Civil Litigation & Business Disputes
Statute of Limitations: PA Filing Deadlines
Last updated September 2026
3 min read
✓ Verified Sept. 2026Before anything else in litigation comes the threshold question: do you still have time to file? Almost every civil claim in Pennsylvania has a statute of limitations, a deadline after which you lose the right to sue, regardless of how strong your case is. Miss it by one day and the case is gone.
The following table covers the most common civil claims. The clock generally starts on the date of the injury or breach, though the discovery rule may toll the deadline when harm was not immediately apparent.
Pennsylvania Civil Filing Deadlines at a Glance
The clock generally starts on the date of the injury or breach. The discovery rule can delay the start when the harm was not immediately apparent.
Government Tort Notice
6months
Written notice to the government unit. Suit itself is 2 years.
42 Pa.C.S. § 5522
Defamation (Libel / Slander)
1year
Runs from publication. One of the shortest PA deadlines.
42 Pa.C.S. § 5523(1)
Will Contest (after probate)
1year
Appeal from probate. Court may shorten to 3 months on petition.
20 Pa.C.S. § 908(a)
Personal Injury / Negligence
2years
Car crashes, slip-and-fall, most negligence claims.
42 Pa.C.S. § 5524
Medical Malpractice
2years
Discovery rule applies. No statute of repose after Yanakos.
42 Pa.C.S. § 5524
Wrongful Death
2years
Runs from the date of death, not the date of injury.
42 Pa.C.S. § 5524(2)
Survival Action
2years
The decedent's own claim, carried on by the estate.
42 Pa.C.S. § 5524(2)
Products Liability
2years
Strict liability or negligence theory. From injury.
42 Pa.C.S. § 5524
Property Damage
2years
Damage to real or personal property.
42 Pa.C.S. § 5524(3)/(4)
Fraud / Misrepresentation
2years
Discovery rule may toll: runs from when the fraud was found.
42 Pa.C.S. § 5524(7)
Breach of Contract (written)
4years
Most written agreements.
42 Pa.C.S. § 5525(a)(8)
Breach of Contract (oral)
4years
Same clock as written. Proving the terms is the hard part.
42 Pa.C.S. § 5525(a)(3)
Action on a Judgment
4years
Suing on a judgment. The lien is separately revived every 5 years.
42 Pa.C.S. § 5525(a)(5)
Consumer Fraud (UTPCPL)
6years
Residual period applied to Unfair Trade Practices claims.
42 Pa.C.S. § 5527(b)
Quiet Title / Adverse Possession
21years
A narrow 10-year path under § 5527.1 covers only a lot of one-half acre or less with a home the possessor has lived in for all 10 years. It needs a quiet-title action.
42 Pa.C.S. § 5530
Trust Contest
Varies
A short window runs after the settlor's death. Do not delay.
20 Pa.C.S. Ch. 77
General guidance only, not legal advice. These are the most common civil deadlines in Pennsylvania. Many exceptions apply, including the discovery rule, tolling for minors, statutes of repose, contractual limitation periods, and a defendant's absence from the state. A single fact can change your deadline. Confirm any deadline with a lawyer before you rely on it, and do not wait.
The full table below adds the statutory detail and the exceptions behind each deadline.
