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Personal Injury

Sexual Abuse

The deadline to bring a civil abuse case depends on two things: the state where it happened and how old you were at the time. Some states give child survivors until their fifties or remove the deadline entirely. Others still hold adult survivors to just a few years. Here is how the rules work in each state we cover, and who besides the abuser can be held responsible.

4States Covered
Articles

What the Rules Actually Cost You

How long you have, and who you can sue
Flag of New York

New York

CPLR 208(b) · CPLR 213-c
Age 55to sue for abuse suffered before age 18
20yearsAdult claims for
qualifying sex offenses
OR
1yearOther adult conduct
under CPLR 215(3)
Who to sueThe abuser, plus the school, church, employer, or agency that enabled the abuse
AccrualThe 20-year adult clock runs from the act itself, not from when you connect the harm
Public bodiesChild abuse claims against a public entity do not need a notice of claim
Bills to remove the age-55 cap keep returning in Albany, so confirm the current rule first
Flag of Connecticut

Connecticut

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-577d · § 52-577e
Age 51to sue for abuse suffered before age 21
30years after 21Abuse before age 21
gets the long clock
OR
3yearsAbuse at 21 or older
falls to the tort clock
ConvictionNo deadline at all if the abuser was convicted of first-degree or aggravated sexual assault
ConcealmentIf the abuser hid the claim, § 52-595 starts the clock when you discover it
Who to sueThe abuser, plus any school, church, or employer that negligently allowed the abuse
Abuse at 18, 19, or 20 still counts under the longer child abuse rule
Flag of New Jersey

New Jersey

N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2a · 59:8-3
Age 55to sue for abuse suffered before age 18
7years from discoveryChild or adult,
whichever runs later
PLUS
Nonenotice of claimTort Claims Act notice
does not apply
Who to sueThe abuser, plus schools, churches, and public entities that enabled the abuse
CharitiesNonprofits lose charitable immunity for willful or grossly negligent conduct behind the abuse
Passive abuserA household member in a parental role who knew and allowed the abuse can be liable
Discovery means linking the harm to the abuse, which can happen decades later
Flag of Florida

Florida

Fla. Stat. § 95.11(7) · § 95.11(9)
No limitfor sexual battery of a child under 16
7years after 18Other child abuse
claims against the abuser
OR
4years from discoveryOr from leaving the
abuser’s dependency
CutoffThe no-limit rule does not reach claims already time-barred by July 1, 2010
InstitutionsClaims against schools, churches, and employers can run on different, shorter clocks
Adults4 years to sue the abuser for battery, 2 years for negligence claims against others
Claims against public agencies stay capped at $200,000 per person after the 2026 veto of HB 145

Latest on Sexual Abuse

Where Did the Abuse Happen?
Abused as a child in New YorkNY · The age-55 rule and the 20-year adult clock Abused before age 21 in ConnecticutCT · 30 years after your 21st birthday Only now connecting the harm to the abuseNJ · The 7-year discovery rule Abused before age 16 in FloridaFL · No filing deadline at all
Deadlines That End Cases
NY child abuseAge 55
NY adult sex offense20 years
CT abuse before 21Age 51
CT adult abuse3 years
NJ child abuseAge 55
NJ discovery rule7 years
FL child under 16No limit

Claims against a school district, city, or state agency can carry separate filing rules. If you need support right now, RAINN’s hotline is 800-656-4673, any time.

Protecting a Future Claim
Write down what you remember, even approximate dates, places, and names
Save texts, emails, photos, journals, and social media messages
List who you told and when, including therapists and counselors
Name every institution involved: school, church, team, employer, agency
Sign nothing from an institution, including an NDA, before a lawyer reviews it
You do not need a police report to bring a civil case

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