What is statute of limitations?
A statute of limitations is the legal deadline within which a lawsuit must be filed after the underlying harm occurred, after which the claim is generally time-barred regardless of merit. The length varies by claim type and state or federal law — commonly two to four years for consumer protection or fraud claims — and can be extended in limited circumstances such as when harm was reasonably undiscoverable.
In a class action, the statute of limitations for absent class members is typically paused, or 'tolled,' once the case is filed, under a doctrine from American Pipe & Construction Co. v. Utah (1974) — meaning the clock generally stops running against class members while a class certification decision is pending, even though it keeps running for people who were never part of the proposed class. Because limitations periods differ by claim and jurisdiction, the specific deadline for any one type of harm needs to be checked against the applicable statute rather than assumed.
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Last reviewed 2026-08-22.