Statute of Limitations in Utah

How long do you have to file a lawsuit in Utah? In Utah, the statute of limitations is 4 years for personal injury, 6 years for written contracts and 1 year for defamation; most other civil claims fall between 1 and 6 years. Every period below is linked to its official Utah statute.

4 yrs injury 6 yrs contracts 1 yr defamation Official citations Verified Jun 12, 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 Utah attorney.

Utah statute of limitations by claim type

Every Utah civil deadline below is quoted from the statute and linked to its official text. Verified 2026-06-12 against the official Utah statutes (le.utah.gov).

Utah statute of limitations by claim type
Claim type	Limitation period	Statute	Notes
Personal injury	4 years	Utah Code § 78B-2-307
Wrongful death	2 years	Utah Code § 78B-2-304	2 years from death
Written contract	6 years	Utah Code § 78B-2-309
Oral contract	4 years	Utah Code § 78B-2-307
Property damage	3 years	Utah Code § 78B-2-305	injury to / taking of personal property
Medical malpractice	2 years	Utah Code § 78B-3-404	2 yrs from discovery; 4-year repose
Defamation (libel/slander)	1 year	Utah Code § 78B-2-302
Debt collection	6 years	Utah Code § 78B-2-309

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

Utah deadlines at a glance

In Utah, civil filing deadlines run from 1 year (defamation) to 6 years (written contract and debt collection). Its 4 years personal-injury deadline is longer than in most states.

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

Wrongful death (2 years): 2 years from death (Utah Code § 78B-2-304).
Property damage (3 years): injury to / taking of personal property (Utah Code § 78B-2-305).
Medical malpractice (2 years): 2 yrs from discovery; 4-year repose (Utah Code § 78B-3-404).

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

The most-searched Utah deadlines

Personal injury & car accidents: 4 years. Injury claims must be filed within 4 years of the incident (Utah Code § 78B-2-307).
Debt: 6 years. Most debt is time-barred after 6 years (Utah Code § 78B-2-309). 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 (Utah Code § 78B-2-302).
Contracts: 6 years. Written agreements (Utah Code § 78B-2-309).

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 Utah 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: Arizona · Colorado · Idaho · New Mexico · Nevada · Wyoming

Utah statute of limitations FAQ

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

It depends on the claim. In Utah, personal injury is 4 years (Utah Code § 78B-2-307); written contract is 6 years (Utah Code § 78B-2-309); defamation is 1 year (Utah Code § 78B-2-302). See the table above for every claim type, each linked to its official statute.

What is the statute of limitations in Utah?

A statute of limitations is the legal deadline to start a lawsuit, and in Utah it varies by claim type: 4 years for personal injury, 6 years for written contracts and 1 year for defamation, with most other civil claims between 1 and 6 years. The clock generally starts when the claim accrues. Every period is linked to its official Utah statute above.

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

A car-accident injury claim is a personal injury claim, so the Utah deadline is 4 years from the date of the accident under Utah Code § 78B-2-307.

What is the statute of limitations on debt in Utah?

In Utah, most debt has a statute of limitations of 6 years under Utah Code § 78B-2-309. 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 Utah?

2 years under Utah Code § 78B-3-404 (2 yrs from discovery; 4-year repose).

Filing in Utah? Get the document.

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

Browse templates