Statute of Limitations (SOL) - All 50 States + DC
Purpose: Quick reference for property insurance claim filing deadlines Last Updated: August 2026 (verified against statute text)
Important Notes
- Policy Suit Limitation Clauses may be SHORTER than statutory SOL (commonly 1-2 years from loss) — but many states set a statutory floor or void contractual shortening entirely (see Special Policy Suit Limitation below)
- Discovery Rule may extend SOL in some states (runs from discovery, not occurrence)
- Tolling may apply during claim investigation (several standard fire policy statutes toll from notice of claim until written denial) or when insured is a minor/incapacitated
- Bad Faith SOL often differs from contract SOL
- Always verify current law - SOLs can change by legislation (FL 2023, LA 2024, MT 2025, OH 2021 and WI 2018 all changed periods listed here)
Verification: Every row was checked against the current statute text on the official legislature site (or a legal-publisher mirror where the official site could not be fetched). The Source column links to the controlling section; rows marked "(not confirmed from text)" rest on a mirror or on secondary knowledge because the official text could not be retrieved, and should be re-checked before being relied on. Cells state periods as "N yrs" with the section cited; "—" means no verified fact.
Master SOL Table
| State | Property Damage (Tort) | Breach of Contract | Bad Faith | Policy Suit Clause | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 2 yrs — Ala. Code § 6-2-38(l) | 6 yrs — Ala. Code § 6-2-34(9) | 2 yrs (tort) — § 6-2-38(l) | Enforceable; no statutory minimum — 1-yr fire-policy suit clauses upheld | Bad faith is a tort (Chavers v. Nat'l Sec. Fire, 405 So.2d 1 (Ala. 1981)); § 6-5-370 is not the bad-faith statute (it is a general tort-remedy section) — cite Chavers instead | Source (not confirmed from text) |
| Alaska | 2 yrs — AS 09.10.070(a) | 3 yrs (oral or written) — AS 09.10.053 | 2 yrs (tort) — AS 09.10.070; State Farm v. Nicholson, 777 P.2d 1152 (Alaska 1989) | Enforceable; no statutory minimum found in AS 21.42 | First-party bad faith = tort (Nicholson) | Source (not confirmed from text) |
| Arizona | 2 yrs — A.R.S. § 12-542 | 3 yrs oral (§ 12-543) / 6 yrs written (§ 12-548) | 2 yrs (tort) — § 12-542; Noble v. Nat'l Am. Life, 128 Ariz. 188 (1981) | Min. 1 yr from date of loss for property policies (A.R.S. § 20-1115(A)(3)); 2 yrs from accrual for other lines | Bad faith = tort (Noble); § 20-1115(A)(3) sets statutory floor on suit clauses | Source |
| Arkansas | 3 yrs — Ark. Code § 16-56-105 | 3 yrs oral (§ 16-56-105) / 5 yrs written (§ 16-56-111) | 3 yrs (tort) — § 16-56-105 | NOT enforceable if shorter than written-contract SOL (5 yrs) — Ark. Code § 23-79-202(b) voids shorter policy periods | § 23-79-202: suit on property/life policy allowed within period for written promises; shorter policy clause void. High bad-faith standard (Aetna v. Broadway Arms) | Source |
| California | 3 yrs — Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 338(b) | 2 yrs oral (§ 339) / 4 yrs written (§ 337) | 2 yrs (tort) — CCP § 339(1); Gruenberg v. Aetna, 9 Cal.3d 566 (1973) | 12 months after inception of loss (24 months for declared state-of-emergency losses) — Cal. Ins. Code § 2071; tolled from notice of claim to written denial (Prudential-LMI v. Superior Court, 51 Cal.3d 674 (1990)) | Bad faith = tort (Gruenberg); § 2071 standard fire policy governs suit period | Source |
| Colorado | 2 yrs — C.R.S. § 13-80-102(1)(a) | 3 yrs (oral or written) — C.R.S. § 13-80-101(1)(a) (6 yrs only for liquidated debts, § 13-80-103.5) | 2 yrs (tort) — § 13-80-102(1)(a); § 10-3-1116 statutory claim SOL unsettled (courts have applied 2-yr tort or 3-yr § 13-80-101) | Homeowner policies may NOT shorten the statutory SOL — C.R.S. § 10-4-110.8(12) (policies issued/renewed on/after 1/1/2014); other property lines: enforceable | § 10-3-1116: 2x covered benefit + fees for unreasonable delay/denial; Rooftop Restoration v. Am. Family, 2018 CO 44 (1-yr penalty SOL § 13-80-103(1)(d) does not apply) | Source |
