Skip to content

Old Debts And Time Limits

N.J.S.A. 2A:14-1 — six years on a contract, and two on a personal injury

ClaimTime to sue
ClaimA contract not under seal, property damage, or taking personal propertyTime to sueSix years
ClaimAn injury to the person caused by a wrongful act or neglectTime to sueTwo years
Email

Five years for a crime, one for a disorderly persons offense. In New Jersey, unless the statute provides otherwise, a prosecution for a crime is commenced within five years after it is committed, and for a disorderly persons or petty disorderly persons offense within one year.

Sources for this section (3)
  1. N.J.S.A. 2A:14-1 — Six years for contract and property actions
  2. N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2 — Two years for personal injury actions
  3. N.J.S.A. 2C:1-6 — Time limitations for criminal prosecutions

Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed New Jersey attorney.

From here