Skip to contentSkip to Search and the menu

EVERY DEADLINE

63 periods Indiana law measures, gathered out of the guide and put in order, shortest first. Each one says what starts it, whose period it is, and what the law attaches to it. The shortest here is 24 hours. The longest is 10 years.

Every period on this page is stated by a section of the guide and carries that section's own authority. None of it is a calculation: a period that turns on facts, on service, or on a court's discretion is described the way the section describes it and no further.

63 deadlines

Traffic stops1

  • 2 years

    Bringing an infraction case

    From
    The alleged conduct or violation
    Whose
    The prosecuting attorney

    An action to enforce an infraction or an ordinance is brought within two years after the conduct, or it cannot be brought.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: A Traffic Ticket →
    • IC 34-28-5-1

Being stopped5

  • 10 days

    Executing a search warrant

    From
    The date the warrant was issued
    Whose
    The officers

    A search warrant is executed not more than ten days after it is issued, and returned to the court without unnecessary delay.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Reading a Search Warrant →
    • IC 35-33-5-7
  • 10 days

    Hiring a lawyer on misdemeanor charges only

    From
    The initial hearing
    Whose
    The person charged

    Where the only charges are misdemeanors, the period for retaining counsel that the person is told of at the initial hearing is ten days.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Being Arrested →
    • IC 35-33-7-5
  • 10 calendar days

    Initial hearing after bail on an impaired driving arrest

    From
    The arrest for impaired driving
    Whose
    The court

    Where a person arrested for impaired driving makes bail first, the initial hearing is held within ten calendar days of the arrest.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Being Arrested →
    • IC 35-33-7-1
  • 20 days

    Hiring a lawyer on a felony charge

    From
    The initial hearing
    Whose
    The person charged

    The person is told at the initial hearing that counsel is retained within this time on a felony, because motions and defenses have deadlines and are waived if missed.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Being Arrested →
    • IC 35-33-7-5
  • 20 calendar days

    Initial hearing after making bail

    From
    The arrest without a warrant
    Whose
    The court

    Where the person arrested makes bail before the initial hearing, the hearing is held at any time within this period after the arrest.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Being Arrested →
    • IC 35-33-7-1

Impaired driving5

  • 3 hours

    Giving the chemical test

    From
    When the officer had probable cause
    Whose
    The officer

    A chemical test under the implied consent chapter is administered within three hours after the officer had probable cause to believe the person drove impaired.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: The Chemical Test →
    • IC 9-30-6-2
  • 3 hours

    Testing after a serious or fatal crash

    From
    The fatal accident or the accident involving serious bodily injury
    Whose
    The officer

    Every chemical test offered to a driver after a crash with a death or serious bodily injury is administered within three hours of it.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Testing After a Serious Crash →
    • IC 9-30-7-3
  • 7 days

    When the suspension after a test or refusal starts

    From
    The date of the bureau's notice
    Whose
    The bureau of motor vehicles

    The bureau's notice says the suspension starts seven days after the notice, or on the date of the court's order recommending it if that comes first.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: The License Suspension After an Arrest →
    • IC 9-30-6-9
  • 10 days

    Petitioning for specialized driving privileges

    From
    The initial hearing
    Whose
    The person whose license is suspended

    A person who said at the initial hearing that a petition was coming has the suspension stayed; without a petition within ten days the stay is lifted and the affidavit goes to the bureau.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Specialized Driving Privileges →
    • IC 9-30-16-1
  • 30 days

    The specialized driving privileges hearing

    From
    The initial hearing
    Whose
    The court

    Where the person states an intent to petition at the initial hearing, the court sets the specialized driving privileges hearing not later than thirty days after it.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Specialized Driving Privileges →
    • IC 9-30-16-1

Court and money31

  • 24 hours

    An in person records request treated as denied

    From
    An employee refusing the request
    Whose
    The public agency

    A request made in person or by telephone is denied when the responsible person refuses, or this long after any employee refuses, whichever is first.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Public Records →
    • IC 5-14-3-9
  • 5 days

    Transferring a vehicle title after a death

    From
    The death
    Whose
    The distributees

    A vehicle or watercraft title may be transferred on the distributees' affidavit once this long has passed and no personal representative is contemplated.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Collecting a Small Estate Without Probate →
    • IC 29-1-8-1
  • 7 days