| Connecticut | 2 yrs from discovery / 3-yr repose for negligent property damage — C.G.S. § 52-584; 3 yrs other torts — § 52-577 | 6 yrs — C.G.S. § 52-576(a) | 3 yrs (tort, § 52-577) / 3 yrs CUTPA (§ 42-110g(f)) / 6 yrs if pled in contract (§ 52-576) | 24 months after inception of loss — C.G.S. § 38a-307 standard fire policy (policies issued/renewed on/after 10/1/2014) | CUTPA/CUIPA claims = 3 yrs, not 6; § 38a-307 suit period was 12 mo → 18 mo (2009) → 24 mo (2014) | Source |
| Delaware | 2 yrs injury to personal property (10 Del. C. § 8107); 3 yrs real property/other (§ 8106) | 3 yrs — 10 Del. C. § 8106(a) | 3 yrs (contract) — § 8106; Tackett v. State Farm, 653 A.2d 254 (Del. 1995) | Enforceable; no statutory minimum located in 18 Del. C. | Bad faith = breach of implied covenant (contract) per Tackett | Source |
| District of Columbia | 3 yrs — D.C. Code § 12-301(a)(3) | 3 yrs — D.C. Code § 12-301(a)(7) | 3 yrs (contract) — § 12-301(a)(7); Choharis v. State Farm, 961 A.2d 1080 (D.C. 2008) | Enforceable; no statutory minimum located in D.C. Code Title 31 | No independent bad-faith tort (Choharis) | Source |
| Florida | 2 yrs negligence — Fla. Stat. § 95.11(5)(a) (HB 837, causes accruing after 3/24/2023; was 4 yrs) | 5 yrs written (§ 95.11(2)(b)); property-insurance breach: 5 yrs from date of loss (§ 95.11(2)(e)) | 4 yrs (statutory liability) — § 95.11(3)(e); § 624.155 civil remedy (verify — some courts apply 5-yr § 95.11(2)(b)) | NOT enforceable — § 95.03 voids contractual shortening of SOL; but notice of claim due within 1 yr of loss, supplemental 18 mo (§ 627.70132) | § 624.155 requires 60-day civil remedy notice (§ 624.155(3)); § 627.70132 notice deadlines function as the practical cutoff | Source |
| Georgia | 4 yrs — O.C.G.A. § 9-3-30 (realty), § 9-3-31 (personalty) | 4 yrs oral (§ 9-3-25) / 6 yrs written (§ 9-3-24) | 6 yrs — § 33-4-6 penalty is recovered in the action on the policy, so contract SOL (§ 9-3-24) governs; no tort bad faith | Enforceable; no statutory minimum — 1-yr (12-month) suit clauses routinely upheld | § 33-4-6: 60-day demand, penalty up to 50% of liability or $5,000 (greater) + fees; bad faith is statutory, not tort | Source (not confirmed from text) |
| Hawaii | 2 yrs — HRS § 657-7 | 6 yrs — HRS § 657-1(1) | 2 yrs (tort) — § 657-7; Best Place v. Penn America, 82 Haw. 120 (1996) | Enforceable subject to HRS § 431:10-221 (policy may not limit suit period below statutory floor — verify text; site returned 403) | Bad faith = tort (Best Place) | Source (not confirmed from text) |
| Idaho | 3 yrs — Idaho Code § 5-218(3) | 4 yrs oral (§ 5-217) / 5 yrs written (§ 5-216) | 4 yrs — § 5-224 (catch-all) applied to first-party bad faith | 12 months after inception of loss — Idaho Code § 41-2401 adopts NY 1943 standard fire policy (contains 12-month suit clause) | § 5-224 confirmed: 'relief not hereinbefore provided for … four years' | Source (not confirmed from text) |
| Illinois | 5 yrs — 735 ILCS 5/13-205 (injury to property); 2 yrs is personal injury only (13-202) | 5 yrs oral (13-205) / 10 yrs written (13-206) | § 155 (215 ILCS 5/155) statutory penalty — no independent tort (Cramer v. Ins. Exch. Agency, 174 Ill.2d 513 (1996)); rides with 10-yr contract action, though some courts apply 5-yr 13-205 | 12 months after inception of loss (standard fire policy, 215 ILCS 5/397) — tolled from proof of loss to written denial (215 ILCS 5/143.1); 1-yr/2-yr clauses enforceable with tolling | 215 ILCS 5/143.1 tolling confirmed | Source |
| Indiana | 2 yrs personal property/injury (IC 34-11-2-4); 6 yrs damage to real property (IC 34-11-2-7) | 6 yrs oral (IC 34-11-2-7) / 10 yrs written (IC 34-11-2-11) | 2 yrs (tort) — IC 34-11-2-4; Erie Ins. v. Hickman, 622 N.E.2d 515 (Ind. 1993) | Enforceable; 1-yr and 2-yr clauses upheld — no statutory minimum located (IC 27-1-13-16 is a coverage-change notice statute, not a suit-limitation statute) | Bad faith = tort (Hickman) | Source (not confirmed from text) |
| Iowa | 5 yrs — Iowa Code § 614.1(4) | 5 yrs oral (§ 614.1(4)) / 10 yrs written (§ 614.1(5)) | 5 yrs (tort) — § 614.1(4) 'all other actions' | 12 months after inception of loss — Iowa Code § 515.109 standard fire policy 'Suit' clause | Claim-preclusion rule: bad-faith claim generally must be brought with the contract action (Iowa) | Source |
