Montana Statute of Limitations: Filing Deadlines by Case Type

Most Montana civil filing deadlines run from 2 to 10 years depending on claim type, though some claims against local governments must be filed within 6 months and childhood sexual abuse claims may be brought until the victim turns 27. Personal injury claims must be filed within 3 years under MCA 27-2-204, written contracts within 6 years under MCA 27-2-202(1), and fraud within 2 years of discovery under MCA 27-2-203.

Hurt in Montana? If you are still within the deadline above, you can estimate what your injury claim may be worth with our free Montana personal injury settlement calculator. It gives an instant range based on your medical costs and Montana's fault rule (general information, not legal advice).

What Is a Statute of Limitations?

A statute of limitations is a law that sets a maximum time period for filing a legal action after an event occurs. Once the deadline passes, you lose the right to bring your claim in court. Montana establishes these time limits for both civil lawsuits and criminal prosecutions under Title 27, Chapter 2 (civil) and Title 45, Chapter 1, Part 2 (criminal) of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA).

These deadlines exist to protect defendants from facing claims long after evidence has been lost or witnesses have become unavailable. They also encourage plaintiffs to pursue their legal rights within a reasonable time frame. Missing the filing deadline in Montana almost always results in permanent loss of your legal claim.

Montana Civil Statute of Limitations

Montana's civil statute of limitations governs deadlines for filing lawsuits in state courts. The time limits vary based on the type of civil action. Filing after the deadline allows the defendant to raise the statute of limitations as an affirmative defense and request dismissal.

Personal Injury Claims

Most personal injury lawsuits in Montana must be filed within 3 years from the date of injury under MCA 27-2-204. This includes car accidents, slip-and-fall injuries, and general negligence claims.

However, certain personal injury subcategories have shorter deadlines:

• Assault and battery: 2 years (MCA 27-2-204(3))
• False imprisonment: 2 years (MCA 27-2-204(3))

Malicious prosecution is not one of the torts listed in MCA 27-2-204(3), which covers only libel, slander, assault, battery, false imprisonment, and seduction. A malicious prosecution claim is a liability not founded on a written instrument, so it falls under the general 3-year period in MCA 27-2-204(1).

Wrongful Death

A wrongful death action must be brought within 3 years from the date of death under MCA 27-2-204(2). When death results from a homicide, the deadline extends to 10 years from the date of death, giving families of homicide victims considerably more time to pursue civil justice.

Product Liability

Product liability claims in Montana carry a 3-year statute of limitations under MCA 27-2-204(1). The clock starts running from the date the injury occurs or, under certain circumstances, from the date the plaintiff discovers or reasonably should have discovered the injury.

Defamation (Libel and Slander)

Claims for defamation, including both libel (written) and slander (spoken), must be filed within 2 years under MCA 27-2-204(3).

Property Damage

Lawsuits for damage to personal property or trespass on real property must be filed within 2 years under MCA 27-2-207. This covers vehicle damage, vandalism, and other harm to tangible property.

Fraud

Actions based on fraud or mistake carry a 2-year statute of limitations under MCA 27-2-203. The time period begins when the aggrieved party discovers the facts that constitute the fraud or mistake, or when they should have discovered those facts with reasonable diligence. A scam victim weighing a suit against a business under the Montana Consumer Protection Act should also read our guide to Montana scam and fraud laws, which covers that act's deadline and the risk of owing the business's attorney's fees after a loss.

Contract Disputes

Montana's deadlines for contract-related claims depend on whether the agreement was written or oral.

Important: SB143 changed these deadlines effective October 1, 2025.

SB143 was signed into law during the 2025 legislative session and applies to all actions filed on or after October 1, 2025. If your claim involves a written contract, note this reduced timeline.

Debt Collection

The statute of limitations on debt collection in Montana follows the contract rules above. A creditor has 6 years (previously 8 years) to sue on a written debt agreement and 5 years for oral agreements. A judgment of a Montana court of record remains enforceable for 10 years under MCA 27-2-201(1); judgments from a court not of record carry the same 10-year period under MCA 27-2-201(2).

Professional Malpractice

Montana separates malpractice claims into two categories with different deadlines:

Medical malpractice (MCA 27-2-205):

• 2 years from the date of injury, or 2 years from the date the plaintiff discovers (or through reasonable diligence should have discovered) the injury, whichever occurs last
• Maximum of 5 years from the date of injury (statute of repose), regardless of when the injury is discovered
• Tolling: the limitation period is paused for any period during which the provider failed to disclose an act, error, or omission that the provider knew about, or would have known about through reasonable diligence
• Children injured before their fourth birthday: the period does not start running until the child turns 8 or dies, whichever occurs first

Legal malpractice (MCA 27-2-206):

• 3 years from discovery of the malpractice
• Maximum of 10 years from the date the malpractice occurred (statute of repose)

Construction and Land Surveying Defects

Claims for damages arising from construction or land surveying work also changed under SB143. The statute of limitations was reduced from 10 years to 6 years. If an injury occurs during the sixth year, the plaintiff has one additional year from the date of injury to file suit.