| Claim Type | SOL | Statute | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Injury / Negligence | 2 years | 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524 | Bodily injury, slip and fall, MVA, medical malpractice (with discovery rule). Note: Pennsylvania previously imposed a 7-year statute of repose for medical malpractice (40 P.S. § 1303.513), but the PA Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional in Yanakos v. UPMC, 218 A.3d 1214 (Pa. 2019), holding it violated the remedies clause of the PA Constitution (Art. I, § 11). There is currently no medical malpractice statute of repose in Pennsylvania; the 2-year statute of limitations with the discovery rule is the operative deadline. |
| Wrongful Death | 2 years | 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524(2) | From date of death, not date of injury |
| Survival Action | 2 years | 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524(2) | Runs with the decedent's claim: same SOL as underlying tort |
| Breach of Contract (written) | 4 years | 42 Pa.C.S. § 5525(8) | Written agreements generally; promissory notes and negotiable instruments under § 5525(7); sale/construction of personal property under § 5525(1) |
| Breach of Contract (oral) | 4 years | 42 Pa.C.S. § 5525(3) | Oral agreements: proving terms is the practical challenge |
| Property Damage | 2 years | 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524(3)/(4) | Damage to real or personal property (personal property under § 5524(3); waste or trespass of real property under § 5524(4)) |
| Fraud / Misrepresentation | 2 years | 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524(7) | Discovery rule may toll: runs from when fraud was or should have been discovered |
| Defamation (Libel / Slander) | 1 year | 42 Pa.C.S. § 5523(1) | One of the shortest PA civil limitations periods: do not wait |
| Products Liability | 2 years | 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524 | Strict liability or negligence theory. 2 years from injury |
| UCC. Breach of Warranty (Goods) | 4 years | 13 Pa.C.S. § 2725 | From tender of delivery, not from discovery of defect. Exception: for warranties explicitly extending to future performance, the cause of action accrues when the breach is or should have been discovered. |
| Trespass / Nuisance | 2 years | 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524 | Continuing trespass may restart the clock |
| Legal Malpractice | 2 years | 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524(7) | Tort theory, discovery rule applies, from when client knew or should have known. A breach-of-contract theory of legal malpractice carries a longer 4-year deadline under 42 Pa.C.S. § 5525, independent of the discovery rule. See Bailey v. Tucker, 621 A.2d 108 (Pa. 1993); Wachovia Bank, N.A. v. Ferretti, 935 A.2d 565 (Pa. Super. 2007). |
| Will Contest (after probate) | 1 year | 20 Pa.C.S. § 908 | Appeal from probate. 1 year from the decree of the register, per 20 Pa.C.S. § 908(a); the court may limit the time for appeal to three months on petition |
| Government Tort Claims (notice) | 6 months | 42 Pa.C.S. § 5522 | Written notice to government unit generally required within 6 months of injury. Under § 5522(a)(2), the court must excuse non-compliance on a showing of reasonable excuse for the failure to file, and § 5522(a)(3) provides exceptions for incapacity (tolling up to 90 days) and where the government unit had actual or constructive notice |
| UTPCPL (Unfair Trade Practices) | 6 years | 42 Pa.C.S. § 5527(b) | Private actions under the PA Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law |
| Specific Performance (real estate) | 5 years | 42 Pa.C.S. § 5526(2) | Action to enforce or recover damages for noncompliance with a contract for sale of real property |
| Adverse Possession | 21 years | 42 Pa.C.S. § 5530 | Recovery of real property or quiet title; actual, continuous, exclusive, visible, notorious, distinct, and hostile possession required. A shorter 10-year period applies under § 5527.1, but only to a parcel of one-half acre or less that is improved by a single-family dwelling the possessor has occupied for the full 10 years and is identified as a separate lot in a recorded conveyance, subdivision plan, or official municipal map or plan. Everything else, including larger parcels and unimproved land, stays on the 21-year period. The possessor must also commence a quiet title action and give the record owner one year to respond by filing an action in ejectment. An abutting contiguous lot may be included only if its area combined with the parcel does not exceed one-half acre. |
| Real Estate Appraiser Claims | 5 years | 42 Pa.C.S. § 5539 | From date of appraisal; exception for fraud and for consumer single-family residential transactions not involving a lender (Act 93 of 2021) |
Important Exceptions
Minors: The statute of limitations is generally tolled during minority. A minor has until age 20 (two years after turning 18) for most tort claims, but this is a trap. Civil claims arising from sexual abuse are different: under 42 Pa.C.S. § 5533(b)(2), a claimant who was under 18 when the claim accrued has 37 years after turning 18 to sue, and a claimant who was at least 18 and under 24 has until age 30. Parents and guardians should not assume they can wait. Evidence disappears, witnesses forget, and some claims (like medical malpractice involving birth injuries) have complex rules.
Discovery rule: When the injury or breach was not immediately apparent, the clock may not start until the plaintiff knew or should have known of the harm. This is heavily litigated; the defendant will argue you should have discovered it sooner.
Defendant's absence: Time during which the defendant is absent from Pennsylvania may not count toward the limitations period (42 Pa.C.S. § 5532).
Do Not Wait
If you think you might have a claim, call a lawyer now, not when the deadline is approaching. Evidence needs to be preserved, witnesses need to be identified, and sometimes pre-suit notice requirements apply. The worst outcome in litigation is having a valid claim that you can never bring because the clock ran out.
Legal and factual content on this page was last verified: Sept. 2026. If you are reading this significantly after that date, confirm key provisions with current statute text or contact our office.
Marc Lynde · 12+ years as a licensed attorney · Cardozo School of Law · Licensed in PA & NY · Full bio →
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