Kentucky statute of limitations by claim
In Kentucky you generally have 1 year to sue for personal injury, 2 years for property damage, 10 years on a written contract and 5 years on an oral one, but only 1 year for defamation.[1][4] The table lists every common civil claim with the statute and the notes that change it.
| Claim | Deadline | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Personal injury | 1 year | KRS 413.140(1)(a)Motor vehicle accidents covered by the Motor Vehicle Reparations Act: 2 years after the injury, the death, or the last no-fault (PIP) payment, whichever is later (KRS 304.39-230(6)). KRS 413.140 was last amended by 2026 Ky. Acts ch. 172 (eff. July 15, 2026); the 1-year rule was not changed. |
| Medical malpractice | 1 year | KRS 413.140(1)(e), (2)Repose: 5 years from the date of the negligent act or omission (KRS 413.140(2)) Applies to physicians, surgeons, dentists and licensed hospitals. Infancy tolling under KRS 413.170 covers KRS 413.140 actions. |
| Wrongful death | Not confirmed: check the statute | KRS 411.130; 413.140(1)(a); 413.180 |
| Property damage | 2 years | KRS 413.125Trespass on real or personal property: 5 years (KRS 413.120(4)). |
| Written contract | 10 years | KRS 413.16010 years for written contracts executed after July 15, 2014. Written contracts executed on or before that date: 15 years (KRS 413.090(2); 2014 Ky. Acts ch. 142). |
| Oral contract | 5 years | KRS 413.120(1) |
| Credit card / account debt | 5 years | KRS 413.120(1), (9), (10)5 years applies to merchant's accounts and contracts not in writing (KRS 413.120); a signed written agreement may fall under 10 years (KRS 413.160). |
| Fraud | 5 years | KRS 413.120(11); 413.130(3)Repose: 10 years after the contract was made or the fraud was committed (KRS 413.130(3)) |
| Defamation | 1 year | KRS 413.140(1)(d)Same 1-year period for libel and slander. |
| Product liability | 1 year | KRS 413.140(1)(a); 411.3101 year for personal injury; 2 years for damage to personal property (KRS 413.125). No statute of repose, but a product is presumed not defective if the injury occurred more than 5 years after first sale or more than 8 years after manufacture (KRS 411.310). |
What is different in Kentucky
Kentucky’s 1-year injury period is among the shortest in the country, so the car-crash rule matters: under the Motor Vehicle Reparations Act the clock can run from the last PIP payment. Written contracts signed on or before July 15, 2014 keep the old 15-year period. Since July 15, 2024, wrongful discharge in violation of public policy and Kentucky Civil Rights Act claims have 3 years. Negligence claims against the state go to the Board of Claims, not to a court.
- Kentucky has one of the shortest personal injury periods in the U.S. (1 year), but car-accident tort claims get 2 years from the injury or the last no-fault benefit payment. (KRS 413.140(1)(a); 304.39-230(6))[10]
- Written contracts signed after July 15, 2014 have 10 years; older written contracts keep the previous 15-year period. (KRS 413.090(2); 413.160)[11]
- Felonies have no statute of limitations; misdemeanors must be charged within 1 year. (KRS 500.050)[12]
- New 3-year period (2024 Ky. Acts ch. 157, eff. July 15, 2024) for wrongful discharge in violation of public policy and Kentucky Civil Rights Act claims. Childhood sexual abuse civil claims: 10 years after the victim turns 18, including against negligent entities (KRS 413.249). (KRS 413.115; 413.249)[13]
When the clock starts and stops
Kentucky statutes provide discovery rules for medical malpractice (5-year repose), fraud (10-year cap) and professional malpractice. (KRS 413.140(2); 413.130(3); 413.245)
Minors. Kentucky pauses the clock while the injured person is a minor: the period starts at age 18. A minor gets the full normal period after turning 18 for actions under KRS 413.090-413.160, which include medical malpractice. Claims before the Board of Claims are not tolled for minors (KRS 49.120(5)).[6]
Other tolling. Unsound mind tolls like infancy (KRS 413.170); a resident defendant's absence from the state, absconding or concealment stops the clock (KRS 413.190).
Suing the government in Kentucky
Claims against a public body follow their own rules, and a missed notice can end the claim even when the ordinary limitation period is still open.[7][8]
| Defendant | Deadline | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| State agencies | Claim filed with the Board of Claims within 1 year after it accrues; personal injury no later than 2 years after the negligent act (3 years for medical malpractice)Negligence claims against the state go to the Board of Claims, not a court; Board awards may be appealed (KRS 49.150) | KRS 49.120 |
| Cities, counties and other local entities | Notice to the mayor or city clerk within 90 days, but only for injuries from defective city streets, sidewalks, bridges or alleys; no general notice-of-claim statute for other local claimsSuit within the ordinary limitation period (1 year for personal injury) | KRS 411.110 |
Criminal statute of limitations in Kentucky
Most felonies in Kentucky: No time limit. Misdemeanors: 1 year (misdemeanor sex offenses against minors: 10 years after the victim turns 18).[9] Prosecutors must file charges within these periods; the victim’s civil deadline is separate.
| Offense | Time limit | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Felonies | No time limitUnless a statute provides otherwise, any felony can be prosecuted at any time. | KRS 500.050(1) |
| Misdemeanors | 1 year (misdemeanor sex offenses against minors: 10 years after the victim turns 18) | KRS 500.050(2)-(3) |
| No time limit | All felonies, including murder, rape, robbery and felony theft | KRS 500.050(1) |
| Sexual assault | Rape and other felony sex offenses: no time limit for adult or child victims. Misdemeanor sex offenses against a minor: within 10 years after the victim turns 18 (2021 Ky. Acts ch. 89). | KRS 500.050(1), (3) |
| Theft | Theft under $1,000 is a misdemeanor (1-year limit); theft of $1,000 or more, or of a firearm, is a felony with no limit (KRS 514.030). |
Worked example
A fall on an icy store entrance in Louisville on February 10, 2026: under the personal injury deadline is February 10, 2027. If the injured person was a child born September 3, 2012, the clock would not start until September 3, 2030, making the deadline September 3, 2031. For a car accident covered by the no-fault act, the period is 2 years from the injury or the last PIP payment instead.
For a claim of $2,500 or less, Kentucky’s small claims (Small Claims Division of District Court) is usually faster and cheaper; compare the small claims limit by state.[14] To value an injury claim, try the car accident settlement calculator; for medical cases, compare the medical malpractice statute of limitations in other states. All states are on the statute of limitations by state page.
Frequently asked questions
How long do you have to sue for personal injury in Kentucky?
What is the statute of limitations on debt in Kentucky?
Does the statute of limitations pause for minors in Kentucky?
What crimes have no statute of limitations in Kentucky?
How long do you have to sue after a car accident in Kentucky?
Sources
- KRS 413.140(1)(a): personal injury limitation period
- KRS 413.140(1)(e), (2): medical malpractice limitation period
- KRS 411.130; 413.140(1)(a); 413.180: wrongful death limitation period
- KRS 413.160: written contract limitation period
- KRS 413.120(1), (9), (10): credit card / account debt limitation period
- KRS 413.170(1): tolling for minors
- KRS 49.120: claims against the state
- KRS 411.110: claims against local government
- KRS 500.050(1): criminal limitation periods
- KRS 413.140(1)(a); 304.39-230(6)
- KRS 413.090(2); 413.160
- KRS 500.050
- KRS 413.115; 413.249
- Kentucky small claims (official court self-help)