Texas Statute of Limitations Calculator

    A statute of limitations is the deadline to file, and in Texas it is set by subject matter: two years for personal injury under Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003, four years for breach of a written contract or debt under § 16.004, four years as the residual civil period under § 16.051, two years for misdemeanors under Code of Criminal Procedure art. 12.02, three years for most other felonies under art. 12.01(9), and no limitations period at all for murder. This calculator applies the general rule to the date you enter and cites the Texas section that controls it.

    Last reviewed
    Reviewed by James Derick Winfrey, Attorney at Law

    Do not rely on this result to decide whether to file. Accrual dates, tolling, the discovery rule, and offense-specific exceptions routinely change the real deadline, and claims against governmental units have far shorter notice deadlines. If a deadline may be close, speak with an attorney immediately.

    1. Type of matter

    Civil claims (Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code)

    When it usually starts: Generally the date of the injury or death.

    Result

    Select a claim or offense and enter the accrual date to see the general Texas deadline.

    What can change your deadline

    • Accrual is often disputed. Many Texas claims accrue on the date of injury, but the discovery rule and fraudulent concealment can delay accrual.
    • Tolling can extend a deadline — for a minor or a person of unsound mind under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.001, or during a defendant's absence from Texas under § 16.063.
    • Claims against a governmental unit carry separate, much shorter notice deadlines under the Texas Tort Claims Act and local charters.
    • Criminal limitations periods can be extended by statutory exceptions, including DNA-evidence provisions, and are suspended during the pendency of a prior indictment.
    • Health care liability claims have pre-suit notice, expert report, and statute of repose requirements that operate separately from the two-year period.
    • Contractual and statutory deadlines in insurance policies, deeds, and plan documents may be shorter than the statute of limitations.

    Texas limitations periods at a glance

    General Texas statutes of limitations by claim or offense type
    Claim or offensePeriodTexas authority
    Personal injury or wrongful death2 yearsTex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003
    Damage or injury to personal property / conversion2 yearsTex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003
    Breach of contract / debt on a written obligation4 yearsTex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004
    Fraud or breach of fiduciary duty4 yearsTex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004
    Residual — any civil action with no specified period4 yearsTex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.051
    Defamation (libel or slander)1 yearsTex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.002
    Health care liability claim2 yearsTex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 74.251
    Murder, manslaughter, and certain other offensesNo limitTex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 12.01(1)
    Theft, robbery, burglary (general rule)5 yearsTex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 12.01
    Other felonies with no specified period3 yearsTex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 12.01(9)
    Misdemeanors2 yearsTex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 12.02
    Forgery or the uttering of a forged instrument10 yearsTex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 12.01
    Adverse possession — 3-year rule (claim under title or color of title)3 yearsTex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.024
    Adverse possession — 5-year rule (deed, taxes paid)5 yearsTex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.025
    Adverse possession — 10-year rule (peaceable possession)10 yearsTex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.026
    Enforcement of a real property lien4 yearsTex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.035
    Challenging a presumed father's paternity4 yearsTex. Fam. Code § 160.607
    Enforcement of a child support obligation10 yearsTex. Fam. Code § 157.005
    Suit to divide property not divided in a divorce decree2 yearsTex. Fam. Code § 9.201 et seq.

    This calculator applies general Texas limitations rules for educational purposes. It is not legal advice, does not account for tolling or exceptions in your case, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Winfrey Law Firm, PLLC is licensed to practice in Texas.