If you are trying to find out whether it is too late to bring a sexual abuse or assault claim in California, this deadline finder is a private place to start. California has several different time limits, and which one applies depends on a few facts: how old you were, when it happened, who may be responsible, and whether an organization hid what it knew.
You can take this at your own pace and stop at any time. The finder asks six questions, names the rule that likely applies, quotes it in plain language with its citation, and shows the key date. It runs only in your browser. Nothing you choose is stored or sent to us or anyone else. If you need support right now, the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24 hours a day at 800-656-4673, and in a crisis you can call or text 988.
How the deadline finder decides
The finder works through California's rules in the order a lawyer would. The first fork is age. Abuse before the survivor's 18th birthday is governed by Code of Civil Procedure § 340.1. A sexual assault on an adult is governed by § 340.16. The second fork is the date, because the Legislature has changed these laws several times and each change reaches a different period. The third is who may be responsible, because public entities follow their own rules.
The finder gives one of three answers. Likely open means a clear rule points to a deadline that has not passed, based only on your answers. Possibly open, talk to a lawyer soon means a claim may be open but depends on something the finder cannot check, such as the exact year or a discovery date, or the key date is close. Talk to a lawyer means the rules interact, the law is unsettled, a fact is uncertain, or the ordinary deadline has likely passed but an exception might apply. It never says whether a claim will succeed. Only a lawyer who has heard the facts can judge that.
The rules behind the answers
| Childhood abuse on or after Jan. 1, 2024 | No time limit (§ 340.1, as amended by AB 452) |
|---|---|
| Childhood abuse before 2024 | Before age 40, or within the discovery period, whichever is later. SB 577 (2026) shortens the discovery period from five years to three |
| Adult assault, ordinary rule | Ten years from the last assault, or three years from discovery, whichever is later (§ 340.16(a)) |
| AB 2777 revival | Adult assaults on or after Jan. 1, 2009, too late only because time ran out: file by Dec. 31, 2026 (§ 340.16(b)(3)) |
| AB 250 cover-up window | Time-barred adult claims where a private entity covered up an earlier assault or allegation by the same perpetrator: file by Dec. 31, 2027 (§ 340.16(e)) |
| Public entities | No government claim for childhood abuse (Gov. Code § 905(m)); adult claims generally need one within six months (§ 911.2) |
For childhood abuse, the age-40 rule and the discovery rule come from AB 218, and subdivision (p) of § 340.1 keeps that rule for abuse on or before December 31, 2023. Our guide to the childhood sexual abuse statute of limitations explains it in full, including the certificates of merit survivors 40 or older must file. For adults, the AB 2777 deadline guide covers who the 2026 window reaches and who it leaves out, and our page on AB 250 cover-up claims explains the 2027 window. The statute defines a cover-up as "a concerted effort to hide evidence relating to a sexual assault."
Where the law changed in 2026
SB 577, Chapter 971 of the Statutes of 2026, was signed on September 30, 2026, according to the chaptered bill as published by GovBuddy. As that text reads, it moves the rule for pre-2024 childhood abuse into a new § 340.11 and shortens the discovery period from five years to three. It also adds § 340.12: a survivor who sues a public entity at 40 or older, over pre-2024 abuse, must prove by clear and convincing evidence that the entity knew of the misconduct and failed to take reasonable steps to prevent it, and that it negligently failed to carry out a mandatory duty. The Daily Journal reported that the law limits some older claims against public entities.
How these changes apply to a survivor who was already inside the five-year discovery period, and to cases already filed, is not settled. For that reason the finder sends survivors 40 or older with possible public-entity claims to a lawyer rather than guessing. Our page on what SB 577 changed follows it in more detail.
Two worked examples
Both are hypothetical. Example one. A survivor, now 31, was abused at 14 by a coach at a private club in 2009. She answers: under 18; 2009 to 2023; 18 to 37; a private organization; not sure about a cover-up; not settled. The finder returns Likely open: for childhood abuse before 2024, she can generally file before her 40th birthday. It also notes that California law has allowed enhanced damages against an organization proven to have covered up abuse.
Example two. A survivor was assaulted at 22 by a co-worker in 2006. Coworkers later learned the company had settled an earlier complaint against the same man with a confidentiality agreement. He answers: 18 or older; before 2009; 40 or older; a private organization; yes; not settled. The finder returns Possibly open, talk to a lawyer soon. The ten-year period ran out long ago and AB 2777 does not reach 2006, but the AB 250 window may apply until December 31, 2027 if the cover-up can be alleged and proven.
What the finder leaves out
- Exact dates. It uses ranges. A lawyer works from your birth date, the dates of the abuse and, where it matters, the date you understood the harm it caused.
- The discovery rule. Discovery dates are personal and often come from therapy or a diagnosis. The finder cannot judge them, so it flags when one matters.
- Federal claims. Title IX and civil-rights claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 have their own, generally shorter, deadlines.
- Mixed defendants. Many cases name an individual, a private company and a public agency together, each with different rules.
- What happened. It does not ask, and you do not need to tell it.
Your privacy, and filing as Jane Doe
Many survivors worry most about their name becoming public. You can ask the court for permission to file as Jane Doe or John Doe, and courts decide those requests case by case. Our guide to filing a sexual abuse lawsuit as Jane Doe explains how it works. A conversation with us is confidential whether or not you ever file.
Support first, if you need it
A deadline can wait an hour while you take care of yourself. RAINN's hotline, 800-656-4673, connects you with a trained advocate and a local rape crisis center at any hour, and 988 is the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by call or text, with Spanish by pressing 2. Our directory of survivor resources in California lists counseling and advocacy services by county.
How LaCour handles these cases
LaCour Trial Lawyers represents survivors of childhood abuse and adult sexual assault across California, in English and Spanish. Lead trial counsel Jonathan P. LaCour leads these cases, the first conversation is free and confidential, and there is no fee unless there is a recovery. We never pay anyone for a referral or a claim, and we will never ask anyone to change or exaggerate what happened. Learn more about our sexual abuse and institutional abuse practice, or ask for a free, confidential review.
Frequently asked questions
This guide is general information about California and federal law and about public records as of its date. It is not legal advice, and reading it or contacting us does not create an attorney–client relationship. Allegations in lawsuits are claims, not findings. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Attorney advertising.