Limitation Period Calculator: Last Date to File a Case or Appeal
Every case has a last date. Miss it and even a strong case can be thrown out. Choose your type of case, enter the date from which time starts, and the calculator shows the last date to file and how many days you have left.
Common limitation periods at a glance
| Case | Time limit | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery of money lent (loan) | 3 years | Article 19, Limitation Act |
| Price of goods sold and delivered | 3 years | Article 14 |
| Promissory note payable on demand | 3 years | Article 35 |
| Specific performance of agreement to sell | 3 years | Article 54 |
| Possession of property after being dispossessed | 12 years | Article 64 |
| Possession based on title (against adverse possession) | 12 years | Article 65 |
| Pre-emption (Punjab) | 1 year | Article 97 |
| Declaration (for example, of ownership) | 3 years | Article 58 |
| Cancellation of a document (sale deed, will, gift deed) | 3 years | Article 59 |
| Redemption of mortgage by the owner | 30 years | Article 61(a) |
| Mortgagee’s suit for the mortgage money | 12 years | Article 62 |
| Appeal to the District Judge against a decree | 30 days | Article 116(b) |
| Appeal to the High Court against a decree | 90 days | Article 116(a) |
| Review of a judgment | 30 days | Article 124 |
| Civil revision | 90 days | Article 131 |
| Setting aside an ex parte decree | 30 days | Article 123 |
| Restoring a suit dismissed in default | 30 days | Article 122 |
| Execution of a decree | 12 years | Article 136 |
| Any other application (no specific period) | 3 years | Article 137 |
| Appeal against conviction to the Sessions Court | 30 days | Article 115(b)(ii) |
| Appeal against conviction to the High Court | 60 days | Article 115(b)(i) |
| Criminal revision | 90 days | Article 131 |
| SARFAESI application to DRT (Section 17) | 45 days | Section 17, SARFAESI Act |
| Appeal to DRAT against a DRT order under SARFAESI | 30 days | Section 18, SARFAESI Act |
| Appeal to DRAT against a DRT order (RDB Act) | 45 days | Section 20, RDB Act |
| Bank’s recovery application (OA) or suit | 3 years | Article 19 / Article 55, with Section 24 RDB Act |
| Consumer complaint | 2 years | Section 69, Consumer Protection Act 2019 |
| Consumer appeal to the State Commission | 45 days | Section 41, Consumer Protection Act 2019 |
| Challenge to an arbitral award | 3 months | Section 34, Arbitration Act |
| RTI first appeal | 30 days | Section 19(1), RTI Act |
| RTI second appeal to the Information Commission | 90 days | Section 19(3), RTI Act |
| Defamation (civil suit) | 1 year | Article 75 / 76 |
| Malicious prosecution | 1 year | Article 74 |
| Any other suit (no specific period) | 3 years | Article 113 |
The rules the calculator uses
- Counting: the first day is left out (Section 12(1) of the Limitation Act, 1963). A 30-day appeal against a decree of 1 March can be filed up to 31 March.
- Court closed on the last day: you can file on the next day the court opens (Section 4).
- Certified copy time: for appeals and revisions, the days spent getting the certified copy of the judgment are excluded (Section 12(2) and 12(3)). Enter them in “days to exclude”.
- Wrong court in good faith: time spent pursuing the case in a court without jurisdiction can be excluded (Section 14).
- Fresh start: a written acknowledgment of a debt or a part payment made before the period ends starts a new period (Sections 18 and 19).
- Delay in appeals and applications: the court may condone delay for sufficient cause (Section 5). This does not apply to suits: a suit filed after the last date is dismissed.
- COVID period: the Supreme Court excluded 15 March 2020 to 28 February 2022 from limitation. It matters only for very old matters.
हिंदी में: हर केस की एक आखिरी तारीख होती है। ऊपर केस का प्रकार चुनें और जिस दिन से समय शुरू होता है वह तारीख डालें। कैलकुलेटर बताएगा कि केस या अपील दायर करने की आखिरी तारीख कौन-सी है और कितने दिन बचे हैं। अपील में नकल लेने में लगे दिन नहीं गिने जाते।
This calculator gives an estimate based on the Limitation Act, 1963 and the other Acts named, as of October 2026. It is not legal advice. The starting date is often disputed and special laws can change the period, so confirm the last date with an advocate well before it arrives.