Statute of limitations for Wrongful death — by U.S. state
Civil statute-of-limitations filing deadlines for Wrongful death in 51 states: 1–6 years (median 2). 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)
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Kentucky
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Tennessee
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Alaska
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Alabama
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Arizona
Wrongful death statute of limitations in California
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Colorado
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Connecticut
Wrongful death statute of limitations in District of Columbia
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Delaware
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Florida
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Georgia
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Hawaii
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Iowa
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Idaho
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Illinois
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Indiana
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Kansas
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Louisiana
Wrongful death statute of limitations in North Carolina
Wrongful death statute of limitations in North Dakota
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Nebraska
Wrongful death statute of limitations in New Jersey
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Nevada
Wrongful death statute of limitations in New York
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Ohio
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Oklahoma
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Pennsylvania
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Texas
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Utah
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Virginia
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Vermont
Wrongful death statute of limitations in West Virginia
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Wyoming
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Arkansas
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Massachusetts
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Maryland
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Maine
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Michigan
3 years (saving period under § 600.5852)
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Minnesota
3 years from death; max 6 years from act
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Missouri
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Mississippi
3 years (or applicable underlying tort SOL)
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Montana
Wrongful death statute of limitations in New Mexico
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Oregon
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Rhode Island
Wrongful death statute of limitations in South Carolina
Wrongful death statute of limitations in South Dakota
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Washington
Wrongful death statute of limitations in Wisconsin
Wrongful death statute of limitations in New Hampshire
A family member died because of someone's negligence or wrongful act.
The civil statute of limitations for Wrongful death ranges from 1 to 6 years across U.S. states
For Wrongful death, the general civil statute of limitations is 1–6 years (median 2) 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 wrongful death 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.
Wrongful death filing deadlines by state (shortest first)