Oregon statute of limitations by claim
In Oregon you generally have 2 years to sue for personal injury, 6 years for property damage, 6 years on a written contract and 6 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 | 2 years | Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.110(1)Repose: 10 years from the act or omission for negligent injury to person or property (§ 12.115) Covers assault, battery and false imprisonment too. Sexual assault of an adult: no limit (§ 12.118). |
| Medical malpractice | 2 years | Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.110(4)Repose: 5 years from the treatment, omission or operation, even for minors; if fraud or misleading representation prevented suit, 2 years from discovery of the fraud (§ 12.110(4)) Covers medical, surgical and dental treatment. The 5-year repose applies "notwithstanding" the minority tolling statute (§ 12.160). |
| Wrongful death | 3 years | Or. Rev. Stat. § 30.020(1)Repose: No later than the earlier of 3 years after death or any statute of ultimate repose for the underlying act (§ 30.020(1)) |
| Property damage | 6 years | Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.080(4)Repose: 10 years from the act or omission for negligent injury to property (§ 12.115) Interference with or injury to an interest in real property is also 6 years (§ 12.080(3)). |
| Written contract | 6 years | Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.080(1)Sale of goods: 4 years under the UCC (§ 72.7250). Sealed instruments made before Aug. 13, 1965: 10 years (§ 12.070). |
| Oral contract | 6 years | Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.080(1)§ 12.080(1) covers contracts "express or implied", so written and oral contracts share the same period. |
| Credit card / account debt | 6 years | Or. Rev. Stat. §§ 12.080(1), 12.090Credit card and other consumer accounts use the 6-year contract period. Because interest and finance charges do not restart the clock, only a real purchase or payment moves the accrual date. |
| Fraud | 2 years | Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.110(1) |
| Defamation | 1 year | Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.120(2)Same 1-year period for libel and slander. |
| Product liability | 2 years | Or. Rev. Stat. § 30.905(1)Repose: The later of 10 years after the product was first purchased for use, or the repose period of the state where it was made (§ 30.905(2)) Death claims: 3 years from discovery, but no later than the earliest of 3 years after death, 10 years after purchase, or the manufacturing state's repose (§ 30.905(3), (4)). Asbestos claims: 2 years from discovery with no repose (§ 30.907). |
What is different in Oregon
Oregon caps every negligence claim at 10 years from the act, however late the harm is found, and malpractice at 5 years from treatment even for minors. In 2025 the legislature removed the time limit for civil claims based on child sexual abuse. Oregon also has no time limit for prosecuting manslaughter, not just murder.
- HB 3582 (Or. Laws 2025, ch. 447, effective June 26, 2025) removed any time limit for civil claims based on child sexual abuse, including claims against those who allowed or encouraged it, for claims arising on or after that date. Adult sexual assault claims have had no limit since 2019 (§ 12.118). (Or. Rev. Stat. §§ 12.117, 12.118)[10]
- Any negligence claim for injury to a person or property is cut off 10 years after the act or omission, no matter when the harm is discovered. (Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.115)[11]
- Wrongful death has a 3-year limit that starts on discovery, longer than the 2-year personal injury limit. (Or. Rev. Stat. § 30.020(1))[12]
- Manslaughter in any degree, like murder, can be prosecuted at any time. The criminal limitations statute was last amended by Or. Laws 2023, chs. 200 and 265 (ch. 265 effective Jan. 1, 2024). (Or. Rev. Stat. § 131.125(1))[13]
When the clock starts and stops
Discovery applies by statute to fraud, medical malpractice, wrongful death and product liability claims, and Oregon courts read a discovery rule into the 2-year injury statute (§ 12.110(1)). The 10-year repose in § 12.115 caps negligence claims regardless of discovery. (Or. Rev. Stat. §§ 12.110, 12.115, 30.020, 30.905)
Minors. Oregon pauses the clock for minors only in limited situations. The period is tolled while the person is under 18, but the extension may not exceed 5 years or run more than 1 year past age 18, whichever comes first. Medical malpractice: the 5-year repose applies to minors. Child sexual abuse claims: no limit (§ 12.117).[6]
Other tolling. Disabling mental condition tolls up to 5 years (§ 12.160(3)-(4)); absence from the state or concealment tolls when service cannot be made in Oregon (§ 12.150); an advance payment tolls unless the payer gives written notice of the deadline (§ 12.155).
