Statute of limitations in Oregon

The periods in Oregon

In Oregon, the time limit to sue is 6 years for a written contract, 6 years for an oral contract and 6 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 and an oral contract: ORS 12.080(1) reads “shall be commenced within six years. (1) An action upon a contract or liability, express or implied, excepting those mentioned in ORS 12.070, 12.110 and 12.135 and except as otherwise provided in ORS 72.7250.”

Damage to property: ORS 12.080(4) reads “An action for taking, detaining or injuring personal property, including an action for the specific recovery thereof, excepting an action mentioned in ORS 12.137.”

Oregon 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 damage to property reaches its 6 years on March 15, 2032. 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, 6 allow longer than 6 years on a written contract and 12 allow less (median 6 years). For property damage, 27 of 33 give less than Oregon's 6 years (median 3 years). Maine, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota have the same three periods.

Neighbouring states with verified periods (written / oral / property): California 4 / 2 / 3, Idaho 5 / 4 / 3, Nevada 6 / 4 / 3 and Washington 6 / 3 / 3. Which state's period applies to a dispute that crosses a border is itself a legal question.

Injury to an interest in real property is also six years (ORS 12.080(3)).

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

Sources: Oregon State Legislature, ORS chapter 12 · 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.