What is the ordinary Illinois personal-injury limitation period?

Identify the alleged injury, defendant and cause of action before selecting Section 13-202.

Establish actual accrual from the governing law and facts; an accident date is not automatically every claim’s accrual date.

Check whether a special patient-care, local-entity, product, disability or criminal provision applies.

1. Identify the alleged injury, defendant and cause of action before selecting Section 13-202.
2. Count two calendar years from independently established accrual. Do not use the ordinary count to resolve another statute’s discovery, repose or tolling conditions.
3. Check the final weekend, statutory holiday and the proper court’s actual calendar.
4. Commence the correct action against the proper defendant and preserve the complaint filing record. Retain the evidence establishing accrual and any separately applicable limitation rule.

Section 1.11 excludes a final Saturday, Sunday or statutory holiday and consecutive excluded days. Section 17(a) of the Promissory Note and Bank Holiday Act includes Pulaski Day, Good Friday and the general election for members of the House of Representatives. Check proclamations, the proper court’s actual calendar and clerk access separately. The bundled Illinois calendar covers 2026 and 2027.

Fictitious example

Use the ordinary unadjusted Section 13-202 accrual period after excluding a more specific provision. This calculator does not decide when a claim accrued. Fictitious statutory event, independently established under the precise scope stated in this guide. Use the ordinary unadjusted Section 13-202 accrual period after excluding a more specific provision. This calculator does not decide when a claim accrued.

Fictitious covered claim with independently established accrual. The result does not decide accrual or exclude a different claim-specific statute.

The defendant and claim can select another period

Licensed patient-care claims use Section 13-212’s paired periods. Qualifying local-entity or employee claims use 745 ILCS 10/8-101. Product strict-liability claims can require Section 13-213 analysis.

At-accrual disability requires separate review

Section 13-211 covers specified Sections 13-201 through 13-210 claims where minority or legal disability exists at accrual. Its later-disability stay and repose qualification must be examined independently.

Specified convicted-perpetrator claims are excluded

Section 13-202 excepts the stated damages arising from first-degree murder or a Class X felony where the actor has been convicted. Section 13-214.1 supplies a separate rule.

A criminal escrow account has its own stated event

Section 13-202 provides a two-year period from establishment of the specified account for an action for damages against the offender. Establish that account rather than substituting ordinary accrual.

Compelled-confession circumstances have special tolling

The statute addresses compelled confession caused by imminent bodily harm or threats and resulting prosecution. Its incarceration and favorable-adjudication timing has stated conditions and excludes covered local governmental claims.

• This calculation does not determine whether relief is available or whether the facts satisfy the statute.
• A current statutory edition does not establish the law for every historical claim. Preserve the applicable edition and actual orders.

• Identify the alleged injury, defendant and cause of action before selecting Section 13-202.
• Establish actual accrual from the governing law and facts; an accident date is not automatically every claim’s accrual date.
• Check whether a special patient-care, local-entity, product, disability or criminal provision applies.
• Licensed patient-care claims use Section 13-212’s paired periods. Qualifying local-entity or employee claims use 745 ILCS 10/8-101. Product strict-liability claims can require Section 13-213 analysis.
• Section 13-211 covers specified Sections 13-201 through 13-210 claims where minority or legal disability exists at accrual. Its later-disability stay and repose qualification must be examined independently.
• Section 13-202 excepts the stated damages arising from first-degree murder or a Class X felony where the actor has been convicted. Section 13-214.1 supplies a separate rule.
• Section 13-202 provides a two-year period from establishment of the specified account for an action for damages against the offender. Establish that account rather than substituting ordinary accrual.
• The statute addresses compelled confession caused by imminent bodily harm or threats and resulting prosecution. Its incarceration and favorable-adjudication timing has stated conditions and excludes covered local governmental claims.
• Commence the correct action against the proper defendant and preserve the complaint filing record. Retain the evidence establishing accrual and any separately applicable limitation rule. File with the proper clerk in the required format. Rule 9 ordinarily requires civil electronic filing, subject to its exceptions and exemptions. Rule 9(f) ordinarily requires submission before midnight in the court time zone unless a statute, rule or actual order specifies a different time. A submission on a closed clerk day ordinarily receives the next open-day stamp. Preserve the actual electronic file mark, receipt and any filing-relief order. Filing and service are distinct acts.