Statute of Limitations for Class B Misdemeanor in District of Columbia

Overview

In the District of Columbia, the statute of limitations (often shortened to “SOL”) sets the time limit for the government to file criminal charges. For a Class B misdemeanor, D.C. generally uses a three-year limitations period under the general SOL statute for most misdemeanor prosecutions.

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator helps you apply these time limits quickly—especially when you have a specific incident date and a date the charge was filed. You’ll still want to treat the result as an initial calculation, not a final legal determination, because SOL issues can depend on procedural facts (like whether a tolling event occurred).

Limitation period

General rule (default)

• Class B misdemeanor SOL: 3 years
• Applies to: The standard limitations framework for most misdemeanor prosecutions when no more specific rule changes the period.
• How the clock starts: The limitations period runs from the relevant triggering date identified by the statute’s general framework (commonly tied to the date of the alleged offense).

How DocketMath will use your inputs

When you use DocketMath’s calculator, you typically provide:

• Date of the alleged offense (the event date)
• Date charges were filed (or, in some workflows, the date the prosecution was initiated)

DocketMath will then:

• Compute the end date of the limitations period (incident date + 3 years, using the calculator’s method).
• Compare that end date to the filing date.
• Produce a “timely” vs. “potentially time-barred” result based on the dates you enter.

Practical timing check (quick example)

If an alleged Class B misdemeanor occurred on:

• March 1, 2021

Then a 3-year limitations period would typically expire around:

• March 1, 2024 (subject to the calculator’s date-handling rules)

If charges were filed on:

• March 1, 2024 → on/at the edge of the period (calculator will show timeliness based on the method)
• March 2, 2024 → outside the 3-year window

Key exceptions

Even when the default is three years, real cases can involve events that extend or pause the SOL. This is where docket-level facts matter.

Possible SOL changers to look for

Use this checklist when you’re gathering information for your DocketMath run:

No Class B–specific sub-rule found in the provided data

The jurisdiction data provided for this page includes:

• General SOL period: 3 years
• General statute: D.C. Code § 23–113(a)(1)
• Finding: “No claim-type-specific sub-rule was found.”

That means this page should be treated as applying the general/default rule rather than a special Class B misdemeanor override.

Statute citation

The general statute of limitations framework referenced for this calculation is:

• D.C. Code § 23–113(a)(1) (general limitations period)

Source: https://law.justia.com/codes/district-of-columbia/2014/division-iv/title-23/chapter-1/section-23-113/

Per the provided jurisdiction data:

• General SOL Period: 3 years
• General Statute: **D.C. Code § 23–113(a)(1)

Use the calculator

Start at DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations tool to convert the 3-year rule into a concrete deadline using your dates.

Here’s how to proceed:

1. Open DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations tool.
2. Enter:

   • Alleged offense date (the start point you’re using for the SOL clock)
   • Charging/filed date (the comparison point)
3. Review the output:

   • The tool will show the computed end of the limitations period based on the 3-year default.
   • It will then compare that end date to your charging/filed date.

How outputs change when you change inputs

• Move the offense date later → the computed end date moves later by the same time shift.
• Move the filed date later → you may cross from “timely” into “potentially time-barred.”
• If your dates are close to the 3-year boundary, small differences (day-level) can change the result—so it’s worth confirming the exact dates you use.

If you’re working from a case record, prioritize the date that corresponds to when charges were actually filed/initiated, not just when a report was created or an officer wrote up an incident.

Related reading

• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Vermont — Tool comparison
• Statute of limitations in Singapore: how to estimate the deadline — How-to guide
• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Connecticut — Tool comparison