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Limitation period calculator (India) — last date to file
Pick your case type, enter the date the time starts, and see the last date to file a suit, complaint or appeal — with the law it comes from and the exceptions that may change it. Covers the Limitation Act 1963, cheque bounce, consumer, RTI, motor accident, wages and criminal complaints.
Choose a case type and enter the start date to see the last date.
Have a related question?
How the calculation works
- The day of the starting event is not counted (Limitation Act s. 12(1)), so “30 days from 1 January” ends on 31 January.
- Periods in months or years end on the same calendar date later (e.g. 3 years from 15 March 2023 ends on 15 March 2026).
- Any days you enter under “Days to exclude” are added to the last date.
- If the last date is a court holiday, s. 4 allows filing on the next working day — the tool warns you when the date is a Saturday or Sunday but does not know local court holidays.
Legal basis
Limitation Act, 1963 (ss. 3–5, 12, 14, 17–19 and the Schedule); Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 ss. 138 and 142; Consumer Protection Act, 2019 ss. 41, 51, 67 and 69; RTI Act, 2005 s. 19; Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 s. 166(3); Code on Wages, 2019 s. 45(6); Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 ss. 514–519 (old CrPC ss. 468–473). Periods checked September 2026.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the limitation period for recovery of money in India?
- A civil suit to recover money lent is generally 3 years from the date the loan was given (Articles 19 and 21 of the Limitation Act, 1963). A written acknowledgment of the debt or a part payment acknowledged in writing before the period ends starts a fresh 3-year period (sections 18 and 19).
- Can a court allow a case filed after the limitation period?
- For appeals and most applications, yes — under section 5 of the Limitation Act the court may condone delay if you show sufficient cause. For civil suits, section 5 does not apply, so a time-barred suit is dismissed (section 3) unless an exclusion or extension such as sections 6, 14, 17, 18 or 19 applies. Some special laws (consumer, cheque bounce complaint, RTI) have their own condonation provisos.
- What if the last date falls on a court holiday?
- Section 4 of the Limitation Act lets you file on the day the court reopens if it is closed on the last day of the prescribed period. Section 10 of the General Clauses Act gives a similar rule under other Central Acts. Check the court's own holiday list — many courts work on Saturdays.
- What is the time limit to file a consumer complaint?
- Two years from the date the cause of action arose (section 69 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019). The Commission can admit a later complaint if you show sufficient cause and it records reasons. Appeals: 45 days to the State Commission and 30 days to the National Commission.
- What is the limitation for recovering possession of property?
- Generally 12 years: from the date of dispossession for a suit based on previous possession (Article 64), or from when the other person's possession became adverse for a suit based on title (Article 65). A quicker suit under section 6 of the Specific Relief Act must be filed within 6 months of dispossession.
- Is there a time limit for filing a criminal complaint?
- Only for less serious offences. Under BNSS section 514 (old CrPC section 468) a court cannot take cognizance after 6 months (fine only), 1 year (up to 1 year imprisonment) or 3 years (more than 1 and up to 3 years), unless it condones delay under section 519. There is no limitation for offences punishable with more than 3 years.