# Research Statute Of Limitations Lookup

> Statute of Limitations Lookup

- Skill: `sboghossian-mini-claude-for-legal/research-statute-of-limitations-lookup` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add sboghossian-mini-claude-for-legal/research-statute-of-limitations-lookup`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/sboghossian-mini-claude-for-legal/research-statute-of-limitations-lookup/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Research & Search
- Author: sboghossian (https://skillmd.com/u/sboghossian-mini-claude-for-legal)
- Updated: 2026-09-21
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/sboghossian-mini-claude-for-legal/research-statute-of-limitations-lookup

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# Statute of Limitations Lookup

Determine the applicable limitation period for a specific claim in a specific jurisdiction, including the start-date rule, tolling and suspension mechanisms, and the critical procedural-vs-substantive distinction. A missed limitation period is one of the most common and least-excusable failures in legal practice; this skill exists to prevent it.

## When to use this

- Before advising a client whether to file a claim
- When assessing whether a potential defendant can raise a time-bar defense
- In due diligence: checking whether target-company liabilities are time-barred
- When drafting contractual limitation clauses (checking against statutory floors and ceilings)
- When evaluating whether a limitation period has been extended by negotiation, part-payment, or acknowledgment of liability

## Inputs

| Input | Why it matters | Default |
|-------|---------------|---------|
| Jurisdiction | Limitation periods vary enormously by jurisdiction | Required |
| Claim type | Different periods apply to contract, tort, employment, commercial, property, debt recovery, etc. | Required |
| Accrual date | The date the cause of action arose (when the right to sue first arose) | Provide if known |
| Knowledge date | For discovery-rule jurisdictions: when the claimant knew or should have known of the claim | Provide if different from accrual date |
| Any partial payment or acknowledgment? | These events typically restart or toll the limitation clock | Flag if known |
| Contractual limitation clause? | Parties may have agreed to a shorter or longer period (where permitted) | Flag if present |

## Limitation periods by jurisdiction

### KSA (Saudi Arabia)

KSA limitation law is influenced by Sharia principles and is not comprehensively codified in a single statute. Key periods under the Commercial Court practice and implementing regulations:

| Claim type | Period | Start date |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial claims (general) | 10 years | Date of claim accrual |
| Negotiable instruments (cheques, promissory notes) | 5 years | Date of maturity / presentment |
| Insurance claims | 3 years | Date of loss event |
| Labor claims | 12 months | Date of termination of employment |
| Statutory right to overdue salary | 12 months | Date salary was due |
| Tax / ZATCA assessments | 5 years | End of fiscal year |

**Sharia note**: For certain Hudud criminal offenses, the concept of a fixed statute of limitations does not apply under classical Sharia jurisprudence. In practice, the Saudi commercial courts apply the periods above for commercial matters.

**Practical caveat**: KSA courts have discretion in some areas due to the ijtihad-based system; precise periods may vary by court division. Verify with KSA-qualified counsel for high-stakes matters.

### UAE Federal

UAE limitation law is set primarily in the UAE Civil Transactions Law (Federal Law No. 5 of 1985, as amended):

| Claim type | Period | Statutory basis | Start date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial claims (general) | 10 years | Civil Transactions Law | Date of accrual |
| Employment claims | 1 year | Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 | Date of termination |
| Civil tort (general) | 3 years | Civil Transactions Law | Date claimant knew of injury AND identity of tortfeasor |
| Civil tort (absolute bar) | 15 years | Civil Transactions Law | Date of harmful act (regardless of knowledge) |
| Insurance | 3 years | Insurance Law | Date of event giving rise to claim |
| Negotiable instruments | 3 years (drawer v holder) | Commercial Transactions Law | Date of maturity |
| Real estate actions | 15 years | Civil Transactions Law | Accrual |

**Note**: Employment limitation of 1 year under FDL 33/2021 is a significant trap — in practice many employees wait more than 12 months before asserting claims, discovering the bar too late.

### Lebanon

Lebanese limitation law is governed primarily by the Code of Obligations and Contracts and the Labor Law:

| Claim type | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial claims (general) | 10 years | Code of Commerce |
| Employment claims | 5 years | Lebanese Labor Law |
| Civil personal claims (general) | 30 years (ordinaire) | Code of Obligations and Contracts |
| Contractual claims (standard) | 10 years | Code des Obligations et des Contrats |
| Tort (extra-contractual) | 3 years from knowledge; 10-year absolute bar | Code des Obligations et des Contrats |
| Insurance | 3 years | Insurance Law |

**Lebanon note**: The 30-year general civil period is unusually long by international standards. In practice, evidentiary difficulties and the economic crisis make litigation on ancient claims rare, but the legal period remains.