    A mailed or emailed records request treated as denied

    From
    The agency receiving the request
    Whose
    The public agency

    A request by mail, fax or an electronic portal is not denied until this long has passed since the agency received it, and from then the person may treat it as denied.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Public Records →
    • IC 5-14-3-9
  • 7 days

    Disagreeing with an end to disability benefits

    From
    Receiving the notice of intent to stop benefits
    Whose
    The injured employee

    Without a written notice of disagreement to the board and the employer within this time, temporary total disability benefits end.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Hurt at Work →
    • IC 22-3-3-7
  • 10 days

    Demanding a jury in small claims

    From
    Service of the complaint
    Whose
    The defendant

    A small claims defendant demands a jury trial by affidavit within this time, and the case moves to the plenary docket on a deposit of $70.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Small Claims Court →
    • IC 33-28-3-7
  • 10 business days

    How far behind a paycheck may run

    From
    The date the wages were earned, counted to payday
    Whose
    The employer

    Each payday covers all wages earned up to a date not more than ten business days before it.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Paydays and the Last Paycheck →
    • IC 22-2-5-1
  • 14 days

    The first temporary disability payment

    From
    The start of the disability
    Whose
    The employer or its insurer

    The first weekly installment of compensation for temporary disability is due this long after the disability begins.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Hurt at Work →
    • IC 22-3-3-7
  • 15 days

    Appealing an unemployment decision

    From
    Notification or mailing of the administrative law judge's decision
    Whose
    A party adversely affected

    The decision becomes the final decision of the review board unless an appeal to the review board is taken within this time.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Unemployment Benefits →
    • IC 22-4-17-3
  • 29 days before

    Registering to vote before an election

    From
    The election, counted back
    Whose
    The voter

    An eligible applicant whose application is accepted by the bureau or a voter registration agency not later than this long before the election is registered for it.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Registering to Vote →
    • IC 3-7-33-3
  • 30 days

    Saying whether a work injury claim is accepted

    From
    The employer learning of the claimed injury
    Whose
    The employer or its insurer

    An employer that denies or cannot decide liability notifies the board and the employee in writing within this time, which the board may extend on request.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Hurt at Work →
    • IC 22-3-3-7
  • 30 days

    Telling the employer of a work injury

    From
    The injury or death
    Whose
    The injured employee

    Without written notice or the employer's knowledge within this time, no compensation is paid for the period before notice, and a late notice bars it only as far as it prejudiced the employer.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Hurt at Work →
  • 30 days before

    The last newspaper notice of a name change

    From
    The day of the hearing, counted back
    Whose
    The person petitioning

    The last of three weekly published notices of the petition appears at least this long before the hearing.

  • 30 days

    The refund or replacement for a lemon

    From
    The manufacturer accepting the vehicle's return
    Whose
    The manufacturer

    After a reasonable number of failed repair attempts, the manufacturer takes the vehicle back and, at the buyer's option, refunds what was paid or provides a comparable replacement within this time.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: The Lemon Law →
    • IC 24-5-13-10
  • 45 days

    Collecting a small estate by affidavit

    From
    The death
    Whose
    The distributee

    Once this long has passed, someone holding the decedent's money or property pays or delivers it on an affidavit where the estate is within the limit.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Collecting a Small Estate Without Probate →
    • IC 29-1-8-1
  • 45 days

    Notice of a data breach

    From
    The discovery of the breach
    Whose
    The data base owner

    Notice of a breach goes to each affected Indiana resident without unreasonable delay and not more than this long after discovery, outside the delays the section allows.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: A Data Breach →
    • IC 24-4.9-3-3
  • 60 days

    A licensing board's answer on a conviction

    From
    The board receiving the petition and the information it asked for
    Whose
    The licensing board

    A board tells a person who asked whether a conviction will disqualify them from a license of its determination within this time.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: A Record and State Licenses →
    • IC 25-1-1.1-6
  • 60 days

    The earliest final hearing in a divorce

    From
    The filing of the petition
    Whose
    The court

    The final hearing in a dissolution of marriage is conducted not earlier than this long after the petition is filed, outside the chapter's exceptions.

