Statute of Limitations by StateFiling deadlines · cited to statute

Washington · civil and criminal deadlines

Statute of limitations: Washington State

Washington State gives 3 years for personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death, property damage and fraud, 6 years for written contracts and accounts such as credit cards, 3 years for oral contracts, and 2 years for defamation, assault and battery.

Statute of Limitations by State editorial teamUpdated 14 sources

Deadline calculator

Washington statute of limitations calculator

Enter the date your claim arose to get the last day to file under Revised Code of Washington (RCW).

Discovered later, a minor, or a government defendant
Is the defendant a government body?
Example

Washington · Personal injury: file no later than

Tuesday, November 30, 2027

  • Limitation period3 years · RCW 4.16.080(2)
  • Clock startedNovember 30, 2024 (the date the claim arose)
  • Assault and battery are 2 years (RCW 4.16.100(1)).

The calculator adds the state’s period to the start date by the anniversary method and flags weekends and federal holidays. It does not know every exception: accrual, tolling and claim type are legal questions. General information, not legal advice; see the legal disclaimer.

Washington statute of limitations by claim

In Washington you generally have 3 years to sue for personal injury, 3 years for property damage, 6 years on a written contract and 3 years on an oral one, but only 2 years for defamation.[1][4] The table lists every common civil claim with the statute and the notes that change it.

Washington statutes of limitations for civil claims (checked November 2026)
ClaimDeadlineStatute
Personal injury3 yearsRCW 4.16.080(2)Assault and battery are 2 years (RCW 4.16.100(1)).
Medical malpractice3 yearsRCW 4.16.350The statute's 8-year repose period was held unconstitutional in Bennett v. United States (Wash. Dec. 7, 2023), as in DeYoung v. Providence Medical Center (1998). Fraud, intentional concealment or a foreign body tolls the period until actual knowledge, then 1 year.
Wrongful death3 yearsRCW 4.16.080(2); RCW 4.20.010The wrongful death statute (RCW 4.20.010) sets no period of its own; the general 3-year period applies. If death resulted from health care, RCW 4.16.350 governs.
Property damage3 yearsRCW 4.16.080(2)Waste or trespass on real property is also 3 years (RCW 4.16.080(1)).
Written contract6 yearsRCW 4.16.040(1)Sale of goods (UCC): 4 years (RCW 62A.2-725).
Oral contract3 yearsRCW 4.16.080(3)Covers express or implied contracts not in writing, except accounts receivable (6 years).
Credit card / account debt6 yearsRCW 4.16.040(2)An account receivable is any obligation incurred in the ordinary course of the creditor's business, so credit card and store accounts are usually 6 years; without a written agreement or account-receivable status, 3 years may apply (RCW 4.16.080(3)). Since 2019 (Laws of 2019, ch. 377) an acknowledgment or promise made after the period expires cannot revive it; a written signed acknowledgment before expiry can, and payments keep their effect (RCW 4.16.280).
Fraud3 yearsRCW 4.16.080(4)
Defamation2 yearsRCW 4.16.100(1)Same period for libel and slander.
Product liability3 yearsRCW 7.72.060(3)Repose: No fixed repose; sellers are not liable for harm after the product's useful safe life, presumed to end 12 years after delivery (RCW 7.72.060(1)–(2)) The 12-year presumption can be rebutted, and does not apply to longer warranties, concealment, or harm from exposure within the useful safe life.

What is different in Washington

Washington has no short notice deadline for government claims: a standard tort claim form must be filed within the ordinary period, followed by a 60-day wait before suit, which tolls the deadline. The 8-year malpractice repose was struck down by the state supreme court, and a promise to pay made after a debt’s period has run no longer revives it.

  • The 8-year medical malpractice statute of repose was struck down by the Washington Supreme Court in Bennett v. United States (Dec. 7, 2023), the second time it has been invalidated. (RCW 4.16.350; Bennett v. United States (Wash. 2023))[10]
  • No time limit for civil claims based on intentional childhood sexual abuse that occurs on or after June 6, 2024 (Laws of 2024, ch. 253); older abuse keeps the 3-year discovery-based rule, tolled until 18. (RCW 4.16.340(6))[11]
  • A promise or acknowledgment made after a debt's limitation period has expired cannot restart or revive it (Laws of 2019, ch. 377). (RCW 4.16.280)[12]
  • Before suing the state or a local government, a claimant must file the standard tort claim form and wait 60 days; the limitation period is tolled during the wait. (RCW 4.92.110; RCW 4.96.020(4))[13]

When the clock starts and stops

Statutes give a discovery rule for fraud, medical malpractice, product liability and childhood sexual abuse; courts also apply it to other torts where the plaintiff could not reasonably have known of the injury and its cause. (RCW 4.16.080(4); RCW 4.16.350; RCW 7.72.060(3))

Minors. Washington pauses the clock while the injured person is a minor: the period starts at age 18. Time under 18 is not counted. For medical malpractice, RCW 4.16.350 still says a custodial parent's knowledge is imputed to the minor, but the Washington Supreme Court struck down the former med-mal exception to minority tolling in Schroeder v. Weighall (2014).[6]

Other tolling. Defendant's absence from the state or concealment is not counted (RCW 4.16.180); incapacity and imprisonment before sentencing toll (RCW 4.16.190); the 60-day government claim waiting period tolls the limitation (RCW 4.92.110, 4.96.020(4)).

