Limitation Period Calculator (Limitation Act, 1963)
A limitation period is the legal time limit for bringing a claim — miss it and, in most cases, you lose the right to sue no matter how strong your case is. The clock usually starts when the issue arose (the “cause of action”), and the length depends on the type of claim. This tool adds the applicable period to your start date to estimate the deadline — but jurisdictions and exceptions vary, so treat it as a prompt to act, and confirm with a lawyer.
How to use
- Select the Cause of Action from the dropdown — 40+ types covering contracts, torts, property, mortgage, writ petitions, and statutory claims (NI Act, Consumer Protection Act, Income Tax Act, Arbitration Act).
- Enter the Date of Cause of Action — the date the breach, injury, dishonour, or other triggering event occurred.
- Optionally, expand s.12(2) Certified Copy Dates and enter the dates you applied for and received a certified copy of the order being appealed. The tool will exclude that interval.
- Optionally, expand s.4 Court Holiday Dates and enter any court-closed dates in YYYY-MM-DD format. If the expiry falls on a listed holiday or a Sunday, it advances to the next open day.
- Optionally, tick the COVID-19 exclusion checkbox (SC Suo Motu WP(C) 3/2020) to apply the 15 Mar 2020 – 28 Feb 2022 exclusion.
- Click Calculate Limitation Date. The tool shows the Article/statute, the expiry date, the step-by-step computation, and the days remaining (or overdue).
How it works
Each cause of action maps to a specific article or statutory provision. The tool adds the limitation period to your start date using UTC-anchored date arithmetic, consistent with s.12(1) — the day from which the period is reckoned is excluded.
Step-by-step computation
For every calculation the tool shows:
- Start date (excluded per s.12(1))
- Limitation period — the statutory period
- Base expiry — computed date before any adjustments
- s.12(2) adjustment — if certified copy dates entered
- COVID-19 adjustment — if checkbox ticked
- s.4 roll-over — if expiry falls on Sunday or holiday
s.5 and s.14
The tool displays explanatory text about s.5 (condonation of delay) and s.14 (exclusion of time in prior bona fide proceedings) but does not compute them — these involve factual and legal analysis that cannot be automated. Consult a lawyer if either section may apply.
Worked example — written contract, s.12(2) certified copy
Scenario: A supplier fails to deliver on 1 October 2022 under a written contract. The buyer wants to appeal an order. The buyer applied for a certified copy on 10 October 2022 and received it on 25 October 2022.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Cause of action | Contract (written) — breach |
| Date of cause of action | 1 October 2022 |
| Applicable article | Art. 55, Limitation Act 1963 |
| Period | 3 years |
| Cert. copy applied | 10 October 2022 |
| Cert. copy received | 25 October 2022 (15 days excluded) |
Tool output:
- Base expiry: 1 October 2025
- s.12(2) adjustment: +15 days
- Final expiry: 16 October 2025 (Thursday)
Worked example — COVID checkbox on (cause before window, expiry after window)
Scenario: Written contract breached 1 January 2020. Normal period = 3 years. The cause arose before the COVID window but the window still applies — the SC order excludes the window for all causes on or before 28 February 2022.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Cause of action | Contract (written) — breach (Art. 55) |
| Date of cause of action | 1 January 2020 |
| Period | 3 years |
| COVID-19 exclusion | ✓ (ticked) |
Tool output:
- Base expiry: 1 January 2023
- COVID adjustment: clockStart = 2 Jan 2020; days consumed before window (15 Mar 2020) = 73; total days = 1095; balance = 1022; grant = max(90, 1022) = 1022 days from 01 Mar 2022
- Final expiry: 17 December 2024 (Tuesday)
Scenario 2: Defamation (libel) published 1 August 2020. Cause arose inside the window — full period is the balance.
