Statute of limitations in Alabama

The periods in Alabama

In Alabama, the time limit to sue is 6 years for a written contract, 6 years for an oral contract and 2 years for personal injury; the property-damage period could not be verified. Each period runs from the date the claim arises, which statutes usually call the date the cause of action accrues; in the ordinary case that is the day of the breach or the damage.

A written contract: Ala. Code § 6-2-34(4) reads “The following must be commenced within six years: … (4) Actions founded on promises in writing not under seal.”

An oral contract: Ala. Code § 6-2-34(9) reads “The following must be commenced within six years: … (9) Actions upon any simple contract or speciality not specifically enumerated in this section.”

Personal injury: Ala. Code § 6-2-38(l) reads “All actions for any injury to the person or rights of another not arising from contract and not specifically enumerated in this section must be brought within two years.”

Alabama gives written and oral contracts the same 6 years, so whether the deal was put on paper does not change the deadline here.

Worked dates for a claim that arose on March 15, 2026: a written contract reaches its 6 years on March 15, 2032, an oral contract reaches its 6 years on March 15, 2032 and personal injury reaches its 2 years on March 15, 2028. Tolling rules (for example while a defendant is out of state, or for a minor) can extend a period, and some claims run from when the harm was discovered; the dates show the plain count only.

Among the 36 jurisdictions verified here, 6 allow longer than 6 years on a written contract and 13 allow less (median 6 years). Wisconsin has the same three periods.

Neighbouring states with verified periods (written / oral / property): Florida 5 / 4 / 4. Which state's period applies to a dispute that crosses a border is itself a legal question.

Both sections were read on the Alabama Legislature's Code of Alabama site in a browser on 23 October 2026 (the site loads section text by script, which the earlier fetch could not read).

Alabama splits property damage by theory: "Actions for any trespass to real or personal property" have six years (§ 6-2-34(2)), while "All actions for any injury to the person or rights of another not arising from contract and not specifically enumerated" (negligence) have two years (§ 6-2-38(l)). Because the period depends on how the damage happened, no single figure is shown.

The time limit is the same whichever court hears the case. A claim of $6,000 or less can be filed in Alabama small claims (small claims limit), and it must still be filed inside the period above.

Sources: Alabama Legislature, Code of Alabama § 6-2-34; Alabama Legislature, Code of Alabama § 6-2-38 · last checked October 23, 2026.

Before the deadline

A limitation period is a cut-off for filing, not a measure of whether a claim is good. The guide on how limitation periods work explains accrual, tolling and the difference between written and oral contracts, and the small claims filing guide covers the next step.