If someone makes a false statement about you, damaging your reputation or causing you financial harm, you might be wondering whether you have a valid defamation case. It's also important to understand your state's statute of limitations for defamation lawsuits, and how it applies to your potential case. We'll focus on these filing deadlines in this article, including when the statute of limitations "clock" might start, and when the lawsuit-filing deadline might be extended.
Generally speaking, defamation happens when one person makes a false and harmful statement about someone else. Writing a defamatory statement, posting it online, or otherwise publishing it can amount to "libel," while "slander" refers to a defamatory statement that's spoken. Learn more about the differences between libel and slander, and what goes into proving a defamation claim.
All states have specific deadlines for filing different kinds of lawsuits, codified in laws called "statutes of limitations." No matter what kind of case you're filing, if you miss the statutory deadline, the person or business you're trying to sue will ask the court to dismiss your case, and the court will almost certainly grant the dismissal (unless your situation calls for an extension of the filing deadline; more on these rare instances later).
In a defamation case, the statute of limitations will generally begin running on the day on which the defendant first says or writes the defamatory words. So, if you live in a state with a two-year statute of limitations for defamation lawsuits, you would have two years to get your libel or slander case filed against the person who spoke/wrote/published the harmful statement about you, beginning on the date on which the statement was first made.
The "Single Publication Rule." It's important to note that in most states, even if the statement is later repeated or republished, the statute of limitations "clock" doesn't reset, and the plaintiff (the subject of the statement) doesn't have a legal right to bring another, separate defamation lawsuit. What usually matters is the date on which the defamatory statement was first made or first published, for purposes of the running of the statute of limitations, and for purposes of asking a court for defamation damages. This is sometimes referred to as the "single publication rule."
Without further ado, let's look at the defamation lawsuit-filing deadline in each. Additional discussion follows below this chart.
State | Statute of Limitations |
Alabama | 2 years |
Alaska | 2 years |
Arizona | 1 year |
Arkansas | 3 years (libel); 1 year (slander) |
California | 1 year |
Colorado | 1 year |
Connecticut | 2 years |
Delaware | 2 years |
Washington, District of Columbia | 1 year |
Florida | 2 years |
Georgia | 1 year |
Hawaii | 2 years |
Idaho | 2 years |
Illinois | 1 year |
Indiana | 2 years |
Iowa | 2 years |
Kansas | 1 year |
Kentucky | 1 year |
Louisiana | 1 year |
Maine | 2 years |
Maryland | 1 year |
Massachusetts | 3 years |
Michigan | 1 year |
Minnesota | 2 years |
Mississippi | 1 year |
Missouri | 2 years |
Montana | 2 years |
Nebraska | 1 year |
Nevada | 2 years |
New Hampshire | 3 years |
New Jersey | 1 year |
New Mexico | 3 years |
New York | 1 year |
North Carolina | 1 year |
North Dakota | 2 year |
Ohio | 1 year |
Oklahoma | 1 year |
Oregon | 1 year |
Pennsylvania | 1 year |
Rhode Island | 3 years (libel); 1 year (slander) |
South Carolina | 2 years |
South Dakota | 2 years |
Tennessee | 1 year (libel); 6 months (slander) |
Texas | 1 year |
Utah | 1 year |
Vermont | 3 years |
Virginia | 1 year |
Washington | 2 years |
West Virginia | 1 year |
Wisconsin | 3 years |
Wyoming | 1 year |
The "discovery rule" is an exception to the standard statute of limitations deadline in many states. This rule applies in situations where the subject of defamation did not know about the defamatory statement until some time after it was made, meaning after the statute of limitations would normally start running.
The discovery rule is phrased differently from state to state, but, in general, it stops the statute of limitations from running until the date on which the subject of the defamation (the potential plaintiff) either actually discovered or learned of the harmful statement, or reasonably should have discovered/learned of it.
Let's say you live in California, which has a one-year statute of limitations for all defamation cases, and one of your co-workers falsely told your employer that you had copied someone else's work for an important year-end report. As a result, your employer fired you without any explanation. Your boss simply called you into his office, told you that your work was unsatisfactory, fired you, and had you escorted off of the premises.
You had no idea what you did wrong, and none of your former co-workers said anything about it. Finally, a year and a half later (six months after the California statute of limitations deadline for defamation lawsuits had already expired), one of your former co-workers told you that the cheating allegations were the reason for your firing. If your state follows the discovery rule exception for defamation cases (as California does), the statute of limitations for your defamation case might not begin to run until the day your former co-worker filled you in on the circumstances that led to your firing.
Every state has legislated different scenarios that might "toll" the statute of limitations "clock" (stop it from running) or pause the clock after it has started to run, effectively extending the filing deadline. But there are a number of scenarios that show up across multiple states. For example:
If you think you've got a valid claim for libel or slander, and you'd like to learn more about your options and the right course of action, it might make sense to discuss your situation with an experienced legal professional. That's especially true if you've read this article and have questions about the statute of limitations and how it applies to your potential lawsuit.
Learn more about if, when, and where to file a lawsuit, and get tips on hiring a lawyer.