- Base expiry: 1 August 2021 (inside window); days consumed = 0; balance = 364; grant = 364 days
- Final expiry: 28 February 2023 (Tuesday)
Source: SC Suo Motu WP(C) 3/2020, order dated 10 Jan 2022 — sci.gov.in
Worked example — mortgage foreclosure
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Cause of action | Mortgage — foreclosure by mortgagee (Art. 63) |
| Date of cause of action | 1 April 2000 |
| Period | 30 years |
| Expiry (tool output) | Wednesday, 1 April 2030 |
Reference: claim types, articles, and periods
Verified against the First Schedule to the Limitation Act, 1963 (indiacode.nic.in):
| Cause of Action | Article / Statute | Period | Clock Starts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contract — specific performance | Art. 54 | 3 years | Date fixed for performance or refusal notice |
| Contract (written) — breach | Art. 55 | 3 years | Date of breach |
| Contract (oral/simple) — breach | Art. 55 | 3 years | Date of breach |
| On guarantee | Art. 21 | 3 years | Default by principal debtor |
| Promissory note (demand) | Art. 22 | 3 years | Date note made or demand |
| Promissory note (fixed date) | Art. 23 | 3 years | When note falls due |
| Bill of exchange (dishonour) | Art. 14 | 3 years | Date of dishonour |
| Wages / salary arrears | Art. 82 | 3 years | Date wages accrue due |
| Account stated | Art. 1 | 3 years | Date of acknowledgment |
| Money had and received | Art. 57 / 113 | 3 years | Date money paid |
| Declaratory suit | Art. 58 | 3 years | When right accrues |
| Cancellation of instrument | Art. 59 | 3 years | When facts known |
| Pre-emption | Art. 66 | 1 year | Date of sale |
| Recovery of immovable property | Art. 65 | 12 years | When adverse possession begins |
| Mortgage money recovery | Art. 62 | 12 years | When money becomes due |
| Mortgage foreclosure | Art. 63 | 30 years | When money secured becomes due |
| Mortgage redemption (mortgagor) | Art. 64 | 30 years | When right to redeem accrues |
| Recovery of moveable from bailee | Art. 68 | 3 years | When bailment ends / demand refused |
| Conversion of moveable property | Art. 71 | 3 years | Date of conversion |
| Tort — personal injury / negligence | Art. 74 | 3 years | Date of injury |
| Defamation — libel | Art. 75 | 1 year | Date of publication |
| Defamation — slander | Art. 76 | 1 year | Date words spoken |
| Malicious prosecution | Art. 77 | 1 year | Date of acquittal |
| Wrongful confinement | Art. 79 | 1 year | Date of confinement |
| Wrongful act by public servant | Art. 80 | 3 years | Date of act / omission |
| Execution of decree | Art. 136 | 12 years | Date of decree |
| Residual suit | Art. 113 | 3 years | When right accrues |
| Residual application | Art. 137 | 3 years | When right accrues |
| Labour / employment claim | Art. 113 | 3 years | Date of cause of action |
| Cheque dishonour complaint | NI Act s.142 | 1 month | 15 days after notice expires |
| Consumer complaint | CCPA 2019 s.69 | 2 years | Date of cause of action |
| Arbitration — initiating | A&C Act s.43 | 3 years | Same as court claim |
| Setting aside arbitral award | A&C Act s.34(3) | 3 months | Date award received |
| Income Tax Appeal CIT(A) | IT Act s.249(2) | 30 days | Date of order received |
| Income Tax Appeal ITAT | IT Act s.253(3) | 60 days | Date of CIT(A) order |
| SC appeal — certificate (Arts. 132/133/134 Constitution) | SC Rules 2013, Order XIV Rule 2 | 60 days | Date of judgment/final order |
| SC appeal — Special Leave Petition (Art. 136 Constitution) | SC Rules 2013, Order XIV Rule 3 | 90 days | Date of judgment/final order |
| Writ petition (High Court) | Art. 226, Constitution | No fixed period | — |
Tips
Diarise the expiry date on the day the dispute arises. By the time you need to act, you may have days or weeks left — not enough for pre-litigation steps. Set a reminder immediately.
