Last verified: 14 August 2026. Every state below was confirmed by reading the official statute directly.
If you were abused as a child and are wondering whether it is too late to sue, the honest answer is that it depends on two things: which state, and when the abuse happened.
Those deadlines have changed dramatically over the past several years. Many states have extended them, and some have removed them entirely. A deadline that had passed under the old law may not have passed under the current one.
This page sets out the civil deadlines — the rules for suing. Criminal prosecution deadlines are a separate matter set by different statutes.
The two rules that decide everything
The discovery rule. Many states do not start the clock when the abuse happened, but when the survivor knew, or reasonably should have known, that their injury was caused by it. This matters because that recognition often comes decades later.
Revival and lookback windows. Some states have reopened claims that had already expired, either permanently or for a limited period. Where a window has closed, claims that expired before it may be barred again. Where revival is permanent, the timing of the abuse does not matter.
Because of these two mechanisms, “the statute of limitations has run out” is frequently wrong. It is worth checking rather than assuming.
States with no time limit
Vermont
Statute: 12 V.S.A. § 522
A civil action brought by any person for recovery of 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.
Vermont applies this retroactively — to sexual abuse before 1 July 2019 and physical abuse before 1 July 2021 — regardless of any limitation period in effect when the abuse occurred. Claims against institutions rather than individuals require proof of gross negligence.
Maine
Statute: 14 M.R.S. § 752-C
Actions based upon sexual acts toward minors may be commenced at any time.
Maine’s revival is permanent and explicit: the section applies “regardless of the date of the sexual act and regardless of whether the statute of limitations on such actions expired prior to the effective date of this subsection.”
If you were told years ago that your Maine claim had expired, that advice may no longer be correct.
Delaware
Statute: 10 Del. C. § 8145
Suit may be filed “at any time following the commission of the act or acts that constituted the sexual abuse.” A separate two-year window from 9 July 2007, for claims that had already expired, has closed — but the no-limit rule for the underlying claim continues. Institutional defendants are liable only on proof of gross negligence.
Washington — but only for recent abuse
Statute: RCW 4.16.340
Washington is the state most often described inaccurately, so read this carefully:
There shall be no time limit for bringing any claims or causes of action based on intentional conduct … when the act of childhood sexual abuse occurs on or after June 6, 2024.
For abuse before that date, the old rule still applies: three years from the act, or three years from discovering that the injury was caused by the abuse, with the clock tolled until age 18.
So “Washington has no statute of limitations” is true for some survivors and false for others, and the dividing line is a single date.
States with a deadline
Texas — 30 years
Statute: Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.0045(a)
A person must bring suit for personal injury not later than 30 years after the day the cause of action accrues
This applies to enumerated offences including child sexual assault, continuous sexual abuse of a child, and indecency with a child. Thirty years is long, but it is a fixed limit — Texas is not a no-limit state.
Florida — three alternative deadlines, latest wins
Statute: Fla. Stat. § 95.11(8)
An action founded on alleged abuse … may be commenced at any time 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.
The phrase “whichever occurs later” is doing significant work — you get the benefit of the most generous of the three. Separately, § 95.11(10) provides that for certain offences where the victim was under 16 at the time, an action may be commenced at any time.
Minnesota — generally no limit, with exceptions
Statute: Minn. Stat. § 541.073
Claims for sexual abuse of someone under 18 “may be commenced at any time,” subject to three exceptions:
- Against a perpetrator who was under 14 at the time of the abuse: before the plaintiff turns 24.
- Vicarious liability claims against an entity, where the plaintiff was under 18 at the time: before the plaintiff turns 24.
- Where the victim was 18 or older at the time: within six years.
Montana — age 27, or three years from discovery
Statute: Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-216
Suit must be brought before the victim reaches 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 gives more time.
Montana ran a one-year revival window from 7 May 2019 for claims that had already expired. That window has closed.
North Carolina — until age 28
Statute: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-17(d), (e)
a plaintiff may file a civil action against a defendant for claims related to sexual abuse suffered while the plaintiff was under 18 years of age until the plaintiff attains 28 years of age
North Carolina also provides a route that does not depend on age: a plaintiff may file “within two years of the date of a criminal conviction for a related felony sexual offense.” If the person who abused you was convicted recently, that may open a window regardless of your age.
States we have not verified
We have not yet been able to read the primary statutes for Illinois, Arizona, Michigan, New Jersey, Georgia, Colorado, Louisiana, New York or California, so we are not publishing figures for them.
California is worth calling out. California substantially extended its childhood sexual assault limitation period in recent years, and any figure you find in an older article is likely out of date. Check California Code of Civil Procedure § 340.1 directly.
If you are trying to work out whether your claim is still alive
Do not rely on what you were told years ago. These laws have changed substantially since 2019. Advice that was correct then may be wrong now.
Do not rely on this page alone. Limitation periods are jurisdictional and unforgiving. Miss one and the claim is gone regardless of merit.
Talk to a lawyer in your state, and do it sooner rather than later. Most personal injury attorneys will assess a claim at no cost, and where a deadline is approaching the difference between calling this month and next year can be the whole case. This is not a caveat added for form’s sake — it is the one page on this site where the cost of acting on general information instead of specific advice is a claim you cannot get back.
If you are looking for support rather than legal help, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline is available at 800-656-4673.
TodayinTrend publishes general legal information, not legal advice. We are not a law firm, and reading this page does not create an attorney–client relationship. Limitation periods vary by state and change frequently; verify against the linked statute and consult a licensed attorney in your state.
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