Statute of limitations in Washington
3 yearsPersonal injury deadline
3 years (RCW 4.16.080(2))1
The details
- Personal injury
- 3 years for any other injury to the person or rights of another not otherwise listed (RCW 4.16.080(2)).1
- Property damage
- 3 years for waste or trespass on real property, or for taking, detaining or injuring personal property (RCW 4.16.080(1), (2)).1
- Written contract
- 6 years on a contract in writing, or liability arising out of a written agreement (RCW 4.16.040(1)).2
- Oral contract
- 3 years on a contract or liability, express or implied, not in writing (RCW 4.16.080(3)).1
- Fraud
- 3 years, counted from discovery of the facts constituting the fraud (RCW 4.16.080(4)).1
- Debt collection (open account)
- 6 years on an account receivable incurred in the ordinary course of the claimant's business (RCW 4.16.040(2)).2
The sources we read do not say: medical malpractice, defamation, claims against the state government (notice deadline).
The official Washington Legislature RCW site could not be read, so the 2025 code text was taken from a Justia copy.
Deadlines usually run from the date of the harm or its discovery, and many exceptions apply. A lawyer can tell you how they apply to you.
Sources
- RCW 4.16.080 (2025), Justia US Law (copy of state code) (secondary), checked 1 November 2026
- RCW 4.16.040 (2025), Justia US Law (copy of state code) (secondary), checked 1 November 2026
Checked 1 November 2026. "Secondary" marks a source used only because the official page could not be read.