| Kansas | 2 yrs — K.S.A. 60-513(a)(1)-(2) | 3 yrs oral (60-512) / 5 yrs written (60-511(1)) | N/A — no first-party bad-faith tort (Spencer v. Aetna, 227 Kan. 914 (1980)); remedy is K.S.A. 40-256 attorney fees (40-908 for fire/tornado/hail policies) with the contract claim | Enforceable; no statutory minimum located | K.S.A. 40-908 fee-shifting for fire/tornado/lightning/hail policies confirmed | Source |
| Kentucky | 5 years (KRS 413.120(4),(6)) | 5 years oral (KRS 413.120(1)) / 10 years written if executed after 7/15/2014 (KRS 413.160); 15 years only for pre-7/15/2014 written contracts (KRS 413.090(2)) | 5 years (KRS 413.120(2) liability created by statute; UCSPA via KRS 446.070) | Enforceable, but not less than 1 year from accrual (KRS 304.14-370) | KRS 446.070 private action; Wittmer v. Jones. Written-contract SOL is 10 years for modern policies, not 15. | Source |
| Louisiana | 2 years for damage sustained on/after 7/1/2024 (C.C. art. 3493.1, Acts 2024 No. 423); 1 year for earlier losses (former art. 3492, repealed) | 10 years (C.C. art. 3499) | 2 years (R.S. 22:1892 as amended by Acts 2024 No. 3 / SB 323, eff. 7/1/2024; R.S. 22:1973 repealed) | Enforceable, but not less than 24 months after inception of loss for first-party claims (R.S. 22:868(B)) | Act 3 (2024) merged 22:1973 into 22:1892 and codified 2-year prescription; Act 423 (2024) lengthened delictual prescription to 2 years | Source |
| Maine | 6 years (14 M.R.S. § 752) | 6 years (14 M.R.S. § 752) | No first-party bad faith tort (Marquis v. Farm Family, 1994); 24-A M.R.S. § 2436-A statutory claim, no special SOL so 6 years (§ 752) | Enforceable, but not less than 2 years from accrual (24-A M.R.S. § 2433); standard fire policy: 2 years after inception of loss (24-A M.R.S. § 3002) | NO bad faith tort (Marquis); § 2436-A gives interest + attorney fees only | Source |
| Maryland | 3 years (Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-101) | 3 years (CJP § 5-101) | 3 years (CJP § 5-101); statutory first-party claim under CJP § 3-1701 requires MIA decision under Ins. § 27-1001 first | NOT enforceable if shorter than statutory period: Ins. § 12-104 voids policy clauses setting a shorter time to sue than State law | MIA exhaustion (Ins. § 27-1001) required before CJP § 3-1701 suit; contractual shortening void (Ins. § 12-104) | Source |
| Massachusetts | 3 years (G.L. c. 260 § 2A) | 6 years (G.L. c. 260 § 2) | 4 years for c. 93A/176D claims (G.L. c. 260 § 5A); 6 years contract (§ 2) | Enforceable; standard fire policy: 2 years from loss (G.L. c. 175 § 99) | Chapter 176D/93A; 93A = 4 years (c. 260 § 5A) | Source |
| Michigan | 3 years (MCL 600.5805(2)) | 6 years (MCL 600.5807(9)) | N/A: no first-party bad faith tort (Kewin v. Mass. Mut., 1980); contract 6 years; MCL 500.2006 12% penalty interest | Enforceable, but not less than 1 year after loss, tolled from notice of loss until formal denial (MCL 500.2833(1)(q)) | NO first-party bad faith tort (Kewin); Commercial Union v. Liberty Mutual (1985) is the third-party/liability bad faith case | Source |
| Minnesota | 6 years (Minn. Stat. § 541.05 subd. 1) | 6 years (§ 541.05 subd. 1(1)) | 6 years (§ 604.18 states no SOL; § 541.05 applies) | Enforceable; standard fire policy: 2 years after inception of loss (Minn. Stat. § 65A.01 subd. 3) | § 604.18 = statutory bad faith (taxable costs, no independent tort) | Source |
| Mississippi | 3 years (Miss. Code § 15-1-49) | 3 years (§ 15-1-49) | 3 years (§ 15-1-49) | NOT enforceable: Miss. Code § 15-1-5 voids any contractual change to statutory limitation periods | Universal Life v. Veasley; contractual suit-limitation clauses void (§ 15-1-5) | Source (not confirmed from text) |
| Missouri | 5 years (RSMo 516.120) | 5 years (RSMo 516.120(1)); 10 years for a writing for payment of money (RSMo 516.110(1)), which some courts apply to insurance policies | 5 years (RSMo 516.120); vexatious refusal is statutory (RSMo 375.420) | NOT enforceable: RSMo 431.030 voids any contract term limiting time to sue | NO tort bad faith for first-party claims (Overcast v. Billings Mutual, 2000); § 375.420 vexatious refusal is the remedy | Source |