Childhood Sexual Abuse

Civil claims for childhood sexual abuse are handled separately from the general 3-year tort rule. Under MCA 27-2-216, an action against the individual who committed the abuse must be commenced before the victim reaches 27 years of age, or within 3 years after the plaintiff discovers or reasonably should have discovered that the injury was caused by the abuse, whichever applies. The same two deadlines govern claims against an entity that owed the victim a duty of care where a wrongful or negligent act by its employee, officer, volunteer, or agent was a legal cause of the abuse.

The statute defines childhood sexual abuse by reference to the criminal sections listed in MCA 27-2-216(2), and it also revived certain already-expired claims for one year after May 7, 2019, in narrow circumstances involving an admission, a conviction, or an entity that knew of the conduct and failed to act.

Claims Against Local Government and Statutory Penalties

Several deadlines under MCA 27-2-209 are much shorter than the general tort rule: 3 years against a sheriff, coroner, or constable for an act done in an official capacity; 1 year against a sheriff or other officer for the escape of a prisoner arrested on civil process; 1 year against a municipality for property damage caused by a mob or riot; 6 months to sue on a claim against a county after the county commissioners reject it; and 6 months to challenge a municipal decision on a land use, construction, or development project.

Actions to enforce a statutory penalty or forfeiture, or a liability created by statute, generally must be brought within 2 years under MCA 27-2-211.

Civil Statutes of Limitations Summary Table

Montana Criminal Statute of Limitations

Montana's criminal statute of limitations determines how long prosecutors have to file criminal charges after an offense occurs. These deadlines are established under MCA 45-1-205 and MCA 45-1-206.

No Time Limit (No Statute of Limitations)

Montana does not place any time limit on prosecution for the following crimes:

• Deliberate homicide (MCA 45-5-102)
• Mitigated deliberate homicide (MCA 45-5-103)
• Negligent homicide (MCA 45-5-104)
• Sexual and sex-trafficking offenses against victims under 18, under MCA 45-1-205(1)(c). The enumerated offenses are sexual assault (45-5-502), sexual intercourse without consent (45-5-503), indecent exposure (45-5-504), incest (45-5-507), aggravated sexual intercourse without consent (45-5-508), sexual abuse of children (45-5-625), ritual abuse of a minor (45-5-627), sex trafficking (45-5-702), patronizing a victim of sex trafficking (45-5-705), aggravated sex trafficking (45-5-706), and child sex trafficking (45-5-711)

Prosecutors can bring charges for these offenses at any time, regardless of how many years have passed since the crime occurred.

Felony Time Limits

Most felonies in Montana must be prosecuted within 5 years after the offense is committed. Certain felonies carry a longer deadline:

• Felony sexual offenses (adult victims): 10 years under MCA 45-1-205(1)(b), covering MCA 45-5-502, 45-5-503, 45-5-504, 45-5-507(4) or (5), 45-5-625, and 45-5-627
• Theft involving breach of fiduciary obligation: 1 year from discovery of the offense under MCA 45-1-205(3)(b); if the aggrieved person is a minor or incompetent, the period runs during the minority or incompetency and for 1 year after it ends (45-1-205(3)(a))
• Unlawful use of a computer: 1 year from discovery of the offense under MCA 45-1-205(4)
• All other felonies: 5 years

Misdemeanor Time Limits

Montana requires that most misdemeanors be prosecuted within 1 year of the offense. There are two exceptions:

• Fish and wildlife violations under Title 87: 3 years
• Outfitter and guide law violations under Title 37, Chapter 47: 3 years

When the Clock Starts

The statute of limitations begins running on the day after the offense is committed. An offense is considered committed when every element of the crime has occurred. For continuing offenses, the clock starts when the course of criminal conduct ends.

Tolling of the Criminal Statute

Under MCA 45-1-206, the statute of limitations stops running (is "tolled") in several situations:

• The offender is not usually and publicly resident within Montana or is beyond the jurisdiction of the state
• The offender is a public officer and the offense charged is theft of public funds while in public office
• A prosecution is already pending against the offender for the same conduct, even if the charging document is later dismissed

The clock resumes once the tolling condition ends.

Criminal Statutes of Limitations Summary Table

Tolling and Exceptions in Montana Civil Cases

Montana law provides several circumstances that can pause or extend the statute of limitations for civil claims.

