Statute of Limitations in Mississippi

How long do you have to file a lawsuit in Mississippi? In Mississippi, the statute of limitations is 3 years for personal injury, 3 years for written contracts and 1 year for defamation; most other civil claims fall between 1 and 3 years. Every period below is linked to its official Mississippi statute.

3 yrs injury 3 yrs contracts 1 yr 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 Mississippi attorney.

Mississippi statute of limitations by claim type

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

Mississippi statute of limitations by claim type
Claim type	Limitation period	Statute	Notes
Personal injury	3 years	Miss. Code § 15-1-49
Wrongful death	3 years	Miss. Code § 15-1-49	general 3-year period applies to wrongful death
Written contract	3 years	Miss. Code § 15-1-49
Oral contract	3 years	Miss. Code § 15-1-49
Property damage	3 years	Miss. Code § 15-1-49
Medical malpractice	2 years	Miss. Code § 15-1-36	2 yrs from when known/discoverable; 7-year repose
Defamation (libel/slander)	1 year	Miss. Code § 15-1-35
Debt collection	3 years	Miss. Code § 15-1-49

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

Mississippi deadlines at a glance

In Mississippi, civil filing deadlines run from 1 year (defamation) to 3 years (personal injury, wrongful death, written contract, oral contract, property damage and debt collection). Its 3 years personal-injury deadline is longer than in most states.

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

Wrongful death (3 years): general 3-year period applies to wrongful death (Miss. Code § 15-1-49).
Medical malpractice (2 years): 2 yrs from when known/discoverable; 7-year repose (Miss. Code § 15-1-36).

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

The most-searched Mississippi deadlines

Personal injury & car accidents: 3 years. Injury claims must be filed within 3 years of the incident (Miss. Code § 15-1-49).
Debt: 3 years. Most debt is time-barred after 3 years (Miss. Code § 15-1-49). 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: 1 year. Libel and slander (Miss. Code § 15-1-35).
Contracts: 3 years. Written agreements (Miss. Code § 15-1-49).

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.

Open the Mississippi deadline calculator →

Statute of limitations in other states

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

← All 50 states & DC

Nearby states: Alabama · Arkansas · Louisiana · Tennessee · California · Texas

Mississippi statute of limitations FAQ

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

It depends on the claim. In Mississippi, personal injury is 3 years (Miss. Code § 15-1-49); written contract is 3 years (Miss. Code § 15-1-49); defamation is 1 year (Miss. Code § 15-1-35). See the table above for every claim type, each linked to its official statute.

What is the statute of limitations in Mississippi?

A statute of limitations is the legal deadline to start a lawsuit, and in Mississippi it varies by claim type: 3 years for personal injury, 3 years for written contracts and 1 year for defamation, with most other civil claims between 1 and 3 years. The clock generally starts when the claim accrues. Every period is linked to its official Mississippi statute above.

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

A car-accident injury claim is a personal injury claim, so the Mississippi deadline is 3 years from the date of the accident under Miss. Code § 15-1-49.

What is the statute of limitations on debt in Mississippi?

In Mississippi, most debt has a statute of limitations of 3 years under Miss. Code § 15-1-49. 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 Mississippi?

2 years under Miss. Code § 15-1-36 (2 yrs from when known/discoverable; 7-year repose).

Filing in Mississippi? Get the document.

FormsPal has 16,000+ free, ready-to-fill legal templates: complaints, answers, demand letters, and more.

Browse templates