| Montana | 2 years for injury to real or personal property (MCA 27-2-207); 3 years general tort (27-2-204) | 6 years written (MCA 27-2-202(1), as amended Ch. 174, L. 2025; was 8) / 5 years oral (27-2-202(2)) | UTPA: 2 years from violation for insureds, 1 year from settlement/judgment for third parties (MCA 33-18-242(8)); common-law 3 years (27-2-204) | NOT enforceable: MCA 28-2-708 voids contract terms limiting time to enforce rights | UTPA = 2 years insured, 1 year third-party; contractual limitation clauses void (28-2-708) | Source |
| Nebraska | 4 years (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-207) | 5 years written (§ 25-205) / 4 years oral (§ 25-206) | 4 years (§ 25-207 tort; Braesch v. Union Ins., 1991) | NOT enforceable if shorter than statute: § 44-357 bars policy provisions limiting time to sue to less than the statutory limitation period | Braesch 'fairly debatable'; policy cannot shorten SOL (§ 44-357) | Source |
| Nevada | 3 years (NRS 11.190(3)(c)) | 6 years written (NRS 11.190(1)(b)) / 4 years oral (11.190(2)(c)) | 4 years common-law bad faith tort (NRS 11.220 catch-all, as applied by courts); 3 years for NRS 686A.310 statutory claim (NRS 11.190(3)(a) liability created by statute) | Enforceable; no minimum period found in NRS ch. 687B | NRS 686A.310 private right of action; Pemberton v. Farmers | Source (not confirmed from text) |
| New Hampshire | 3 years (RSA 508:4) | 3 years (RSA 508:4) | N/A first-party tort (Lawton v. Great Southwest Fire, 1978); contract 3 years | Enforceable; standard fire policy: 12 months after inception of loss (RSA 407:22) | NO first-party bad faith tort (Lawton); RSA 407:22 12-month suit clause | Source |
| New Jersey | 6 years (N.J.S.A. 2A:14-1) | 6 years (2A:14-1) | 6 years (2A:14-1); first-party common-law bad faith recognized (Pickett v. Lloyd's, 1993) | Enforceable; standard fire policy: 12 months after inception of loss (N.J.S.A. 17:36-5.20), tolled from claim filing to denial (Peloso v. Vanderbilt, 1970) | No private action under UCSPA (Pickett), but common-law first-party bad faith exists; 2022 IFCA (17:29BB) covers UM/UIM only | Source |
| New Mexico | 4 years for injury to property (NMSA 37-1-4) | 6 years written (NMSA 37-1-3(A)) / 4 years oral (37-1-4) | 4 years (37-1-4 catch-all; applies to common-law bad faith and NMSA 59A-16-30 statutory claims) | Enforceable; no statutory minimum located | Sloan v. State Farm (2004) landmark on punitive damages | Source (not confirmed from text) |
| New York | 3 years (CPLR 214(4)) | 6 years (CPLR 213(2)) | 6 years contract (CPLR 213(2)); NY recognizes no independent first-party bad faith tort (Rocanova; Bi-Economy for consequential damages) | Enforceable; CPLR 201 permits shorter period by written agreement; standard fire policy: 24 months after inception of loss (Ins. Law § 3404(e)) | Consequential damages in contract (Bi-Economy 2008); 2-year standard fire policy suit clause | Source |
| North Carolina | 3 years (N.C.G.S. 1-52(5)) | 3 years (1-52(1)); property insurance policy claims 3 years from inception of loss (1-52(12), 58-44-16) | 4 years for Chapter 75 / 58-63-15 UDTPA claims (N.C.G.S. 75-16.2); 3 years common-law bad faith tort (1-52(5)) | Statutory: 3 years after inception of loss (N.C.G.S. 58-44-16 standard fire policy; 1-52(12)) | Treble damages under 75-16; Ch. 75 SOL is 4 years, not 3 | Source |
| North Dakota | 6 years (N.D.C.C. § 28-01-16(3)-(5)) | 6 years (N.D.C.C. § 28-01-16(1)) | 6 years (tort; § 28-01-16(5)) | Contractual time limits void unless statute permits (N.D.C.C. § 9-08-05); 6-yr statute governs | "Fairly debatable" defense (Corwin Chrysler-Plymouth v. Westchester Fire) | Source 1, Source 2 (not confirmed from text) |
| Ohio | 4 years (R.C. 2305.09) | 4 years (oral, R.C. 2305.07) / 6 years (written, R.C. 2305.06, eff. 6/16/2021) | 4 years (tort; R.C. 2305.09(D)) | Enforceable; no statutory minimum (1-year clauses upheld) | Bad faith = tort (Zoppo v. Homestead, 1994) | Source 1, Source 2, Source 3 |
| Oklahoma | 2 years (12 O.S. § 95(A)(3)) | 3 years (oral) / 5 years (written) (12 O.S. § 95(A)(1)-(2)) | 2 years (tort; 12 O.S. § 95(A)(3)) | Min 1 year from date of loss for property policies (36 O.S. § 3617(3)); 2 years other lines | Christian v. American Home (1977) standard | Source 1, Source 2 |
