Michigan statute of limitations: civil and criminal deadlines
Last checked: 15 October 2026
A statute of limitations is the deadline for starting a lawsuit or filing criminal charges. In Michigan, the general deadline for an injury claim is 3 years. Claims for damages from criminal sexual conduct have 10 years, and people abused as minors have until age 28 or 3 years after discovery, whichever is later. Most civil deadlines are in the Revised Judicature Act, and criminal deadlines are in MCL 767.24.
Sexual abuse and assault
The deadlines for sexual abuse claims and charges, and the bills that would change them, are set out on their own page.
Statute of limitations for sexual assault in Michigan
Civil deadlines
| Type of claim | Deadline | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Damages caused by criminal sexual conduct | 10 years | MCL 600.5805(6) |
| Victim of criminal sexual conduct while a minor | Until age 28, or 3 years after discovery, whichever is later | MCL 600.5851b |
| Injury to a person or property, or death (general rule) | 3 years | MCL 600.5805(2) |
| Assault, battery or false imprisonment | 2 years | MCL 600.5805(3) |
| Assault or battery by a spouse, former spouse, co-parent or household member | 5 years | MCL 600.5805(4) |
| Assault and battery by someone in a dating relationship | 5 years | MCL 600.5805(5) |
| Malpractice (unless another rule applies) | 2 years | MCL 600.5805(8) |
| Malicious prosecution | 2 years | MCL 600.5805(7) |
| Libel or slander | 1 year | MCL 600.5805(11) |
| Products liability | 3 years | MCL 600.5805(12) |
| Breach of contract (general rule) | 6 years | MCL 600.5807(9) |
| Other personal actions with no set period | 6 years | MCL 600.5813 |
| Claims against the State of Michigan | 3 years, with notice within 1 year (6 months for personal injury) | MCL 600.6452 and 600.6431 |
If a person was under 18 when a claim arose, they have 1 year after turning 18 to bring it, even if the usual period has run. There are separate rules for some medical malpractice claims (MCL 600.5851).
Criminal deadlines
Under MCL 767.24, charges for murder and for first degree criminal sexual conduct can be filed at any time. Unless the law sets another period, charges must be filed within 6 years after the offence. The periods for other sexual offences are on thesexual assault deadlines page.
Sources
- MCL 600.5805: legislature.mi.gov
- MCL 600.5807: legislature.mi.gov
- MCL 600.5813: legislature.mi.gov
- MCL 600.5851: legislature.mi.gov
- MCL 600.5851b: legislature.mi.gov
- MCL 600.6431: legislature.mi.gov
- MCL 600.6452: legislature.mi.gov
- MCL 767.24: legislature.mi.gov