Criminal Defense Statute of Limitations

Each state has separate laws and timelines for the amount of time that can pass before a criminal offense cannot be prosecuted. For most states, the statute of limitations felony cases create are indefinitely, however, other time periods exist according to criminal statute of limitations by state crimes. For example, Manslaughter have no maximum time period and can be prosecuted at any time, even as far as 50-75 years later.

Lately the trend has been increasing the time limitations for each type of violation. There are separate statutes for both Misdemeanors and Felonies by state.

Please keep note that laws can change frequently. The statutes we have provided as resources are up to date from the date they have been published, but one should ultimately consult with a Criminal Defense Attorney in their state to have up to date legal information.

Does Every State Have a Statute?

Currently in the United States, there are 4 states that have not yet established a legal set of statute of limitations for either misdemeanors or felonies, meaning a charge can be prosecuted at any length of time after it was commited. The four states are Kentucky, South Carolina, West Virginia, & Wyoming.

Statute of Limitations Listed by State