Courts & lawsuits · Calculator
New York statute of limitations calculator: how long you have to sue
Updated By The editorial teamNot reviewed by an attorney — based on the official sources below
In short
Every claim has a deadline to start a lawsuit. Choose the type — a contract, a consumer debt someone is suing you for, medical debt, an injury, property damage, unpaid wages, fraud, a debt collector's violation — and the date it started. The calculator shows the usual deadline under New York or federal law and explains when the clock may differ.
Read on for the details, the exceptions and the sources.
How we calculate
- Contracts: 6 years (CPLR § 213(2)); sale of goods: 4 years (UCC § 2-725).
- Consumer credit debt and medical debt: 3 years (CPLR § 214-i and § 213-d).
- Personal injury and property damage: 3 years (CPLR § 214).
- Unpaid wages under the Labor Law: 6 years (Labor Law § 198(3)); fraud: 6 years or 2 from discovery (CPLR § 213(8)).
- Federal FDCPA violations: 1 year (15 U.S.C. § 1692k(d)); a complaint to the Division of Human Rights: 3 years (Executive Law § 297(5)).
What the calculation leaves out
- Pauses and extensions (tolling) — for example for minors, or a debtor's absence from the state.
- Claims against public bodies, which usually need a notice of claim within 90 days.
- Medical malpractice, wrongful death and other claims with their own rules.
What to do with the result
- If the deadline is close, act now — filing takes time.
- If you're being sued on an old debt, raise the expired limit as a defense in your answer.
- When in doubt about when the clock started, talk to a lawyer or legal aid.
Calculator
Enter the date above to see the result.
Frequently asked questions
Does paying part of an old credit card debt restart the clock in New York?
For consumer credit transactions, CPLR § 214-i provides that once the limitations period has expired, a later payment or acknowledgment does not revive or extend it.
Does sending a letter stop the clock?
No. The deadline is about starting a lawsuit — filing the papers with the court.
Want your own situation checked?
This page is general. Describe what happened, attach the letter or document you received, and get a free first answer — then, if you want, a full check against New York and federal law and a letter ready to send.
Check my situation — freeOfficial sources
This page was written from the sources below. “Checked” is the date the source was last opened and read.
- N.Y. Civil Practice Law and Rules (opens in a new tab)New York State Senate — Open Legislation (official text of the Consolidated Laws) · §§ 213, 213-d, 214, 214-i · Checked: October 30, 2026Limitation periods for contracts, fraud, medical debt, injury, property and consumer credit
- N.Y. Labor Law (opens in a new tab)New York State Senate — Open Legislation (official text of the Consolidated Laws) · § 198(3) · Checked: October 30, 2026Six years for wage claims
- N.Y. Uniform Commercial Code (opens in a new tab)New York State Senate — Open Legislation (official text of the Consolidated Laws) · § 2-725 · Checked: October 30, 2026Four years for sales of goods
- Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1692–1692p (opens in a new tab)United States Code (Cornell LII copy of the official Office of the Law Revision Counsel text) · § 1692k(d) · Checked: October 30, 2026One year for FDCPA claims
- N.Y. Executive Law (Human Rights Law, Art. 15) (opens in a new tab)New York State Senate — Open Legislation (official text of the Consolidated Laws) · § 297(5) · Checked: October 30, 2026Three years to file with the Division of Human Rights
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This page is general information based on the official sources listed, current as of the update date. It is not legal advice and does not replace a review of your own situation; if a case is already in court, a deadline is close, the amount is large, or there are criminal, immigration or family-law consequences, talk to a lawyer or legal aid.