degrees of rape, certain aggravated sexual abuse, incest, course of sexual conduct against a child) — not all Article 130 Penal Law sexual offenses. This provision applies except where CPLR 208(b) (victim under 18 at time of conduct) governs instead. | N.Y. C.P.L.R. § 208(b) · N.Y. C.P.L.R. § 213-c |
| North Carolina | by age 28 | A plaintiff may file a civil action for sexual abuse suffered while under 18 years of age until reaching age 28. A separate provision allows filing within 2 years of a related felony sexual-offense criminal conviction, regardless of this age cap. | 3 years. No North Carolina-specific adult sexual assault SOL; sexual assault of an adult is pursued as an assault/battery tort and governed by North Carolina's general 3-year personal-injury/assault-battery SOL. | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-17(d) · N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-52(19) |
| North Dakota | Rule-based | 21 years after the claim resulting from childhood sexual abuse accrues (accrual is not fixed to a single age). If the plaintiff was under 15 years of age at the time of the abusive act, the 21-year period does not begin to run until the plaintiff turns 15 — so the deadline is not expressible as one fixed age. | 9 years. 9 years after the date of the act, for claims resulting from sexual assault, sexual abuse, gross sexual imposition, or another sexual act/contact offense as defined in N.D. Cent. Code ch. 12.1-20. | N.D. Cent. Code § 28-01-25.1 · N.D. Cent. Code § 28-01-25.2 |
| Ohio | by age 30 | 12 years after the cause of action accrues; accrual occurs on the date the victim reaches the age of majority (18) — i.e., the deadline is effectively the victim's 30th birthday. | 1 years. No Ohio-specific adult sexual assault SOL; sexual assault of an adult is pursued as an assault/battery tort and governed by the general assault-and-battery SOL: 1 year after the cause of action accrues. (A narrower 2-year rule applies only to claims against a mental health professional for sexual conduct with a client, under R.C. 2305.115.) | Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.111(C)(1) and (C)(3) · Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.111(B) |
| Oklahoma | by age 45 | A civil action against the actual perpetrator for childhood sexual abuse, exploitation, or incest must be commenced by the victim's 45th birthday. If the perpetrator was employed by (or the abuse occurred through an activity controlled by) an institution/entity owing a duty of care to the child, the action against that employer/entity must instead be brought within 2 years, a period tolled until the child turns 18. | 1 years. Oklahoma has no special civil statute of limitations for sexual assault of an adult victim, but the correct general period is 1 year, not 2 years. A civil sexual-assault claim against the perpetrator sounds in common-law assault/battery, which 12 Okla. Stat. § 95(A)(4) subjects to a 1-year limitations period. The 2-year residual period in § 95(A)(3) applies only to injuries 'not hereinafter enumerated' -- i.e., it expressly excludes torts already covered by a more specific subsection, and assault/battery is enumerated in (A)(4). | 12 Okla. Stat. § 95(A)(6) · 12 Okla. Stat. § 95(A)(4) (assault/battery limitation) |
| Oregon | by age 40 | Action must be commenced before the victim turns 40, or (if later) within 5 years of discovering the causal connection between the injury and the child abuse, whichever period is longer. Applies to rape of a child, sexual abuse of a child, and sexual exploitation of a child. Statute does not create a new cause of action. | 5 years. Oregon DOES have a special civil statute of limitations for sexual assault of an adult victim: ORS 12.118 (enacted 2019) provides that an action based on conduct constituting sexual assault, or conduct that knowingly allows/permits/encourages sexual assault, occurring when the victim is 18 or older must be commenced within 5 years from the date the person discovers, or in the exercise of reasonable care should have discovered, the causal connection between the sexual assault and the injury. This discovery-based period applies to all actions commenced on or after the statute's June 20, 2019 effective date, including claims previously barred under the general 2-year period. | Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.117(1) · Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.118 (added by 2019 c.448 §2, eff. June 20, 2019) |