  • 180 days

    Filing a discrimination complaint

    From
    The alleged discriminatory practice
    Whose
    The person discriminated against

    A complaint to the civil rights commission is not valid unless filed within this time of the occurrence of the discriminatory practice.

  • 180 days

    Notice of a claim against a city, town, county or school

    From
    The loss
    Whose
    The person with the claim

    A claim against a political subdivision is barred unless notice is filed with its governing body, and the risk management commission where it applies, within this time.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Claims Against the State and Local Government →
    • IC 34-13-3-8
  • 270 days

    Notice of a claim against the state

    From
    The loss
    Whose
    The person with the claim

    A claim against the state is barred unless notice is filed with the attorney general or the state agency involved within this time.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Claims Against the State and Local Government →
    • IC 34-13-3-6
  • 1 year

    Petitioning to expunge an arrest without a charge

    From
    The arrest
    Whose
    The person arrested

    For an arrest after June 30, 2022 with no charge pending once this long has passed, the person may petition and the judge orders the records expunged immediately.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Clearing a Record →
  • 2 years

    Filing a worker's compensation claim

    From
    The accident, or the death it caused
    Whose
    The injured employee or dependents

    The right to compensation is forever barred unless a claim is filed with the worker's compensation board within this time.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Hurt at Work →
    • IC 22-3-3-3
  • 2 years

    Suing for an injury to a person or personal property

    From
    The cause of action accruing
    Whose
    The person injured

    An action for injury to a person or character, or to personal property, must be commenced within this time.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: How Long There Is to Sue →
    • IC 34-11-2-4
  • 2 years

    Suing over a deceptive consumer sale

    From
    The deceptive act
    Whose
    The consumer

    A consumer's action under the deceptive consumer sales chapter may not be brought more than this long after the deceptive act.

  • 2 years

    Suing under the lemon law

    From
    The buyer first reporting the defect
    Whose
    The buyer

    An action under the lemon law is commenced within this time, which does not run while a manufacturer's informal dispute procedure is underway.

  • 3 years

    Suing for unpaid minimum wages

    From
    The cause of action arising
    Whose
    The employee

    An action for unpaid minimum wages and the equal amount of liquidated damages may be brought within this time in the county where the work was done.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Minimum Wage →
    • IC 22-2-2-9
  • 5 years

    Petitioning to expunge a misdemeanor conviction

    From
    The date of conviction
    Whose
    The person convicted

    A petition to expunge a misdemeanor conviction may be filed not earlier than this, unless the prosecutor consents in writing to an earlier one.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Clearing a Record →
    • IC 35-38-9-2
  • 6 years

    Suing on a note or a written contract for money

    From
    The cause of action accruing
    Whose
    The person with the claim

    An action on a promissory note or another written contract for the payment of money made after August 31, 1982 must be commenced within this time.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: How Long There Is to Sue →
    • IC 34-11-2-9
  • 6 years

    Suing on an unwritten contract or for fraud

    From
    The cause of action accruing
    Whose
    The person with the claim

    Actions on accounts and contracts not in writing, for relief against fraud, and for damage to real property must be commenced within this time.

  • 8 years

    Petitioning to expunge a Level 6 felony conviction

    From
    The date of conviction
    Whose
    The person convicted

    A petition to expunge a Level 6 felony conviction may be filed not earlier than this, unless the prosecutor consents in writing to an earlier one.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Clearing a Record →
    • IC 35-38-9-3
  • 10 years

    Suing on a written contract not for money

    From
    The cause of action accruing
    Whose
    The person with the claim

    An action on a written contract other than one for the payment of money must be commenced within this time.

Your home11

  • 24 hours

    The hold before bail on a domestic arrest

    From
    The arrest
    Whose
    The court or the jail

    A person arrested for one of the listed crimes against a family or household member may not be released on bail for at least this long, and not before a bail hearing in open court.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: When Police Are Called to a House →
    • IC 35-33-8-6.5
  • 48 hours

    Changing the locks for a protected tenant

    From
    The tenant's written request with a copy of the order
    Whose
    The landlord

    Where the person restrained is not a tenant of the same unit, the landlord changes the locks within this time of the request and gives the tenant a key.

