Statute of Limitations in Indiana

How long do you have to file a lawsuit in Indiana? In Indiana, the statute of limitations is 2 years for personal injury, 10 years for written contracts and 2 years for defamation; most other civil claims fall between 2 and 10 years. Every period below is linked to its official Indiana statute.

2 yrs injury 10 yrs contracts 2 yrs defamation Official citations Verified Jun 13, 2026

This tool provides estimates for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Limitation periods depend on discovery rules, tolling, statutes of repose, and the specific facts. Always verify against the cited statute or consult a Indiana attorney.

Indiana statute of limitations by claim type

Every Indiana civil deadline below is quoted from the statute and linked to its official text. Verified Jun 13, 2026 against the official Indiana statutes (codes.findlaw.com).

Indiana statute of limitations by claim type
Claim type	Limitation period	Statute	Notes
Personal injury	2 years	Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4
Wrongful death	2 years	Ind. Code § 34-23-1-1	2 years from death
Written contract	10 years	Ind. Code § 34-11-2-11
Oral contract	6 years	Ind. Code § 34-11-2-9
Property damage	2 years	Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4
Medical malpractice	2 years	Ind. Code § 34-18-7-1	2 yrs from the act (occurrence-based; tolled during medical-review-panel)
Defamation (libel/slander)	2 years	Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4
Debt collection	10 years	Ind. Code § 34-11-2-11

Enter a date of incident in the lookup above to estimate your exact filing deadline and add a reminder to your calendar.

Indiana deadlines at a glance

In Indiana, civil filing deadlines run from 2 years (personal injury, wrongful death, property damage, medical malpractice and defamation) to 10 years (written contract and debt collection). Its 2 years personal-injury deadline is in line with most states.

Several Indiana claims carry specific accrual, discovery, or repose rules worth noting:

Wrongful death (2 years): 2 years from death (Ind. Code § 34-23-1-1).
Medical malpractice (2 years): 2 yrs from the act (occurrence-based; tolled during medical-review-panel) (Ind. Code § 34-18-7-1).

New to limitation periods? Read what a statute of limitations is: how the clock accrues, the discovery rule, and tolling.

The most-searched Indiana deadlines

Personal injury & car accidents: 2 years. Injury claims must be filed within 2 years of the incident (Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4).
Debt: 10 years. Most debt is time-barred after 10 years (Ind. Code § 34-11-2-11). A payment or written acknowledgment can restart the clock, so respond to a collector with a validation or dispute letter. Find a letter template →
Defamation: 2 years. Libel and slander (Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4).
Contracts: 10 years. Written agreements (Ind. Code § 34-11-2-11).

Count the exact filing date

A limitation period gives you the year; the deadline calculator counts the precise date (answer windows, court days, and holidays included) and exports it to your calendar.

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Statute of limitations in other states

Limitation periods differ in every state. Browse the full 50-state lookup, or jump to a nearby state.

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Indiana statute of limitations FAQ

How long do you have to file a lawsuit in Indiana?

It depends on the claim. In Indiana, personal injury is 2 years (Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4); written contract is 10 years (Ind. Code § 34-11-2-11); defamation is 2 years (Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4). See the table above for every claim type, each linked to its official statute.

What is the statute of limitations in Indiana?

A statute of limitations is the legal deadline to start a lawsuit, and in Indiana it varies by claim type: 2 years for personal injury, 10 years for written contracts and 2 years for defamation, with most other civil claims between 2 and 10 years. The clock generally starts when the claim accrues. Every period is linked to its official Indiana statute above.

What is the statute of limitations for a car accident in Indiana?

A car-accident injury claim is a personal injury claim, so the Indiana deadline is 2 years from the date of the accident under Ind. Code § 34-11-2-4.

What is the statute of limitations on debt in Indiana?

In Indiana, most debt has a statute of limitations of 10 years under Ind. Code § 34-11-2-11. After it expires the debt is time-barred and a collector generally cannot win a lawsuit to force payment. A payment or written acknowledgment can restart the clock, so be careful on an old debt.

What is the statute of limitations for medical malpractice in Indiana?

2 years under Ind. Code § 34-18-7-1 (2 yrs from the act (occurrence-based; tolled during medical-review-panel)).

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