Statute of Limitations for Class A / 1st Degree Felony in Tennessee

Overview

In Tennessee, the statute of limitations (SOL) sets a deadline for the state to file a criminal charge. For certain serious offenses, that deadline can be drastically shorter than many people expect—especially in comparison to how quickly investigations can unfold in the real world.

For a Class A / 1st degree felony, Tennessee’s SOL rule you’ll most often see referenced is tied to Tennessee Code Annotated § 40-35-111(e)(2). In general terms, the SOL is expressed as a number of years measured from the triggering event set out by Tennessee law (often tied to the offense date or another specified accrual event). The exact “from when” matters, so the best practical approach is to (1) identify which subdivision applies and (2) confirm the date that starts the clock in your fact pattern.

If you’re using DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator, the goal is to make those date mechanics transparent—by turning the statute’s rule into a computed deadline you can check quickly.

Limitation period

Tennessee’s SOL period for the relevant category is:

• 1 year for the limitation period under **Tennessee Code Annotated § 40-35-111(e)(2)

That means DocketMath will compute a deadline that is one year after the SOL “start” date determined by the statute’s triggering rule for your situation.

How the output changes when inputs change

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations workflow typically hinges on two inputs:

1. Trigger date (the date the SOL clock starts)
2. Jurisdiction/statute selection (here, Tennessee and § 40-35-111(e)(2))

When you change the trigger date, the expiration date shifts accordingly:

• If the trigger date moves forward by 30 days, the calculated expiration date moves forward by about 30 days.
• If the trigger date is earlier, the deadline arrives sooner.

What “1 year” means in practice

A “1 year” SOL period is interpreted by counting through the next anniversary of the trigger date (with the usual calendar mechanics that courts apply when measuring time periods). DocketMath uses this to produce a specific computed SOL expiration date and an at-a-glance timely/untimely check based on a filing date you provide.

Here’s a simple example of the mechanics (illustrative, not legal advice):

If your “charge filing” date (or the relevant prosecutorial action date) is after the expiration date, the SOL result will flip from “potentially timely” to “potentially time-barred,” depending on how Tennessee defines the relevant action date for the SOL context.

Key exceptions

Even with a clear baseline period, Tennessee law includes exceptions and related timing provisions that can alter the result. For Tennessee, the main statutory anchors for the one-year calculation and its related timing are:

• Tennessee Code Annotated § 40-35-111(e)(2) — includes the one-year limitation period and its specified exception framework
• Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-2-102(a) — also associated with a one-year timing rule in the exception set (see below)

Exception set flags you should look for

DocketMath groups these under the statute’s exception framework so you can avoid applying the wrong clock.

Common “reason the result changes” scenarios include:

• Different statutory exception applies (not the same subsection)
• The trigger date differs due to statutory accrual rules
• A related one-year timing provision is controlling for the procedural posture

In the jurisdiction data used for the calculator, the following exception labels are associated:

• Tennessee Code Annotated § 40-35-111(e)(2) — 1 year — exception V2
• Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-2-102(a) — 1 year — exception V3

Because exceptions are statute-subsection specific, you should treat them like separate “switches,” not like generic “adjustments.” If you select the wrong exception path in the calculator, you can end up computing the wrong expiration date.

Statute citation

The controlling SOL rule for the one-year period in Tennessee (for the relevant category described in this calculator configuration) is:

• Tennessee Code Annotated § 40-35-111(e)(2)
  Link: https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-40/chapter-35/part-1/section-40-35-111/
  Limitation period: 1 year (exception V2 in the calculator configuration)

A related timing provision also appears in the calculator’s exception set:

• Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-2-102(a)
  Related one-year timing rule (exception V3 in the calculator configuration)

DocketMath is designed so you can clearly see which statute/subrule you selected, then compute the expiration date using the correct rule.

Use the calculator

To run a SOL check with DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations tool:

1. Go to **/tools/statute-of-limitations
2. Select **Jurisdiction: Tennessee (US-TN)
3. Choose the statute path:

   • Tennessee Code Annotated § 40-35-111(e)(2) (configured as 1 year — exception V2)
   • If prompted by the tool’s exception selection, ensure it matches the scenario
4. Enter dates:

   • Trigger date (when the SOL clock starts under the selected rule)
   • Filing/charging date (or the action date the tool uses for the timeliness comparison)
5. Review:

   • Calculated SOL expiration date
   • The tool’s timeliness assessment based on your provided filing date

Practical input guidance

• If you only enter a trigger date, DocketMath can still output the deadline date.
• If you also enter a filing date, DocketMath can tell you whether it falls before or after the deadline computed from the selected 1-year rule.

How to interpret the result (without overreaching)

A calculator result is a fast screening tool. It can help you identify whether a one-year SOL framework likely applies and what the deadline would be under the chosen statutory path. It does not replace a careful legal review of:

• the exact triggering event,
• procedural posture,
• and whether any exception or tolling concept applies under the specific facts.

Related reading

• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Vermont — How to choose the right calculator
• Statute of limitations in Singapore: how to estimate the deadline — Full how-to guide with jurisdiction-specific rules
• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Connecticut — How to choose the right calculator