Civil statutes of limitations
How long do you have to sue in Florida?
A statute of limitations is a hard filing deadline. File even one day after it and a court will almost always throw the case out permanently — no matter how strong it is. Among the nine claims on this page, the shortest in Florida is 2 years.
Were you fired, treated unfairly at work, or harmed by a government agency? Those claims are not on this page and often have much shorter deadlines — sometimes only a few months (for example, many job-discrimination claims must be filed with the EEOC or a state agency within about 180 days; many claims against a government can require notice in 6 months or less). If that's you, your clock may be running out right now — contact an attorney or legal aid today.
If you think you might have a claim, treat the clock as already running. The deadline for your situation can be shorter than the table below — and missing it is usually fatal to the case.
Find free legal help in Florida →Filing deadlines by type of claim
statutory period · longer ≠ more time for youBar length is the number of years the statute allows; color flags how little time that is. disc. = a discovery rule may start the clock when you discover the harm, not when it happened. repose = an outer limit that can bar a claim even before you discover it.
What to do today
- Find the date you were harmed — the injury, the contract breach, the death, the day you discovered it.
- Compare it to the shortest deadline above that fits your situation. If you're anywhere close, treat today as your deadline, not the statutory date.
- Contact an attorney or free legal aid in Florida now. Even if the deadline looks past, the discovery rule or tolling may still help — don't decide that yourself; ask someone licensed.
The statute for each claim
Defamation (libel / slander)
2 yearsFla. Stat. § 95.11(5)(h) RECORDED the statute as written — verify at the cited code
- • Standard tolling for minors and incompetents.
Medical malpractice
2 yearsFla. Stat. § 95.11(5)(c) RECORDED the statute as written — verify at the cited code
- • Discovery rule may apply — the clock can start when you discover the injury, not when it occurred (can give you more time, or can already have started without your knowing).
- • Statute of repose: 4 years — an outer cutoff that can bar the claim even if the discovery rule would otherwise extend it.
- • Pre-suit notice and presuit screening required by § 766.106.
Personal injury
2 yearsFla. Stat. § 95.11(5)(a) RECORDED the statute as written — verify at the cited code
- • Discovery rule may apply — the clock can start when you discover the injury, not when it occurred (can give you more time, or can already have started without your knowing).
- • Pre-March 24, 2023 accidents retained 4-yr period.
Wrongful death
2 yearsFla. Stat. § 95.11(5)(e) RECORDED the statute as written — verify at the cited code
- • No SOL for wrongful death from murder/manslaughter under § 95.11(11).
Contract oral
4 yearsFla. Stat. § 95.11(3)(j) RECORDED the statute as written — verify at the cited code
- • Standard tolling for minors and incompetents.
Fraud
4 yearsFla. Stat. § 95.11(3)(i) RECORDED the statute as written — verify at the cited code
- • Discovery rule may apply — the clock can start when you discover the injury, not when it occurred (can give you more time, or can already have started without your knowing).
- • Statute of repose: 12 years — an outer cutoff that can bar the claim even if the discovery rule would otherwise extend it.
- • Fraudulent concealment recognized.
Product liability
4 yearsFla. Stat. § 95.11(3)(d) RECORDED the statute as written — verify at the cited code
- • Discovery rule may apply — the clock can start when you discover the injury, not when it occurred (can give you more time, or can already have started without your knowing).
- • Statute of repose: 12 years — an outer cutoff that can bar the claim even if the discovery rule would otherwise extend it.
- • Concealment/known-defect exception to repose.
Property damage
4 yearsFla. Stat. § 95.11(3)(g) RECORDED the statute as written — verify at the cited code
- • Discovery rule may apply — the clock can start when you discover the injury, not when it occurred (can give you more time, or can already have started without your knowing).
- • Personal injury follows 2-yr period under § 95.11(5).
Contract written
5 yearsFla. Stat. § 95.11(2)(b) RECORDED the statute as written — verify at the cited code
- • UCC sales 5 yrs under § 95.11(2)(b); also § 672.725.
Why this table is not your actual deadline
These are the statutes Florida has on the books. Your real deadline depends on facts only a lawyer can sort out:
- When the clock started (accrual) — usually the date of harm, but the discovery rule can move it to when you reasonably should have known.
- Whether it paused (tolling) — being a minor, incapacity, the defendant leaving the state, or fraud can stop or restart the clock.
- A statute of repose — a separate outer limit that can bar a claim even before you discover it.
- Which claim you actually have — the same facts can support several causes of action with different deadlines; the shortest one that applies controls.
The safe move is always to assume less time than you think and talk to an attorney immediately.
What this is — and is not
This page states the published statutory deadlines in Florida for common civil claims — an informational reference, with each statute citation linked so you can verify it. It is not legal advice, not a calculation of your deadline, and not a substitute for a licensed attorney. Accrual, tolling, and the discovery rule are fact-specific. If you may have a claim, consult an attorney in Florida immediately; for free help, see civil legal aid in Florida.
Source: CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026) · statutes last verified 2026-04-29.
Also available: structured data (JSON-LD) · plain text · JSON. See also all states.