Suing the government in Oregon
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 | Notice of claim within 180 days after the loss or injury (1 year for wrongful death), not counting up to 90 days of incapacity; formal notice goes to the Director of the Oregon Department of Administrative ServicesSuit within 2 years after the loss or injury (§ 30.275(9)). | Or. Rev. Stat. § 30.275(2), (5)(a) |
| Cities, counties and other local entities | Notice of claim within 180 days after the loss or injury (1 year for wrongful death), delivered to the public body's main office, a governing body member, or its designated attorneySuit within 2 years after the loss or injury (§ 30.275(9)). Actual notice, filing suit within the notice period, or partial payment also satisfies notice (§ 30.275(3)). | Or. Rev. Stat. § 30.275(2), (5)(b) |
Criminal statute of limitations in Oregon
Most felonies in Oregon: 3 years for most felonies; 6 years for arson; longer periods for listed sex crimes. Misdemeanors: 2 years for most misdemeanors; 4 years for listed sexual misdemeanors and misdemeanor strangulation.[9] Prosecutors must file charges within these periods; the victim’s civil deadline is separate.
| Offense | Time limit | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Felonies | 3 years for most felonies; 6 years for arson; longer periods for listed sex crimesViolations: 6 months (§ 131.125(8)(c)). | Or. Rev. Stat. § 131.125(6), (8)(a) |
| Misdemeanors | 2 years for most misdemeanors; 4 years for listed sexual misdemeanors and misdemeanor strangulation | Or. Rev. Stat. § 131.125(4), (8)(b) |
| No time limit | Aggravated murder, murder, any degree of manslaughter, and attempt, conspiracy or solicitation to commit aggravated murder or murder; first-degree sex crimes when the offender is identified by DNA or the prosecutor obtains listed corroborating evidence | Or. Rev. Stat. § 131.125(1), (10), (12) |
| Sexual assault | Rape I, sodomy I, unlawful sexual penetration I and sexual abuse I: 20 years, or before a child victim turns 30, whichever is later; no limit with DNA identification or listed corroborating evidence. Second- and third-degree sex felonies: 6 years, or for child victims before age 30 or within 12 years of a report, whichever is first (§ 131.125(2), (3), (10), (12)). | Or. Rev. Stat. § 131.125(2), (3), (10), (12) |
| Theft | Felony theft 3 years and misdemeanor theft 2 years; first-degree theft and aggravated theft against a victim 65 or older: 6 years; fraud-based offenses may be charged within 1 year after discovery, extending the period by no more than 3 years (§ 131.125(7), (9)(a)). |
Worked example
A bicycle collision in Portland on March 10, 2025: under the personal injury deadline is March 10, 2027.
For a claim of $10,000 or less, Oregon’s small claims (Small Claims Department of Circuit 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 Oregon?
What is the statute of limitations on debt in Oregon?
Does the statute of limitations pause for minors in Oregon?
What crimes have no statute of limitations in Oregon?
How long do you have to give notice of a claim against an Oregon public body?
Sources
- Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.110(1): personal injury limitation period
- Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.110(4): medical malpractice limitation period
- Or. Rev. Stat. § 30.020(1): wrongful death limitation period
- Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.080(1): written contract limitation period
- Or. Rev. Stat. §§ 12.080(1), 12.090: credit card / account debt limitation period
- Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.160(1), (2): tolling for minors
- Or. Rev. Stat. § 30.275(2), (5)(a): claims against the state
- Or. Rev. Stat. § 30.275(2), (5)(b): claims against local government
- Or. Rev. Stat. § 131.125(6), (8)(a): criminal limitation periods
- Or. Rev. Stat. §§ 12.117, 12.118
- Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.115
- Or. Rev. Stat. § 30.020(1)
- Or. Rev. Stat. § 131.125(1)
- Oregon small claims (official court self-help)