"Statutes of limitations" are laws that set time limits on how long you have to file a "civil" lawsuit, like a personal injury lawsuit, or how long the state has to prosecute someone for committing a crime. These time limits usually depend on the legal claim or crime involved in the case, and they're different from state to state. For example, in some states you may have three years to file a personal injury lawsuit after you were hurt in car accident, but in other states you may have two years. As a general rule:

• The time period begins to run on the date your claim arises or "accrues," like the day of the car accident, or when a crime is committed, and
• Once the statute of limitations has expired or "run," you can't file a lawsuit (or be prosecuted for a crime)

Below are the statutes of limitations in Ohio for various civil claims and crimes. The list doesn't cover everything. Also, the laws may change at anytime, so be sure to check the current laws and read them carefully, or talk to an attorney if you have any questions.

Civil

Note: Most of the civil statutes of limitations are in Title 23, Chapter 2305 of the Ohio Revised Code. You can scroll through the laws in this Chapter to find the statute of limitations for civil claims or "causes of action" not listed below.

Description	Statute
Assault and Battery, 2 years	Oh. Rev. Code § 2305.10(A)
Contract (in writing), 15 years	Oh. Rev. Code § 2305.06
Contract (oral or not in writing), 6 years	Oh. Rev. Code § 2305.07
False Imprisonment, 1 year	Oh. Rev. Code § 2305.11(A)
Fraud, 4 years	Oh. Rev. Code § 2305.09(C)
Enforcing Court Judgments, 10 years	Oh. Rev. Code § 2325.18(A)
Legal Malpractice, 1 year	Oh. Rev. Code § 2305.11(A)
Libel, 1 year	Oh. Rev. Code § 2305.11(A)
Medical Malpractice, 1 or 4 years (Depending on when the injury is "discovered")	Oh. Rev. Code § 2305.113(A) and (C)
Personal Injury, 2 years	Oh. Rev. Code § 2305.10(A)
Product Liability, 2 or 10 years(Depending on when the injury is discovered and when the defective product was made or used)	Oh. Rev. Code § 2305.10(A) and (C)
Property Damage, 2 years	Oh. Rev. Code § 2305.10(A)
Slander, 1 year	Oh. Rev. Code § 2305.11(A)
Trespass, 4 years	Oh. Rev. Code § 2305.09(A)
Wrongful Death, 2 years	Oh. Rev. Code § 2125.02(D)

Criminal

Note: Most of the criminal statutes of limitations are in section 2901.13 of the Ohio Revised Code. You can scroll through the criminal laws (found in Title 29 http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/29 of the Code) to find crimes not listed below, and then use § 2901.13 to find the statute of limitations for those crimes.

Description	Statute
Arson, 6 or 20 years (Depending on the facts of the case)	Oh. Rev. Code § 2901.13(A)(1)(a) or 2901.13(A)(3)(a)
Assault, 1, 3, or 20 years (Depending on the facts of the case)	Oh. Rev. Code § 2901.13(A)(1)(a) or (b) or 2901.13(A)(3)(a)
Burglary, 20 years	Oh. Rev. Code § 2901.13(A)(3)(a)
Disorderly Conduct, 6 months or two years (Depending on the facts of the case)	Oh. Rev. Code § 2901.13(A)(1)(b) or (c)
Kidnapping, 20 years xx	Oh. Rev. Code § 2901.13(A)(3)(a)
Manslaughter, voluntary, 20 years (Depending on the facts of the case)	Oh. Rev. Code § 2901.13(A)(3)(a)
Manslaughter, involuntary, 20 years (Depending on the facts of the case)	Oh. Rev. Code § 2901.13(A)(3)(a)
Murder ("Aggravated Murder"), No time limit	Oh. Rev. Code § 2901.13(A)(2)
Murder, No time limit	Oh. Rev. Code § 2901.13(A)(2)
Rape, 20 years	Oh. Rev. Code § 2901.13(A)(3)(a)
Receiving Stolen Property, 1 or 3 years (Depending on the facts of the case)	Oh. Rev. Code § 2901.13(A)(1)(a) or (b)
Robbery, 20 years	Oh. Rev. Code § 2901.13(A)(3)(a)
Theft, 1 or 3 years (Depending on the facts of the case)	Oh. Rev. Code § 2901.13(A)(1)(a) or (b)

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