| Pennsylvania | by age 55 | A childhood sexual-abuse victim (under 18 at accrual) has until age 55 (37 years after turning 18) to sue, regardless of whether a criminal complaint was filed. A narrower, separate rule covers survivors who were 18-24 at the time of qualifying forcible-compulsion sexual abuse: they have until age 30 (42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5533(b)(2)(i.1)). | Pennsylvania has no single adult-sexual-assault SOL; the applicable period depends on the survivor's age at the time of the abuse. A survivor who was 18-24 years old at the time of qualifying forcible-compulsion sexual abuse has until age 30 to sue (42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5533(b)(2)(i.1)). A survivor who was 25 or older at the time of the assault (or whose claim does not meet the forcible-compulsion definition in § 5533(b)(2)(ii)) is subject to the general 2-year personal-injury limitations period (42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5524(2),(7)). | 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5533(b)(2)(i) · 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5533(b)(2)(i.1) |
| Rhode Island | Rule-based | Against either the perpetrator or a non-perpetrator (e.g., an institution whose negligent supervision/hiring/concealment caused or contributed to the abuse): the later of 35 years from the act, or 7 years from discovery of the causal connection; the running of this period is tolled for the victim until age 18. (Functionally, because the entire minority period is tolled, this is commonly described as a deadline around the victim's 53rd birthday, but the statute itself states a from-the-act/discovery formula rather than a stated age.) | 3 years. Rhode Island has no special civil statute of limitations for sexual assault of an adult victim; the general 3-year personal-injury period applies. (Claims based on sexual abuse of a child are expressly carved out to the separate childhood-abuse statute.) | R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-51(a)(1)-(2) · R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-14(b) (general personal-injury limitation) |
| South Carolina | by age 27 | Action must be commenced within 6 years after the victim turns 21 (i.e., by age 27), or within 3 years of discovery of the injury and its causal relationship to the abuse, whichever is later. Parental immunity is not a defense. | 3 years. South Carolina has no special civil statute of limitations for sexual assault of an adult victim; the general 3-year personal-injury period applies. | S.C. Code § 15-3-555(A) · S.C. Code § 15-3-530(5) (general personal-injury limitation) |
| South Dakota | Rule-based | Against the actual perpetrator: 3 years from the act, or 3 years from discovery of the causal connection, whichever is later — with NO age cap. Against any other person or entity (e.g., an institution sued for negligence), the same 3-year/discovery rule applies, but no recovery is permitted once the victim has reached age 40. | 3 years. South Dakota has no special civil statute of limitations for sexual assault of an adult victim; the general 3-year personal-injury period applies. | S.D. Codified Laws § 26-10-25 · S.D. Codified Laws § 15-2-14(3) (general personal-injury limitation) |
| Tennessee | by age 48 | For child sexual abuse occurring on or after July 1, 2025: within the later of 30 years after the victim turns 18 (i.e., by age 48), or (if the injury was not discovered at the time of the abuse) 3 years from discovery. This superseded the prior rule (abuse from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2025: 15 years after turning 18 / by age 33, or 3 years from discovery). A suit filed more than 1 year after the victim reaches majority against someone other than the alleged perpetrator requires admissible, credible corroborating evidence of the abuse claim. | 1 years. Tennessee has no special civil statute of limitations for sexual assault of an adult victim; the general 1-year personal-injury period applies -- one of the shortest personal-injury limitations periods in the country. | Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-116(b)(3), added by 2025 Tenn. Pub. Acts (H.B. 973 / S.B. 1070), eff. July 1, 2025 · Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104(a)(1)(A) (general personal-injury limitation) |
| Texas | Rule-based | A civil action must be brought not later than 30 years after the cause of action accrues, if the injury arises from conduct violating specified Penal Code child-sex offenses (sexual assault of a child, aggravated sexual assault of a child, continuous sexual abuse of a young child/disabled individual, certain child sex trafficking/compelling prostitution of a child, indecency with a child). Because the victim is a minor at accrual, Texas's general minority-tolling rule ('the time of the disability is not included in a limitations period') also applies, so in practice the 30-year period runs from the victim's 18th birthday -- commonly described as a deadline around age 48, though that figure is a computed reading combining two separate Civil Practice & Remedies Code sections, not an age stated directly in § 16.0045 itself. | 5 years. A civil action for injury arising from adult sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, trafficking of persons (other than child trafficking), or compelling prostitution of an adult must be brought within 5 years after the cause of action accrues. | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.0045(a) · Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.0045(b) |