| Oregon | 2 years (ORS 12.110(1)) — but injury to real/personal property 6 years (ORS 12.080(3)-(4)) | 6 years (ORS 12.080(1)) | 2 years (Moody negligence per se, ORS 12.110); contract 6 yrs; no 6-yr 'UTPA' claim | Min 24 months from inception of loss for fire policies (ORS 742.240) | Moody v. Oregon Community Credit Union (2023) — negligence per se via ORS 746.230 | Source 1, Source 2, Source 3 |
| Pennsylvania | 2 years (42 Pa.C.S. § 5524(3),(7)) | 4 years (42 Pa.C.S. § 5525(a)(8)) | 2 years (42 Pa.C.S. § 8371; Ash v. Continental Ins., 932 A.2d 877 (Pa. 2007)) | 12 months from inception of loss in standard fire policy (40 P.S. § 636(2)); enforceable | Bad faith = statutory tort; Terletsky standard | Source 1, Source 2, Source 3 |
| Rhode Island | 10 years for property damage (R.I.G.L. § 9-1-13(a) catch-all); 3 years applies only to injuries to the person (§ 9-1-14(b)) | 10 years (R.I.G.L. § 9-1-13(a)) | 10 years (§ 9-1-33 claim falls under § 9-1-13(a) catch-all) | 24 months from inception of loss in standard fire policy (R.I.G.L. § 27-5-3) | § 9-1-33 statutory bad faith + Bibeault v. Hanover (1979) | Source 1, Source 2, Source 3 (not confirmed from text) |
| South Carolina | 3 years (S.C. Code § 15-3-530) | 3 years (S.C. Code § 15-3-530(1)) | 3 years (tort; § 15-3-530) | Enforceable (no statutory floor located) | Common-law first-party bad faith tort exists (Nichols v. State Farm, 1983); no private action under UCPA (Masterclean, 2001) | Source (not confirmed from text) |
| South Dakota | 6 years (SDCL 15-2-13(3)-(5)) | 6 years (SDCL 15-2-13(1)) | 6 years (tort; SDCL 15-2-13(5)) | Contract clauses limiting time to sue are void (SDCL 53-9-6) unless statute authorizes | Bad faith = intentional tort (Champion v. USF&G, 1987) | Source 1, Source 2 (not confirmed from text) |
| Tennessee | 3 years (T.C.A. § 28-3-105(1)) | 6 years (T.C.A. § 28-3-109(a)(3)) | 6 years with contract claim (§ 56-7-105 penalty; § 28-3-109) — caution: § 28-3-104(a)(1)(C) 1-yr 'statutory penalties' argument | Enforceable (no statutory floor located) | § 56-7-105 25% penalty; 60-day formal demand required; no common-law tort | Source 1, Source 2, Source 3 (not confirmed from text) |
| Texas | 2 years (CPRC § 16.003(a)) | 4 years (CPRC §§ 16.004(a)(3), 16.051) | 2 years (Ins. Code § 541.162; +180 days if inducement); common-law tort 2 yrs (§ 16.003) | Enforceable but min 2 years (CPRC § 16.070(a)); clauses <2 yrs void | Ch. 541 (unfair practices), Ch. 542 (prompt pay), Ch. 542A (weather claims) | Source 1, Source 2, Source 3, Source 4 |
| Utah | 3 years (Utah Code § 78B-2-305(1)(a)(i)-(ii), real & personal property); 4-yr catch-all § 78B-2-307(3) | 4 years (oral, § 78B-2-307) / 6 years (written, § 78B-2-309) — but first-party insurance: 3 years from inception of loss (§ 31A-21-313(1)) | 3 years from inception of loss (contract claim; § 31A-21-313(1); Beck v. Farmers) | Statutory: 3 years after inception of loss; policy may not shorten (§ 31A-21-313(1),(3)) | First-party = contract only (Beck v. Farmers, 1985) | Source 1, Source 2, Source 3 |
| Vermont | 3 years personal property (12 V.S.A. § 512(5)); 6 years real property (§ 511) | 6 years (12 V.S.A. § 511) | 6 years (contract, § 511) | Enforceable but min 12 months from occurrence of loss (8 V.S.A. § 3663) | First-party bad-faith status unsettled (Bushey v. Allstate, 1995 adopted 'fairly debatable' test) | Source 1, Source 2, Source 3 (not confirmed from text) |
| Virginia | 5 years (Va. Code § 8.01-243(B)) | 3 years (unsigned/oral) / 5 years (written, signed) (Va. Code § 8.01-246(2),(4)) | N/A — no tort; § 38.2-209 attorney fees only | 2 years from inception of loss in standard fire policy (Va. Code § 38.2-2105) | No first-party bad faith tort (A&E Supply v. Nationwide, 4th Cir. 1986) | Source 1, Source 2, Source 3 |
| Washington | 3 years (RCW 4.16.080(1)-(2)) | 3 years (oral, RCW 4.16.080(3)) / 6 years (written, RCW 4.16.040(1)) | 3 years (tort/IFCA, RCW 4.16.080(2)) / 4 years CPA (RCW 19.86.120) | Enforceable but min 1 year from date of loss for property policies (RCW 48.18.200(1)(c)) | IFCA RCW 48.30.015 treble damages; 20-day pre-suit notice | Source 1, Source 2, Source 3, Source 4 |