The cheque dishonour period is the most time-critical. At one month, it is the shortest on the list. Issue the s.138 demand notice immediately after dishonour and track the 15-day payment window. File the s.142 complaint within 30 days of the cause of action arising.
Acknowledgement and part-payment restart the clock. Under s.18, a written acknowledgement of liability signed before limitation expires resets it from the date of acknowledgement. Under s.19, a part-payment of principal or interest also resets the clock.
File early if the expiry falls near a court vacation. Section 4 extends to the next open day if the court is closed on the expiry date — but relying on it creates the risk of arguing what "closed" means. File before the deadline wherever possible.
For mortgage suits, the long periods cut both ways. Art. 63 (30 years for foreclosure) protects mortgagees from time-barring for decades. Art. 65 (12 years) governs adverse possession — the true owner must act within 12 years of adverse possession starting.
Sources
- Limitation Act, 1963 — First Schedule, all articles cited above — indiacode.nic.in
- Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 — ss.138–142 — indiacode.nic.in
- Consumer Protection Act, 2019 — s.69 — indiacode.nic.in
- Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 — ss.34(3), 43 — indiacode.nic.in
- Income Tax Act, 1961 — s.246A, s.249(2), s.253(3) — incometaxindia.gov.in
- Supreme Court Rules, 2013 — Order XIV, Rule 2 (certificate appeals, 60 days) and Rule 3 (SLP, 90 days) — sci.gov.in
- SC Suo Motu WP(C) 3/2020 — In Re: Cognizance for Extension of Limitation, order dated 10 January 2022 — sci.gov.in
Last updated: October 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a limitation period?
- A limitation period is the maximum time within which a person must bring a legal claim. Once it expires the claim is time-barred — a court will typically dismiss it regardless of how strong the underlying case may be.
- What law governs limitation periods in India?
- The Limitation Act, 1963 (Act 36 of 1963) governs limitation periods for civil suits, appeals, and applications in India. Its First Schedule lists articles specifying the period and the starting point for different types of claims.
- When does the limitation clock start, and when does it end?
- The clock starts on the date the cause of action arises. Under s.12(1) of the Limitation Act, the day from which the period is reckoned is excluded. So a 3-year period from 1 October 2022 ends on 1 October 2025 — the last day to file.
- What does the s.12(2) certified copy option do?
- If you applied for a certified copy of an order to file an appeal, section 12(2) of the Limitation Act allows the time spent obtaining that copy to be excluded. Enter the date you applied and the date you received the copy; the tool extends the expiry by the number of days between those dates.
- What is the s.4 Sunday/holiday roll-over?
- Section 4 of the Limitation Act provides that if the limitation period expires on a day when the court is closed, the period extends to the next day the court is open. The tool automatically advances an expiry that falls on a Sunday to the following Monday. You can also add specific court holiday dates.
- What was the COVID-19 limitation exclusion?
- The Supreme Court, in Suo Motu WP(C) 3/2020 (order dated 10 January 2022), directed that the period from 15 March 2020 to 28 February 2022 shall be excluded for all suits, appeals, and applications whose cause of action arose on or before 28 February 2022. The balance remaining at 15 March 2020 (or, if the cause arose inside the window, the full unused period) becomes available from 1 March 2022. The minimum from 1 March 2022 is 90 days; if the balance exceeds 90 days, the full balance is granted. Causes after 28 February 2022 are unaffected. If the period had already expired entirely before 15 March 2020, no relief is granted.
- What is the general limitation period for a civil suit in India?
- Under Article 113 of the Limitation Act (the residual article), the general period is 3 years from when the right to sue first accrues, unless a specific article provides otherwise.
- Can a court extend the limitation period?
- Under s.5, courts can condone delay in filing appeals and applications (not original suits) if the applicant shows sufficient cause. Section 14 allows exclusion of time spent in bona fide proceedings in a court without jurisdiction. The tool shows explanatory text for both but does not compute them — they require legal and factual analysis.