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New Hampshire Statute of Limitations: Filing Deadlines by Case Type

Independently fact-checked against primary sources (last audited August 18, 2026). · Reviewed by the RecordingLaw editorial team. · Law checked current as of August 18, 2026. · 12 primary sources cited on this page. How we verify our legal content

New Hampshire Statute of Limitations: Filing Deadlines by Case Type

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the statute of limitations for personal injury in New Hampshire?

New Hampshire provides a 3-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims under RSA 508:4. The clock generally starts on the date the injury occurred. If the injury was not immediately discoverable, the discovery rule may delay the start of the 3-year period until the plaintiff knew or should have known about the injury.

Is there a statute of limitations for murder in New Hampshire?

No. New Hampshire does not impose any time limit on prosecuting murder under RSA 625:8(II). Prosecutors may bring murder charges at any time, regardless of how many years have passed since the crime occurred.

How long do I have to file a breach of contract claim in New Hampshire?

The deadline depends on the type of contract. Oral contracts carry a 3-year statute of limitations under RSA 508:4. Written contracts under seal have a 20-year deadline under RSA 508:5. Contracts for the sale of goods under the UCC carry a 4-year deadline under RSA 382-A:2-725.

Can the statute of limitations be paused or extended in New Hampshire?

Yes. New Hampshire law provides several tolling provisions. The statute of limitations may be paused if the plaintiff is a minor or mentally incompetent (RSA 508:8), if the defendant is absent from the state (RSA 508:9), or if the injury was not immediately discoverable (discovery rule). For criminal cases, the clock stops while the accused is absent from the state or already facing prosecution for the same conduct.

What is the statute of limitations for sexual assault in New Hampshire?

New Hampshire has eliminated the civil statute of limitations for sexual assault claims under RSA 508:4-g, allowing victims to sue at any time. For criminal prosecution, sexual assault against a victim under 18 must be prosecuted within 22 years of the victim's 18th birthday under RSA 625:8(III)(d). Murder may be prosecuted at any time.

Updates

Fixed dead citation links across the page: 10 New Hampshire statute citations and 13 inline body links pointed to a domain (gencourt.state.nh.us) that no longer resolves; repointed all of them to the working gc.nh.gov mirror. Also corrected two wrong statute pinpoint citations: the theft/fraud one-year-discovery rule is RSA 625:8(III)(a), not (II), and the no-limit murder rule is RSA 625:8(II), not (IV).

Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources; governing law re-checked for recent changes

Corrected 2 statute-attribution/legal-fact errors verified against primary sources.

Governing law re-checked for recent changes

Governing law re-checked for recent changes

Reviewed and approved by an editor

Sources and References

  1. RSA 508:4 - Personal Actions(gc.nh.gov).gov
  2. RSA 508:5 - Specialties (Contracts Under Seal, Judgments)(gc.nh.gov).gov
  3. RSA 625:8 - Criminal Limitations(gc.nh.gov).gov
  4. RSA 539:8 - Trespass Limitation of Actions(gc.nh.gov).gov
  5. RSA 508:4-g - Actions Based on Sexual Assault(gc.nh.gov).gov
  6. RSA 508:4-b - Damages From Construction(gc.nh.gov).gov
  7. RSA 508:9 - Defendant's Absence (Tolling)(gc.nh.gov).gov
  8. RSA 508:8 - Disabilities (Minor/Incompetent Tolling)(gc.nh.gov).gov
  9. RSA 508:2 - Real Actions (Property Recovery)(gc.nh.gov).gov
  10. RSA 507-D:2 - Product Liability Limitation(gc.nh.gov).gov
  11. RSA 556:11 - Wrongful Death Actions(gc.nh.gov).gov
  12. RSA 633:7 - Trafficking in Persons(gc.nh.gov).gov
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