The Discovery Rule

Montana applies the discovery rule in many civil cases. Under this rule, the statute of limitations does not begin running until the plaintiff discovers (or through reasonable diligence should have discovered) the injury and its cause. This is particularly important in cases involving fraud, medical malpractice, and toxic exposure where harm may not be immediately apparent.

Tolling for Minors and Persons With Disabilities

Under MCA 27-2-401, the statute of limitations is tolled (paused) when the plaintiff is a minor (under 18) or has been committed by a court for treatment of mental illness at the time the cause of action accrues. In those cases:

• For minors, the statute of limitations begins running on their 18th birthday
• For persons committed for mental illness treatment, the tolling extension cannot exceed 5 years
• Medical malpractice claims have separate tolling rules under MCA 27-2-205 and may not receive the same extensions

Defendant Absent From State

If the defendant leaves Montana after a cause of action accrues, the time of absence is not counted toward the statute of limitations. This prevents defendants from avoiding lawsuits by relocating to another state.

2025 Legislative Changes

Montana's 2025 legislative session produced several changes to civil filing deadlines. Senate Bill 143 took effect on October 1, 2025, and made the following adjustments:

• Written contracts: Reduced from 8 years to 6 years (MCA 27-2-202(1))
• Construction and land surveying claims: Reduced from 10 years to 6 years, with a 1-year extension if injury occurs during the sixth year

Two further 2025 changes affect Title 27, chapter 2:

• Medical malpractice: MCA 27-2-205 was amended by Chapters 560 and 709, Laws of 2025. The section now sets a 2-year filing period, measured from the date of injury or from discovery of the injury, whichever occurs last, with an absolute 5-year cap from the date of injury.
• Gender transition treatment received as a minor: a new MCA 27-2-219 took effect October 1, 2026. A person suing for injuries from gender transition treatment received as a minor must file by the date the person turns 25, or within 2 years of discovering both the injury and its causal relationship to the treatment, whichever occurs later, and in no case after the person turns 30. On that same date, MCA 27-2-204(1) and MCA 27-2-205(1) both became subject to the new section.

The SB143 changes apply only to actions filed on or after October 1, 2025. They do not apply retroactively to cases already filed before that date. If you have a claim involving a written contract or construction defect, consult a Montana attorney to understand how SB143 affects your specific deadline.

Practical Tips for Montana Filing Deadlines

Filing a lawsuit or responding to criminal charges in Montana requires attention to these time limits. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind.

Do not wait until the last minute. Courts measure deadlines strictly. If the last day falls on a weekend or holiday, you may have until the next business day, but relying on this is risky.

Document everything early. Gather evidence, medical records, photographs, and witness statements as soon as possible. Waiting reduces the quality of evidence and weakens your case.

Consult an attorney promptly. A Montana attorney can help determine exactly when your statute of limitations began running and whether any tolling provisions apply.

Watch for claim notice requirements. Certain claims against government entities may require a preliminary notice of claim before you can file a lawsuit, and these notice deadlines are often shorter than the statute of limitations itself.

More Montana Laws

• Montana Car Accident Laws
• Montana Dog Bite Laws
• Montana Expungement Laws
• Montana Slip and Fall Laws
• Montana Workers Compensation Laws

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the statute of limitations for personal injury in Montana?

Most personal injury claims in Montana must be filed within 3 years from the date of injury under MCA 27-2-204. However, claims for assault, battery, false imprisonment, libel, and slander have a shorter 2-year deadline under MCA 27-2-204(3).

Did Montana change the statute of limitations for contracts in 2025?

Yes. Senate Bill 143, effective October 1, 2025, reduced the statute of limitations for written contract claims from 8 years to 6 years. Oral contract deadlines remain at 5 years. The change applies to actions filed on or after October 1, 2025.

How long do I have to file a medical malpractice claim in Montana?

Two years. Under MCA 27-2-205, a Montana medical malpractice action must be commenced within 2 years after the date of injury or within 2 years after the plaintiff discovers, or through reasonable diligence should have discovered, the injury, whichever occurs last. In no case may the action be commenced more than 5 years after the date of injury.

Is there a statute of limitations on murder in Montana?

No. Montana has no statute of limitations for deliberate homicide, mitigated deliberate homicide, or negligent homicide. Prosecutors can bring charges at any time regardless of how many years have passed.

How long do prosecutors have to file felony charges in Montana?

Most felonies must be charged within 5 years of the offense. Felony sexual offenses against adults carry a 10-year deadline. Sexual offenses against victims under 18 have no time limit. Theft involving breach of fiduciary duty and unlawful computer use must be charged within 1 year of discovery.

Does the statute of limitations pause if I am a minor in Montana?

Yes. Under MCA 27-2-401, the statute of limitations is tolled for minors until their 18th birthday. Once you turn 18, the standard filing deadline begins running. Medical malpractice claims have separate tolling rules and may not receive the same extension.