Statute of limitations for Defamation (libel / slander) — by U.S. state
Civil statute-of-limitations filing deadlines for Defamation (libel / slander) in 51 states: 1–3 years (median 1). Each state's statutory period + citation are RECORDED (verify at the cited URL); whether the statute applies to a specific claim and when the clock started is fact-specific legal judgment (L5), NOT legal advice. A missed statute of limitations usually bars a claim permanently. Source: CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026). CC0.
CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026)
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Arkansas
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Arizona
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in California
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Colorado
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in District of Columbia
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Georgia
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Illinois
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Kansas
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Kentucky
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Louisiana
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Maryland
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Michigan
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Mississippi
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in North Carolina
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Nebraska
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in New Jersey
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in New York
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Ohio
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Oklahoma
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Oregon
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Pennsylvania
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Rhode Island
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Tennessee
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Texas
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Utah
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Virginia
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in West Virginia
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Wyoming
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Alaska
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Alabama
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Connecticut
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Delaware
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Florida
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Hawaii
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Iowa
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Idaho
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Indiana
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Maine
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Minnesota
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Missouri
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Montana
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in North Dakota
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Nevada
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in South Carolina
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in South Dakota
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Washington
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Massachusetts
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in New Hampshire
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in New Mexico
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Vermont
Defamation (libel / slander) statute of limitations in Wisconsin
A false statement (written = libel, spoken = slander) harmed your reputation.
The civil statute of limitations for Defamation (libel / slander) ranges from 1 to 3 years across U.S. states
For Defamation (libel / slander), the general civil statute of limitations is 1–3 years (median 1) across 51 states. A DERIVED min/max/median over each state's RECORDED statutory period (occurred=false, adjudged=false — an in-house cross-state summary; the per-state statutes + citations are in itemListElement, each verifiable at its statute URL). It is NOT a personal deadline: the discovery rule, tolling (minors/disability/defendant absence), repose limits, government-defendant notice rules, and the exact sub-claim can make a real deadline shorter or longer — and missing a statute of limitations usually bars the claim permanently.
occurred=FALSE (a calculation, not an event) and adjudged=FALSE (a transparent in-house formula, not an authority's verdict — no external adjudicator). Reproduce it from its named inputs; falsified if the formula or inputs are wrong. Lower warrant than the adjudged figures above.
This is not legal advice or a personal deadline
Which statute applies to a specific claim, and when the clock started, is fact-specific legal judgment. Anyone with a potential defamation (libel / slander) claim near a deadline should consult a licensed attorney or legal aid immediately rather than rely on this reference.
Justice Atlas L5 boundary (statutory text ≠ a personal deadline)
a cross-state statutory reference, not a personal deadline or advice
occurred=FALSE (a framing, not an event) and adjudged=FALSE (an in-house reading, not an authority's verdict) — the LOWEST-warrant claim here. A flat representation would render this identically to the official facts; the four-status does not.
Defamation (libel / slander) filing deadlines by state (shortest first)