| Utah † | No time limit | No time limit against the actual perpetrator -- a victim may sue at any time. Against a non-perpetrator (e.g., an institution), the deadline is 4 years after the victim turns 18, or (if the abuse is discovered only after turning 18) 4 years after discovery, whichever is later. A separate revival window allows previously time-barred claims against qualifying non-perpetrator defendants to be brought within 35 years of the victim's 18th birthday (subject to exceptions for finalized litigation and certain settlements). | 4 years. Utah has no statute specifically addressing sexual assault of an adult victim. The residual/catch-all 4-year limitations period for actions 'not otherwise provided for by law' applies. | Utah Code § 78B-2-308(3) · Utah Code § 78B-2-307(4) (general residual limitation) |
| Vermont | No time limit | No time limit — a civil action for damages for injury suffered as a result of childhood sexual (or physical) abuse may be commenced at any time after the act alleged to have caused the injury or condition (12 V.S.A. § 522(a)). 'Childhood sexual abuse' = victim under 18 at the time of the act. | 3 years. Vermont has no sexual-assault-specific civil statute of limitations for adults (12 V.S.A. § 522 applies only where the victim was under 18 at the time of the act). The general personal injury statute applies: 3 years, accruing from the date of discovery of the injury (12 V.S.A. § 512(4)); ordinary assault and battery claims carry the same 3-year period under § 512(1). | 12 V.S.A. § 522(a) · 12 V.S.A. § 512(1), (4) |
| Virginia † | Rule-based | 20 years after the cause of action accrues (Va. Code § 8.01-243(D)). The subsection itself states no explicit age cap; it is not reducible to a single stated age without applying Virginia's SEPARATE general infancy-tolling statute (§ 8.01-229(A)(2)(a)), under which a minor's cause of action generally does not begin to run until the disability of infancy (under 18) ends — commonly cited by practitioners as yielding an effective outer limit around the victim's 38th birthday, but this is a derived combination of two statutes, not a directly stated age. | 10 years. For a cause of action accruing on or after July 1, 2020, the general civil SOL for sexual abuse other than during infancy/incapacity (i.e., the default rule covering adult victims) is 10 years after accrual (Va. Code § 8.01-243(D1)). A longer 15-year period applies specifically where the abuse occurred when the victim was 18 or older AND was committed by a 'person of authority' — defined as 'a person in a position of trust having influence over the victim's life' (§ 8.01-243(D2)). | Va. Code § 8.01-243(D) · Va. Code § 8.01-243(D1) |
| Washington | No time limit | No time limit for bringing a claim based on intentional conduct for childhood sexual abuse when the act occurs on or after June 6, 2024 (RCW 4.16.340(6)). For abuse occurring BEFORE June 6, 2024, a three-part discovery framework instead applies: the later of (a) 3 years from the act, (b) 3 years from when the victim discovered or reasonably should have discovered the injury was caused by the act, or (c) 3 years from when the victim discovered the act caused the injury — tolled until the victim turns 18 (RCW 4.16.340(1), (3)). | 2 years. Washington has no sexual-assault-specific civil statute of limitations for adults; civil sexual assault claims are treated as the intentional tort of assault/battery and governed by the general 2-year period of RCW 4.16.100(1). | RCW 4.16.340(6) · RCW 4.16.100(1) |
| West Virginia † | by age 36 | A personal action against the perpetrator for sexual assault or sexual abuse of a person who was an infant (minor) at the time of the act must be brought within 18 years after reaching the age of majority (i.e., by the victim's 36th birthday, since West Virginia's age of majority is 18), or within 4 years after discovery of the sexual assault or sexual abuse, whichever is longer (W. Va. Code § 55-2-15(a)). Claims against a person or entity that aided, abetted, or concealed the abuse must be brought within 18 years after reaching the age of majority only — no discovery-based alternative applies to such third-party claims. | 2 years. West Virginia has no sexual-assault-specific civil statute of limitations for adults — the only sexual-abuse-specific provision, § 55-2-15(a), applies solely to victims who were infants (minors) at the time of the act. The general personal-injury statute therefore applies: 2 years after accrual (W. Va. Code § 55-2-12(b)). | W. Va. Code § 55-2-15(a) · W. Va. Code § 55-2-12(b) |
