Wrongful Death Statute of Limitations by State

The deadline to file a wrongful death lawsuit ranges from 1 to 3 years depending on the state. Pick your state below — every page shows the exact statute, when the clock starts, and the exceptions that can extend (or shorten) your time. Each deadline links to its official state statute.

Advertisement

State-by-State Deadlines

StateDeadlineOfficial statute (source)
Alabama 2 yrs Ala. Code § 6-5-410
Alaska 2 yrs Alaska Stat. § 09.55.580
Arizona 2 yrs Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-542; § 12-611; § 12-612
Arkansas 3 yrs Ark. Code Ann. § 16-62-102
California 2 yrs Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 335.1
Colorado 2 yrs Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-21-204 (via § 13-80-102)
Connecticut 2 yrs Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-555
Delaware 2 yrs 10 Del. C. § 8107; 10 Del. C. § 3724
District of Columbia 2 yrs D.C. Code § 16-2702
Florida 2 yrs Fla. Stat. § 768.19; Fla. Stat. § 95.11(5)(e)
Georgia 2 yrs O.C.G.A. § 51-4-1 et seq.; O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33
Hawaii 2 yrs HRS § 663-3
Idaho 2 yrs Idaho Code § 5-219(4)
Illinois 2 yrs 740 ILCS 180/2
Indiana 2 yrs Indiana Code § 34-23-1-1
Iowa 2 yrs Iowa Code § 614.1(2)
Kansas 2 yrs K.S.A. § 60-1901
Kentucky 1 yr KRS § 411.130; KRS § 413.180
Louisiana 1 yr La. C.C. Art. 2315.2
Maine 3 yrs Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 18-C, § 2-807
Maryland 3 yrs Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 3-901 through § 3-904
Massachusetts 3 yrs Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 229, §2
Michigan 3 yrs Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.2922; § 600.5805(2)
Minnesota 3 yrs Minn. Stat. § 573.02
Mississippi 3 yrs Miss. Code Ann. § 11-7-13; § 11-1-60
Missouri 3 yrs Mo. Rev. Stat. § 537.080; § 537.090; § 537.100
Montana 3 yrs Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-204(2); § 27-1-513
Nebraska 2 yrs Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-810
Nevada 2 yrs Nev. Rev. Stat. §§ 41.085, 11.190(4)(e)
New Hampshire 3 yrs RSA 556:11; RSA 556:12
New Jersey 2 yrs N.J. Stat. § 2A:31-3
New Mexico 3 yrs NMSA 1978, § 41-2-2
New York 2 yrs N.Y. Est. Powers & Trusts Law (EPTL) § 5-4.1
North Carolina 2 yrs N.C. Gen. Stat. § 28A-18-2; N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-53(4)
North Dakota 2 yrs N.D. Cent. Code § 32-21-02
Ohio 2 yrs Ohio Rev. Code § 2125.02
Oklahoma 2 yrs Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 1053
Oregon 3 yrs ORS § 30.020
Pennsylvania 2 yrs 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5524(2)
Rhode Island 3 yrs R.I. Gen. Laws § 10-7-2
South Carolina 3 yrs S.C. Code Ann. §§ 15-51-10 et seq.; § 15-3-530
South Dakota 3 yrs SDCL § 21-5-3
Tennessee 1 yr Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104
Texas 2 yrs Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003
Utah 2 yrs Utah Code § 78B-2-304
Vermont 2 yrs 14 V.S.A. § 1492
Virginia 2 yrs Va. Code § 8.01-244
Washington 3 yrs Wash. Rev. Code § 4.16.080(2)
West Virginia 2 yrs W. Va. Code § 55-7-6
Wisconsin 3 yrs Wis. Stat. § 893.54
Wyoming 2 yrs Wyo. Stat. § 1-38-102

Source: official state statutes, linked per row. Coverage expands as each state is verified — see methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do you have to file a wrongful death lawsuit?

It depends on the state: 1 to 3 years depending on the state across the 51 states covered so far. Every deadline below links to its official statute.

Which state has the shortest deadline for wrongful death claims?

Kentucky, Louisiana, Tennessee — 1 year. Some states carry additional notice requirements that are even shorter, especially for claims against government entities.

Which state allows the most time for wrongful death claims?

Arkansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin — 3 years. Exceptions like the discovery rule or tolling for minors can extend deadlines further in some states.

Advertisement

Legal information, not legal advice. Deadlines have fact-specific exceptions — confirm with the cited statute or a licensed attorney in your state.