### Egypt

| Claim type | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Civil claims (general) | 15 years | Egyptian Civil Code |
| Commercial claims (general) | 10 years | Egyptian Commercial Code |
| Labor claims | 1 year | Egyptian Labor Law |
| Tort | 3 years from knowledge; 15-year absolute bar | Egyptian Civil Code |

### France

France uses the concept of "prescription extinctive" (extinctive prescription). The 2008 reform rationalized French limitation periods:

| Claim type | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Civil / commercial (general) | 5 years | Article 2224 Civil Code |
| Consumer claims | 2 years | Consumer Code |
| Personal injury (tort) | 10 years | Article 2226 Civil Code |
| Real property actions | 30 years | Article 2227 Civil Code |
| Salary claims | 3 years | Labor Code |

**Start date rule (France)**: the period runs from the day the holder "knew or should have known of the facts allowing the action to be brought" — a discovery-type rule codified since 2008.

### England and Wales

| Claim type | Period | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Contract (simple) | 6 years | Limitation Act 1980, s.5 |
| Contract (under seal / deed) | 12 years | Limitation Act 1980, s.8 |
| Tort (general) | 6 years | Limitation Act 1980, s.2 |
| Personal injury | 3 years from knowledge (s.14) | Limitation Act 1980, s.11 |
| Negligence — latent damage | 3 years from knowledge; 15-year long-stop | Limitation Act 1980, ss.14A–14B |
| Recovery of land | 12 years | Limitation Act 1980, s.15 |

### US (general — state-by-state)

The US has no uniform federal limitation period for most civil claims; periods are set by each state:

| Claim type | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Contract | 3–6 years | Delaware: 3 years; New York: 6 years; California: 4 years |
| Tort | 2–3 years | Varies significantly by state |
| Fraud | 2–6 years (often from discovery) | Delaware: 3 years from accrual or discovery |
| Debt collection | 3–6 years | State-specific |

**Delaware note**: Delaware is the relevant jurisdiction for most US corporate matters. Delaware's general statute of limitations is 3 years (10 Del. C. § 8106 for most claims).

## Start-date rules: accrual vs discovery

The start date for a limitation period is often the most litigated aspect:

| Rule | Jurisdictions using it | Meaning |
|------|------------------------|---------|
| **Accrual rule** | UAE (civil), KSA (commercial) | Clock starts when the right to sue arose, regardless of whether the claimant knew |
| **Discovery rule** | England, France, Lebanon (tort), US (fraud/latent damage) | Clock starts when the claimant knew or should have known of the harm and its cause |
| **Combination** | Most jurisdictions: discovery-based primary period + absolute backstop long-stop | E.g., England: 3 years from knowledge but 15-year long-stop for latent damage |

## Tolling and suspension events

The limitation clock may be paused (tolled) or restarted by:

| Event | Effect | Jurisdictions |
|-------|--------|--------------|
| **Acknowledgment of debt / liability** | Restarts the clock | England, UAE, Lebanon, France |
| **Part payment** | Restarts the clock | England, UAE, Lebanon |
| **Filed proceedings** | Suspends or stops the clock | All jurisdictions (filing a claim stops the period) |
| **Mediation / arbitration initiated** | Suspends in some jurisdictions | Check jurisdiction-specific rules |
| **Minority or legal incapacity** | Suspends | All jurisdictions (clock pauses while claimant lacks legal capacity) |
| **Fraudulent concealment** | Restarts or defers start date | England (s.32 Limitation Act), France |
| **Force majeure / impossibility** | Suspends in some jurisdictions | Lebanon, France |
| **Contractual agreement to extend** | Extends the period | Permitted in most jurisdictions; not permitted below statutory minimum |

## Procedural vs substantive — critical distinction

| Type | Meaning | Jurisdictions | Practical consequence |
|------|---------|---------------|-----------------------|
| **Procedural** | The court does not raise limitation on its own; the defendant must plead it or it is waived | England, US | A defendant who fails to plead limitation in the defence loses the right to rely on it |
| **Substantive** | The right itself is extinguished by the passage of time; the court can raise it ex officio | France, Lebanon, UAE, KSA | Even if neither party raises it, the judge may dismiss a time-barred claim |

**Flag this distinction in every limitation output** — it determines whether a party who receives a time-barred claim must actively plead the defense or whether the court will reject the claim automatically.

## Output structure

```
## Limitation Period — [Claim type] in [Jurisdiction]

**Claim type**: [as specified]
**Jurisdiction**: [as specified]
**Applicable statute**: [name and article number]

**Limitation period**: [N years / months]
**Start date rule**: [accrual / discovery / combination]
**Accrual date (based on inputs)**: [date or "not specified"]
**Expiry date (calculated)**: [date or "cannot calculate without more information"]

**Tolling events applicable**: [list]
**Procedural vs substantive**: [procedural — must be pleaded / substantive — raised ex officio]

**Warnings**:
- [Any jurisdiction-specific trap or recent change]

**Confidence**: [high / medium — confirm with local counsel for high-stakes matters]
```

## Related skills

- [[research-statute-lookup]]
- [[research-court-procedure-lookup]]
- [[research-case-law-search]]
- [[research-recent-amendments-tracker]]