| West Virginia | 2 years (W. Va. Code § 55-2-12(a)) | 10 years written / 5 years oral (W. Va. Code § 55-2-6) | 1 year for UTPA § 33-11-4(9) claims (§ 55-2-12(c); Noland v. Va. Ins. Reciprocal, 2009); Hayseeds damages ride with contract | 12 months from inception of loss (1943 NY standard fire policy adopted by § 33-17-2) | Hayseeds v. State Farm (1986) attorney fees/aggravation; § 33-11-4a limits third-party claims | Source 1, Source 2, Source 3 |
| Wisconsin | 6 years (Wis. Stat. § 893.52) | 6 years (Wis. Stat. § 893.43) | 3 years likely (tort; § 893.53 cut 6→3 yrs by 2017 Act 235, eff. 4/2018); pre-2018 accruals 6 yrs | 12 months from inception of the LOSS for fire/windstorm/hail policies (§ 631.83(1)(a)); other lines min 1 yr (§ 631.83(1)(d)) | 'Inception of the loss' = date loss occurs, not discovery (Borgen, 1993) | Source 1, Source 2, Source 3 |
| Wyoming | 4 years (W.S. § 1-3-105(a)(iv)) | 8 years (oral) / 10 years (written) (W.S. § 1-3-105(a)(i)-(ii)) | 4 years (tort; § 1-3-105(a)(iv)(C)) | Enforceable (no statutory floor located) | McCullough v. Golden Rule (1990); no statutory punitive cap | Source |
Key Observations
Shortest SOLs (Property/Bad Faith)
- West Virginia - 1 year for UTPA (§ 33-11-4(9)) bad-faith claims (§ 55-2-12(c)); property tort is 2 years
- Montana - 1 year for third-party UTPA claims; 2 years for insureds (§ 33-18-242(8)); 2 years for injury to property (§ 27-2-207)
- 2-year property tort: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida (negligence, post-3/24/2023), Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana (losses on/after 7/1/2024), Montana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, West Virginia; 2 years for personal property only in Delaware, Indiana, Vermont; Connecticut is 2 years from discovery with a 3-year repose (§ 52-584)
- 2-year bad faith: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana, Montana (UTPA), Oklahoma, Oregon (Moody), Pennsylvania, Texas
- Louisiana no longer has a 1-year tort period — C.C. art. 3493.1 (Acts 2024 No. 423) sets 2 years for damage sustained on/after 7/1/2024
Longest SOLs
- 10-year written contract: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky (contracts executed after 7/15/2014, KRS 413.160), Louisiana, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Wyoming; Missouri applies 10 years only to writings for payment of money (RSMo 516.110)
- Kentucky - 15 years applies only to written contracts executed before 7/15/2014 (KRS 413.090(2)); modern policies are 10 years
- Rhode Island - 10 years for property damage and bad faith (§ 9-1-13(a) catch-all); the 3-year period covers injuries to the person only
- 6-year property tort: Indiana (real property), Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon (§ 12.080(3)-(4)), South Dakota, Vermont (real property), Wisconsin
- Ohio written contract is now 6 years (was 8; SB 13, eff. 6/16/2021) and Montana is now 6 years (was 8; Ch. 174, L. 2025)
States WITHOUT First-Party Bad Faith Tort
- District of Columbia (Choharis) — contract, 3 years
- Georgia — statutory § 33-4-6 penalty only, rides with the 6-year contract action
- Illinois (Cramer) — § 155 is a penalty, not an independent cause of action
- Kansas (Spencer) — K.S.A. 40-256 / 40-908 fee shifting only
- Maine (Marquis) — 24-A M.R.S. § 2436-A interest and fees only
- Michigan (Kewin) — MCL 500.2006 12% penalty interest; Commercial Union is a third-party case
- Minnesota — § 604.18 taxable costs, no independent tort
- Missouri (Overcast) — § 375.420 vexatious refusal is the remedy
- New Hampshire (Lawton) — contract, 3 years
- New York (Rocanova; Bi-Economy consequential damages) — contract, 6 years
- Tennessee — § 56-7-105 25% penalty only
- Utah (Beck) — contract only, 3 years from inception of loss (§ 31A-21-313)
- Virginia (A&E Supply) — § 38.2-209 attorney fees only
- Vermont — status doubtful: Bushey v. Allstate (1995) adopted a "fairly debatable" bad-faith test; the Wilder "no tort" characterization should be verified before relying on it
Note: New Jersey DOES recognize first-party common-law bad faith (Pickett v. Lloyd's, 1993) — only the UCSPA lacks a private action. South Carolina DOES recognize a common-law bad-faith tort (Nichols v. State Farm, 1983) — Masterclean bars only the statutory UCPA action.