  • 48 hours

    Removing a squatter

    From
    The agency receiving the owner's affidavit
    Whose
    The law enforcement agency

    Officers are sent to remove the squatter within this time, or as soon as practicable where public safety calls for a delay.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Squatters →
    • IC 32-31-12-4
  • 3 business days

    Canceling a sale made at home

    From
    The later of the seller's notice of the right to cancel or the final agreement
    Whose
    The consumer

    A home sale of at least $25 may be canceled by written notice delivered or mailed before midnight of the third business day.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Canceling a Sale Made at Home →
    • IC 24-5-10-8
  • 10 days

    Paying rent after a notice for nonpayment

    From
    The landlord's notice
    Whose
    The tenant

    A landlord may end the lease for unpaid rent on not less than this much notice, unless the parties agreed otherwise or the tenant pays in full before it runs out.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Eviction for Unpaid Rent →
    • IC 32-31-1-6
  • 30 days before

    Ending a lease as a protected tenant

    From
    The termination date in the notice, counted back
    Whose
    The protected tenant

    A tenant protected by a protection or no contact order gives written notice at least this long before the termination date, with a copy of the order and, where required, a safety plan.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Domestic Violence and a Lease →
    • IC 32-31-9-12
  • 1 month before

    Ending a tenancy at will

    From
    The end of the tenancy, counted back
    Whose
    Either side

    A tenancy at will, such as a month to month rental, may be ended by a one month notice in writing delivered to the tenant.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Ending a Month to Month Rental →
    • IC 32-31-1-1
  • 30 days before

    Notice before the lease is changed

    From
    The change to the rental agreement, counted back
    Whose
    The landlord

    Unless a written agreement says otherwise, a landlord gives at least this much written notice before modifying the rental agreement, a rent increase included.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Rent and Rent Increases →
    • IC 32-31-5-4
  • 30 days

    The hearing on a protective order for harassment

    From
    The filing of the petition
    Whose
    The court

    Where a petition alleges harassment, no order issues without notice and a hearing, and the court holds the hearing within this time of the petition.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: A Protective Order →
    • IC 34-26-5-9
  • 45 days

    Returning the deposit with an itemized list

    From
    The end of the rental agreement and the return of possession
    Whose
    The landlord

    The deposit less itemized deductions goes to the tenant by written notice within this time; a landlord who sends no list owes it all, though not until the tenant gives a mailing address in writing.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Getting the Deposit Back →
    • IC 32-31-3-12
    • IC 32-31-3-14
  • 7 years

    Sealing an eviction judgment with no money judgment

    From
    The entry of the judgment
    Whose
    The tenant

    Where a judgment against a tenant carried no money judgment, the court seals the records on the tenant's motion once at least this long has passed.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Sealing an Eviction Record →
    • IC 32-31-11-3

Carrying a firearm5

Charges and penalties5

  • 30 days

    Returning what is left of a bail deposit

    From
    The disposition of the charges
    Whose
    The court

    The court orders the clerk to return the remaining ten percent deposit to whoever made it within this time after the case is dismissed or ends in acquittal or conviction.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: Bail After an Arrest →
    • IC 35-33-8-3.2
  • 45 days

    Filing to revoke probation

    From
    The state receiving notice of the violation
    Whose
    The state

    A petition to revoke for a violation may be filed before the earlier of this time after the state learns of it or one year after probation ends, as the written statement of conditions says.

    What day is that? →The whole of it: What Probation Can Include →
    • IC 35-38-2-2.3
  • 90 days

    Refiling a charge dismissed for a defect

    From
    The dismissal
    Whose
    The state

    A complaint, indictment or information dismissed for an error or defect may be brought again within this time even where the limitation period has run.

  • 2 years

    Charging a misdemeanor

    From
    The commission of the offense
    Whose
    The state

    A prosecution for a misdemeanor is barred unless it is begun within two years, the time not counting while the accused is out of the state or hiding.

  • 5 years

    Charging a Level 3 to 6 felony

    From
    The commission of the offense
    Whose
    The state

    A prosecution for a Level 3, 4, 5 or 6 felony is barred unless begun within five years, subject to the extensions for DNA evidence and concealment.

MyRightz is legal education, not legal advice. Nothing here creates an attorney client relationship. Applying the law to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Indiana attorney.