Statute of Limitations on Child Abuse: Federal Law, State Deadlines and Revival Laws

Last reviewed: October 17, 2026. This article is general information, not legal advice. Limitation periods differ by state and by type of case, and they have changed often since 2019; check the current statute and speak to a lawyer in your state.

If you're reading this because of something that happened to you, or to someone you care about, thank you for taking this step. There's no right or wrong time to look for answers. This page explains, as plainly as possible, how legal deadlines for child abuse cases work, so you know what questions to ask next.

Short answer: the statute of limitations on child abuse depends on whether the case is criminal (a prosecution) or civil (a lawsuit for damages), and on whether it's in federal or state court. Under federal law, many child sexual abuse crimes can be prosecuted at any time, and federal civil claims under 18 U.S.C. § 2255 have no time limit. State deadlines vary widely, and several states have extended, removed or temporarily reopened them. A deadline you were told about years ago may no longer be accurate.

Federal law

Criminal cases

Federal prosecutors can bring charges for many child abuse offenses without any time limit. Section 3299 removes the limit for federal felony sexual abuse offenses (chapter 109A), child exploitation offenses (chapter 110, with listed exceptions), transportation offenses (chapter 117), child sex trafficking (§ 1591) and kidnapping of a minor. For other federal offenses involving the sexual or physical abuse of a child, § 3283 allows prosecution during the child's lifetime or for ten years after the offense, whichever is longer.

These rules apply only to federal crimes, for example those that cross state lines, happen on federal land, or involve federal exploitation laws. Most child abuse is prosecuted by the states under their own deadlines.

Civil claims under 18 U.S.C. § 2255

A person who, while a minor, was a victim of certain federal offenses (including sexual abuse, child exploitation, trafficking and coercion offenses listed in the statute) and "who suffers personal injury as a result of such violation, regardless of whether the injury occurred while such person was a minor," may sue in federal court. The law provides for actual damages or "liquidated damages in the amount of $150,000," plus the costs of the action including reasonable attorney's fees, and the court may also award punitive damages.

In 2022, Congress removed the time limit for these claims. The change applies to claims that had not already expired under the old rule when it took effect on September 16, 2022, and to claims arising after that date. A lawyer can check whether an older claim qualifies.

How state deadlines work

Most survivors' civil claims are brought under state law. Three ideas come up again and again:

• Age-based or year-based limits. Some states let survivors sue until a certain age, or for a number of years after turning 18.
• Discovery rules. Some states start the clock only when the survivor knew, or reasonably should have known, that their injury was caused by the abuse.
• Revival or lookback laws. Some states reopened claims that had already expired. Courts have split on whether that's constitutional.

State examples (verified against the official statute or court)

Maryland: no time limit, and expired claims revived

Maryland law now says that, notwithstanding any statute of limitations or similar 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" (Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-117). This came from the Child Victims Act of 2023, which also revived claims that had already expired.

In February 2025, the Supreme Court of Maryland upheld the law in Archbishop of Washington v. Doe, holding that the earlier deadline was an ordinary statute of limitations whose expiry did not give defendants a vested right (Maryland Judiciary summary). The statute now limits recoveries in some cases: for revived claims (those that would have been time-barred before October 1, 2023), non-economic damages against a single defendant are capped at $700,000 for actions filed on or after June 1, 2025. For any child sexual abuse action filed on or after June 1, 2025, lawyers' fees are capped at 20% of a settlement or 25% of a judgment.

Maine: no limit going forward, but revival struck down

Maine's statute says "Actions based upon sexual acts toward minors may be commenced at any time" (14 M.R.S. § 752-C), and a 2021 amendment tried to apply this to claims that had already expired. In January 2025, Maine's highest court held in Dupuis v. Roman Catholic Bishop of Portland, 2025 ME 6, that "the retroactive application of section 752-C(3)" violates the Maine Constitution (Maine Supreme Judicial Court opinion, PDF). In practice, claims that had already expired before the law changed generally can't be revived, even though the statute's text still contains the revival language. The ruling concerned revived claims, not claims that were still within the deadline when Maine removed its limit.

Washington: no limit, but only for abuse on or after June 6, 2024

Washington removed its time limit for intentional-conduct claims "when the act of childhood sexual abuse occurs on or after June 6, 2024." For earlier abuse, a survivor generally has three years from the act, or three years from when they discovered (or reasonably should have discovered) that the injury was caused by the abuse, with the clock paused until age 18 (RCW 4.16.340).

Florida: several deadlines, and the latest one applies

Florida allows an action founded on abuse to be commenced "within 7 years after the age of majority, or within 4 years after the injured person leaves the dependency of the abuser, or within 4 years from the time of discovery by the injured party of both the injury and the causal relationship between the injury and the abuse, whichever occurs later" (Fla. Stat. § 95.11(8)). Separately, for certain sexual battery offenses where the victim was under 16, an action "may be commenced at any time," except for claims already time-barred on or before July 1, 2010 (§ 95.11(10)).

Vermont: no limit, applied retroactively

Vermont allows a civil action for childhood sexual or physical abuse to be "commenced at any time after the act alleged to have caused the injury or condition." The law applies retroactively to sexual abuse before July 1, 2019 and physical abuse before July 1, 2021. For revived claims against an institution that employed or supervised the abuser, damages require a finding of gross negligence (12 V.S.A. § 522).

Other states have their own rules, and some have run time-limited revival windows that have now closed. Always check the current statute in your state.

If you're trying to work out whether a claim is still possible

• Don't rely on what you were told years ago. Many states have changed these laws since 2019, and court decisions like those in Maryland and Maine have changed what the statutes mean in practice.
• Write down the key dates you remember: where the abuse happened, your age, and when you first connected it to harm you've experienced. You don't need perfect details.
• Talk to a lawyer in the relevant state soon, especially if a deadline may be close. Many lawyers who handle these cases offer a free, confidential first consultation.
• Reporting is separate. You can report to police or child protective services at any time; whether charges can be filed depends on the criminal deadline.
• Take care of yourself. The hotlines above can help you find local counseling and advocacy, whether or not you take legal action.

Sources

• 18 U.S.C. § 3283: Cornell LII
• 18 U.S.C. § 3299: Cornell LII
• 18 U.S.C. § 2255 (including the 2022 amendment note): Cornell LII
• Maryland Code, Courts and Judicial Proceedings § 5-117: Maryland General Assembly
• Maryland Judiciary, Amicus Curiarum (March 2025), summary of Archbishop of Washington v. Doe: mdcourts.gov (PDF)
• 14 M.R.S. § 752-C: Maine Legislature
• Dupuis v. Roman Catholic Bishop of Portland, 2025 ME 6: Maine Judicial Branch (PDF)
• RCW 4.16.340: Washington State Legislature
• Fla. Stat. § 95.11: Florida Legislature
• 12 V.S.A. § 522: Vermont General Assembly
• National Sexual Assault Hotline number, U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women: justice.gov
• National Sexual Assault Hotline hours, Office on Women's Health: womenshealth.gov
• Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: childhelphotline.org