| Wisconsin | by age 35 | An action to recover damages for injury caused by an act that would constitute a violation of a Wisconsin child sexual assault statute (Wis. Stat. §§ 948.02, 948.025, 948.06, 948.085, or 948.095) or that would create a cause of action for clergy sexual contact with a minor under § 895.442 must be commenced before the injured party turns 35, or is barred (Wis. Stat. § 893.587). Per Fleming v. Amateur Athletic Union of the U.S., Inc., 2023 WI 40, this age-35 deadline applies only to claims alleging the defendant itself committed one of the enumerated acts; a claim against a third party (e.g., for negligent hiring or supervision) that does not allege the third party committed an enumerated act falls instead under the general personal-injury SOL (3 years, extended to age 20 for minors under § 893.16). | 3 years. Wisconsin has no sexual-assault-specific civil statute of limitations for adults; the general personal-injury statute applies: 3 years from accrual (Wis. Stat. § 893.54(1m)(a)). | Wis. Stat. § 893.587 · Wis. Stat. § 893.54(1m)(a) |
| Wyoming | by age 26 | Notwithstanding the general limitations periods, a civil action based upon sexual assault (as defined by Wyo. Stat. § 6-2-301(a)(v)) against a minor may be brought within the later of: (i) 8 years after the minor's 18th birthday (i.e., by age 26), or (ii) 3 years after discovery (Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(b)). Because the two alternatives run to whichever is later, the 3-year discovery window can extend the deadline past age 26 if discovery occurs after that age. | 4 years. Wyoming has no sexual-assault-specific civil statute of limitations for adults. Section 1-3-105(a)(v)(B) explicitly excludes sexual assault from the 1-year assault/battery period ('Assault or battery not including sexual assault'), leaving the 4-year general/residual personal-injury period of § 1-3-105(a)(iv)(C) ('An injury to the rights of the plaintiff, not arising on contract and not herein enumerated') as the applicable civil SOL for adult sexual assault claims. | Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(b) · Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(iv)(C), (a)(v)(B) |
Unsure which rule applies to you?
Deadline questions in abuse cases are rarely as simple as one number — discovery rules, tolling and defendant type all matter, and several windows close on fixed dates. A free, confidential case review puts your dates against your state’s actual rules.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a deadline to file a sexual abuse lawsuit?
It depends entirely on your state and on whether the abuse happened as a child or as an adult. 16 states currently have no civil time limit at all for childhood sexual abuse claims; most others use an age deadline (commonly between age 25 and 55) often paired with a discovery rule. Adult sexual assault claims usually have shorter deadlines — anywhere from 2 to 20+ years depending on the state. The table on this page shows the current rule for every jurisdiction with the statute cited.
My claim is already expired — can I still sue?
Possibly, in 9 jurisdictions. Maryland, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont have retroactively abolished the childhood-abuse deadline, so previously expired claims can be filed at any time. California, Iowa, North Carolina, Rhode Island, West Virginia currently have time-limited revival windows or conditional revival paths open. Everywhere else, expired claims generally stay expired unless the legislature acts — several states have bills pending.
What is a revival or lookback window?
A law that temporarily reopens the courthouse for claims that were already time-barred — typically for one to three years. New York's Child Victims Act window (2019–2021) and California's AB 218 window (2020–2022) produced thousands of filings and some of the largest settlements in US history. Rhode Island opened the newest window in July 2026; it runs through June 30, 2028 for claims against institutions.
Why do some states show 'rule-based' instead of an age?
Because their statute cannot honestly be reduced to a single age — for example, deadlines that run a fixed number of years from the act or from discovery of the connection between abuse and injury, whichever is later. For those states the table quotes the actual rule instead of forcing a misleading number.
Sources, method & reuse. Every rule was researched against the cited statute (or the state’s official publication of it) in two separate passes — childhood and adult tracks independently — then challenged by an adversarial verification pass; supporting quotes were additionally machine-checked verbatim against archived copies of the sources. Rows with an open verification note are marked †. Revival-window status was verified as of the date above, including pending constitutional challenges. This is legal information, not legal advice. The table is published under CC BY 4.0 — reuse with attribution to Settlement Insight Research.
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