Special Policy Suit Limitation
States that VOID contractual shortening of the statutory period
- Arkansas — § 23-79-202(b) (5-year written-contract period governs)
- Colorado — § 10-4-110.8(12), homeowner policies issued/renewed on/after 1/1/2014
- Florida — § 95.03; but § 627.70132 notice of claim within 1 year of loss (18 months supplemental) is the practical cutoff
- Maryland — Ins. § 12-104
- Mississippi — § 15-1-5
- Missouri — RSMo 431.030
- Montana — MCA 28-2-708
- Nebraska — § 44-357 (no shorter than statutory period)
- North Dakota — § 9-08-05 (unless statute permits)
- South Dakota — SDCL 53-9-6 (unless statute authorizes)
Statutory floors / fixed suit periods (measured from inception of loss unless noted)
- 12 months: California (§ 2071; 24 months for declared-emergency losses; tolled notice→denial per Prudential-LMI), Idaho (§ 41-2401), Illinois (215 ILCS 5/397; tolled proof of loss→denial, 5/143.1), Iowa (§ 515.109), New Hampshire (RSA 407:22), New Jersey (17:36-5.20; tolled per Peloso), Pennsylvania (40 P.S. § 636(2)), Vermont (8 V.S.A. § 3663, from occurrence), West Virginia (§ 33-17-2), Wisconsin (§ 631.83(1)(a) fire/windstorm/hail; 1 yr other lines)
- 1 year from loss (property policies): Arizona (§ 20-1115(A)(3)), Michigan (MCL 500.2833(1)(q); tolled notice→denial), Oklahoma (36 O.S. § 3617(3)), Washington (RCW 48.18.200(1)(c)); Kentucky 1 year from accrual (KRS 304.14-370)
- 2 years / 24 months: Connecticut (§ 38a-307), Louisiana (R.S. 22:868(B)), Maine (24-A § 2433; § 3002), Massachusetts (c. 175 § 99), Minnesota (§ 65A.01 subd. 3), New York (Ins. Law § 3404(e)), Oregon (ORS 742.240), Rhode Island (§ 27-5-3), Texas (CPRC § 16.070(a)), Virginia (§ 38.2-2105)
- 3 years: North Carolina (§ 58-44-16; § 1-52(12)), Utah (§ 31A-21-313; policy may not shorten)
- Hawaii — HRS § 431:10-221 floor reported but text not retrieved; verify
- Remaining states: no statutory floor located; 1-2 year clauses generally enforceable
SOL Accrual Rules
| Rule | States | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Occurrence Rule | Most states | SOL runs from date of loss |
| Discovery Rule | CT (§ 52-584, with 3-yr repose), others by case law | SOL runs from discovery of damage |
| Inception of the Loss | CA § 2071, CT § 38a-307, IA § 515.109, NC § 1-52(12), UT § 31A-21-313, WI § 631.83, standard fire policy states | Suit period runs from the date the loss occurs, not discovery (Borgen, Wis. 1993) |
| Tolling Notice → Denial | CA (Prudential-LMI), IL (5/143.1), MI (500.2833(1)(q)), NJ (Peloso) | Suit period suspended from claim notice/proof of loss until written denial |
| Denial Rule | Some states by case law | SOL runs from claim denial |
Correction: Wisconsin § 631.83 runs from the inception of the loss, NOT from policy inception.
