Statute of limitations in Kansas

The periods in Kansas

In Kansas, the time limit to sue is 5 years for a written contract, 3 years for an oral contract and 2 years for damage to property. 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: K.S.A. 60-511(1) reads “The following actions shall be brought within five (5) years: (1) An action upon any agreement, contract or promise in writing.”

An oral contract: K.S.A. 60-512(1) reads “The following actions shall be brought within three (3) years: (1) All actions upon contracts, obligations or liabilities expressed or implied but not in writing.”

Damage to property: K.S.A. 60-513(a)(2) reads “The following actions shall be brought within two years: … An action for taking, detaining or injuring personal property, including actions for the specific recovery thereof.”

Putting the agreement in writing adds 2 years: 5 years for a written contract against 3 years for an oral one, a ratio of 1.7 to 1.

Worked dates for a claim that arose on March 15, 2026: a written contract reaches its 5 years on March 15, 2031, an oral contract reaches its 3 years on March 15, 2029 and damage to property 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 34 jurisdictions verified here, 22 allow longer than 5 years on a written contract and 7 allow less (median 6 years). For property damage, 0 of 33 give less than Kansas's 2 years (median 3 years). No other verified state has the same combination of periods.

Neighbouring states with verified periods (written / oral / property): Missouri 10 / 5 / 5 and Nebraska 5 / 4 / 4. Which state's period applies to a dispute that crosses a border is itself a legal question.

The time limit is the same whichever court hears the case. A claim of $10,000 or less can be filed in Kansas small claims (small claims limit), and it must still be filed inside the period above.

Sources: Kansas Revisor of Statutes, K.S.A. 60-511; Kansas Revisor of Statutes, K.S.A. 60-512; Kansas Revisor of Statutes, K.S.A. 60-513 · last checked October 21, 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.