Suing the government in Washington

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]

Notice and suit deadlines for claims against Washington government
DefendantDeadlineStatute
State agenciesStandard tort claim form presented to the Office of Risk Management within the ordinary limitation period (no shorter notice deadline); suit only after 60 daysAfter a 60-day waiting period, within the ordinary limitation period (e.g. 3 years for personal injury), which is tolled during the 60 daysRCW 4.92.100, 4.92.110
Cities, counties and other local entitiesStandard tort claim form presented to the entity's appointed claims agent within the ordinary limitation period; suit only after 60 daysAfter a 60-day waiting period, within the ordinary limitation period, which is tolled during the 60 daysRCW 4.96.020

Criminal statute of limitations in Washington

Most felonies in Washington: 3 years for felonies not otherwise listed; 5, 6, 10 or 20 years (or no limit) for listed offenses. Misdemeanors: 2 years (gross misdemeanor); 1 year (misdemeanor).[9] Prosecutors must file charges within these periods; the victim’s civil deadline is separate.

Washington criminal limitation periods
OffenseTime limitStatute
Felonies3 years for felonies not otherwise listed; 5, 6, 10 or 20 years (or no limit) for listed offensesLast amended by Laws of 2026, ch. 223.RCW 9A.04.080(1)(j)
Misdemeanors2 years (gross misdemeanor); 1 year (misdemeanor)RCW 9A.04.080(1)(k)–(l)
No time limitMurder; homicide by abuse; arson, vehicular assault or hit-and-run causing death; vehicular homicide; first- and second-degree rape of a victim under 16; rape of a child and child molestation (all degrees); sexual exploitation of a minor; trafficking of a minor; rape by a first responder using that positionRCW 9A.04.080(1)(a)
Sexual assaultAdult victim: first- and second-degree rape 20 years, third-degree rape 10 years. Victim under 16 (rape) or child sex offenses: no limit. Periods run from DNA or photo identification of the suspect plus 4 years if later.RCW 9A.04.080(1)(a)–(c), (3)
TheftFelony theft: 3 years, but first- or second-degree theft by deception and theft from a vulnerable adult: 6 years from commission or discovery, whichever is later.

Worked example

An icy-sidewalk fall in Spokane on November 30, 2024: under the personal injury deadline is November 30, 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, 2033.

For a claim of $10,000 or less, Washington’s small claims (Small Claims Department of the 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 Washington?
3 years under RCW 4.16.080(2), usually counted from the date of the injury. Claims against a government body may need a written notice much sooner.
What is the statute of limitations on debt in Washington?
6 years (RCW 4.16.040(2)). An account receivable is any obligation incurred in the ordinary course of the creditor's business, so credit card and store accounts are usually 6 years; without a written agreement or account-receivable status, 3 years may apply (RCW 4.16.080(3)).
Does the statute of limitations pause for minors in Washington?
Washington pauses the clock while the injured person is a minor: the period starts at age 18. Time under 18 is not counted. For medical malpractice, RCW 4.16.350 still says a custodial parent's knowledge is imputed to the minor, but the Washington Supreme Court struck down the former med-mal exception to minority tolling in Schroeder v. Weighall (2014).
What crimes have no statute of limitations in Washington?
Murder; homicide by abuse; arson, vehicular assault or hit-and-run causing death; vehicular homicide; first- and second-degree rape of a victim under 16; rape of a child and child molestation (all degrees); sexual exploitation of a minor; trafficking of a minor; rape by a first responder using that position (RCW 9A.04.080(1)(a)).
What is the statute of limitations for personal injury in Washington State?
3 years under RCW 4.16.080(2), counted from the injury or, for some injuries, from discovery. Intentional assault and battery claims have 2 years (RCW 4.16.100).

Sources

  1. RCW 4.16.080(2): personal injury limitation period · Revised Code of Washington (RCW) (official), checked November 2026
  2. RCW 4.16.350: medical malpractice limitation period · Revised Code of Washington (RCW) (official), checked November 2026
  3. RCW 4.16.080(2); RCW 4.20.010: wrongful death limitation period · Revised Code of Washington (RCW) (official), checked November 2026
  4. RCW 4.16.040(1): written contract limitation period · Revised Code of Washington (RCW) (official), checked November 2026
  5. RCW 4.16.040(2): credit card / account debt limitation period · Revised Code of Washington (RCW) (official), checked November 2026
  6. RCW 4.16.190: tolling for minors · Revised Code of Washington (RCW) (official), checked November 2026
  7. RCW 4.92.100, 4.92.110: claims against the state · Revised Code of Washington (RCW) (official), checked November 2026
  8. RCW 4.96.020: claims against local government · Revised Code of Washington (RCW) (official), checked November 2026
  9. RCW 9A.04.080(1)(j): criminal limitation periods · Revised Code of Washington (RCW) (official), checked November 2026
  10. RCW 4.16.350; Bennett v. United States (Wash. 2023) · Revised Code of Washington (RCW), checked November 2026
  11. RCW 4.16.340(6) · Revised Code of Washington (RCW), checked November 2026
  12. RCW 4.16.280 · Revised Code of Washington (RCW), checked November 2026
  13. RCW 4.92.110; RCW 4.96.020(4) · Revised Code of Washington (RCW), checked November 2026
  14. Washington small claims (official court self-help) · Washington Judicial Branch, checked November 2026