Citation Notes
| State | Key Statute/Case |
|---|---|
| AL | § 6-2-38(l); Chavers v. National Security Fire (§ 6-5-370 is a general tort-remedy section, not the bad-faith statute) |
| AK | AS 09.10.070; State Farm v. Nicholson |
| AZ | A.R.S. § 12-542; § 20-1115(A)(3); Noble v. National American |
| AR | § 16-56-105, § 16-56-111; § 23-79-202 |
| CA | CCP §§ 337-339; Ins. Code § 2071; Gruenberg v. Aetna; Prudential-LMI |
| CO | C.R.S. § 13-80-101/-102; § 10-3-1116; § 10-4-110.8(12); Rooftop Restoration |
| CT | C.G.S. §§ 52-576, 52-577, 52-584; § 42-110g(f); § 38a-307 |
| DE | 10 Del. C. §§ 8106, 8107; Tackett v. State Farm |
| DC | D.C. Code § 12-301; Choharis v. State Farm |
| FL | § 95.11; § 95.03; § 624.155; § 627.70132 |
| GA | O.C.G.A. §§ 9-3-24, 9-3-30; § 33-4-6 |
| HI | HRS §§ 657-1, 657-7; Best Place v. Penn America |
| ID | Idaho Code §§ 5-216, 5-218, 5-224; § 41-2401 |
| IL | 735 ILCS 5/13-205, 13-206; 215 ILCS 5/155, 5/143.1; Cramer |
| IN | IC 34-11-2-4, -7, -11; Erie v. Hickman |
| IA | Iowa Code § 614.1; § 515.109 |
| KS | K.S.A. 60-511 to 60-513; 40-256; 40-908; Spencer v. Aetna |
| KY | KRS 413.120, 413.160; 446.070; 304.14-370; Wittmer v. Jones |
| LA | C.C. arts. 3493.1, 3499; R.S. 22:1892 (Act No. 3, 2024; 22:1973 repealed); R.S. 22:868(B) |
| ME | 14 M.R.S. § 752; 24-A §§ 2433, 2436-A, 3002; Marquis |
| MD | CJP § 5-101, § 3-1701; Ins. § 12-104, § 27-1001 |
| MA | G.L. c. 260 §§ 2, 2A, 5A; c. 175 § 99; Chapter 176D/93A |
| MI | MCL 600.5805, 600.5807; 500.2006; 500.2833(1)(q); Kewin v. Mass. Mutual |
| MN | Minn. Stat. § 541.05; § 604.18; § 65A.01 |
| MS | § 15-1-49; § 15-1-5; Universal Life v. Veasley |
| MO | RSMo 516.110, 516.120; 375.420; 431.030; Overcast v. Billings Mutual |
| MT | MCA 27-2-202, -204, -207; 33-18-242(8); 28-2-708 |
| NE | § 25-205 to 25-207; § 44-357; Braesch |
| NV | NRS 11.190, 11.220; 686A.310; Pemberton v. Farmers |
| NH | RSA 508:4; RSA 407:22; Lawton |
| NJ | N.J.S.A. 2A:14-1; 17:36-5.20; Pickett v. Lloyd's; Peloso |
| NM | NMSA 37-1-3, 37-1-4; 59A-16-30; Sloan v. State Farm |
| NY | CPLR 201, 213, 214; Ins. Law § 3404(e); Rocanova; Bi-Economy |
| NC | G.S. 1-52; 58-44-16; 75-16.2 |
| ND | N.D.C.C. § 28-01-16; § 9-08-05; Corwin Chrysler-Plymouth |
| OH | R.C. 2305.06, 2305.07, 2305.09; Zoppo v. Homestead |
| OK | 12 O.S. § 95; 36 O.S. § 3617; Christian v. American Home |
| OR | ORS 12.080, 12.110; 742.240; Moody v. Oregon Community Credit Union |
| PA | 42 Pa. C.S. §§ 5524, 5525, 8371; 40 P.S. § 636; Ash; Terletsky |
| RI | R.I.G.L. § 9-1-13, § 9-1-33; § 27-5-3; Bibeault v. Hanover |
| SC | § 15-3-530; Nichols v. State Farm; Masterclean |
| SD | SDCL 15-2-13; 53-9-6; Champion v. USF&G |
| TN | T.C.A. §§ 28-3-105, 28-3-109; § 56-7-105 |
| TX | CPRC §§ 16.003, 16.004, 16.070; Ins. Code § 541.162 |
| UT | § 78B-2-305, -307, -309; § 31A-21-313; Beck v. Farmers |
| VT | 12 V.S.A. §§ 511, 512; 8 V.S.A. § 3663; Bushey v. Allstate |
| VA | § 8.01-243, § 8.01-246; § 38.2-209; § 38.2-2105; A&E Supply |
| WA | RCW 4.16.040, 4.16.080; 19.86.120; 48.18.200; 48.30.015 (IFCA) |
| WV | § 55-2-6, § 55-2-12; § 33-17-2; Hayseeds; Noland |
| WI | § 631.83; § 893.43, § 893.52, § 893.53; Borgen |
| WY | W.S. § 1-3-105; McCullough v. Golden Rule |
Disclaimer: This table is for reference only. SOLs change frequently. Always verify current law before relying on these deadlines. Policy suit limitation clauses may impose shorter deadlines where state law permits.
Last Updated: August 2026 (verified against statute text)