Statute of Limitations Deadline Calculator
Enter the incident date (and a discovery date, if you have one) and the limitation period that applies to your claim to estimate the earliest filing deadline and how many days are left.
Filing deadline
enter a limitation period of at least one day, month, or year
Consult a lawyer; limitation periods have exceptions and can be shorter. A claim can carry a shorter period than the one you entered (claims against a government body often need a formal notice within months), several claims can arise from one event, and tolling or a discovery rule applies only where the law says so. Treat this date as the latest you could possibly plan around, not as your deadline.
How the deadline is calculated
The calculator takes the incident date and adds the limitation period you enter, applying the years first, then the months, then the days. If you also enter a discovery date, it shows the date the same period gives from there as a separate line, but the deadline it headlines and counts down to stays the incident-based one: relying on a later start that the law does not give you is how claims expire. Month math clamps to the end of the month, so a period that lands on a non-existent date (like 31 February) moves to the last valid day.
If you add a “check against” date, it also shows the whole number of days remaining and whether that date is already past the deadline. Because every period, start date, and exception is jurisdiction specific, use the result only as a rough planning figure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a statute of limitations?
A statute of limitations is a deadline for starting a legal case. Once the period runs out, the court can usually refuse to hear the claim. The length depends on the type of claim and the jurisdiction — this tool does not assume any particular period, so you enter the one that applies to your situation.
When does the clock start?
Often it starts on the date the harm happened. Some claims instead use a 'discovery rule', where the clock starts when the harm was, or reasonably should have been, discovered. Whether a discovery rule covers your claim is a question of local law, so this tool always headlines the incident-based deadline, the earliest date that could apply, and shows the discovery-based date beside it only as the date that would apply if the rule does.
Can a deadline be paused or extended?
Sometimes. Rules such as tolling for minors, fraud, or a defendant leaving the jurisdiction can pause or extend a limitation period, and different claims can have different clocks. This calculator does simple calendar math on the period you enter and cannot account for those exceptions — confirm the specifics with a licensed attorney.
Is this the actual legal deadline for my case?
No. It is an estimate based only on the numbers you supply. Limitation periods, start dates, and exceptions vary widely and change over time, so treat the result as a planning aid and verify any real deadline with a qualified lawyer well in advance.
This tool is general information, not legal advice. Laws and deadlines vary by jurisdiction — always confirm with a licensed attorney before relying on any date it produces.