Statute of Limitations for Class C / 3rd Degree Felony in Arkansas

Overview

In Arkansas, the statute of limitations (SOL) sets the time window the State has to file criminal charges after an alleged offense occurs. For a Class C / 3rd degree felony, Arkansas applies a general default limitation period unless a specific exception changes the timeline.

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator is designed to help you translate the statute into a practical deadline you can work with—especially when you’re comparing “alleged offense date” vs. “charging date.”

Limitation period

Default SOL for Class C / 3rd degree felony (Arkansas): 6 years.
That default period comes from Arkansas’s general SOL framework for felonies not covered by an exception or special rule.

How the 6-year period typically works

The SOL generally runs from the date of the offense (or a statutory triggering date, depending on the claim’s facts). For practical deadline-checking, most people start with the alleged offense date and apply a 6-year countdown.

Here’s how to think about the timeline:

Inputs and output behavior (practical checklist)

Use DocketMath to test different scenarios. Typical inputs include:

• Date of the alleged offense
• Date charges were filed (if you want to check whether the case was timely)
• Optional “what-if” dates you may want to compare (for example, amended charging dates)

Common output patterns you can expect:

• If the charging date is on or before the calculated deadline → the filing is consistent with the default SOL period.
• If the charging date is after the calculated deadline → the case may fall outside the default SOL window.
• If you leave out the charging date → DocketMath can still generate the latest “SOL deadline” date.

Quick example (calendar arithmetic)

• Alleged offense date: March 1, 2020
• Default SOL period: 6 years
• Calculated default SOL deadline: March 1, 2026 (based on the same-day anniversary approach commonly used for deadline checking)

If charges were filed on February 28, 2026, the timing is within the default period; if filed on March 2, 2026, it’s outside the default period.

Key exceptions

Arkansas’s general SOL period can be altered by statutory exceptions and tolling rules. In SOL practice, two things matter most:

1. Whether an exception applies to the specific case facts
2. Whether the clock is paused, extended, or restarted by statute

Because the default rule for Class C / 3rd degree felony is the starting point, exceptions are typically where the analysis diverges.

Common categories of SOL disruptions (what to look for)

Even when your offense is a felony that normally has a 6-year SOL, you should check whether the case includes any of the following categories:

• Tolling based on the defendant’s status or conduct
  Some Arkansas SOL rules stop or extend the clock when the legal or factual circumstances justify it.
• Tolling based on the offense’s procedural posture
  If there were prior filings or procedural events that affect timing, the SOL calculation may not be a clean single countdown.
• Situations where the SOL clock does not run as straightforwardly as the calendar
  Some statutory triggers are not the same as the date of the alleged act.

How to use exceptions responsibly in a calculator workflow

DocketMath is best used as a deadline and comparison tool, not as a substitute for case-specific statutory review. Here’s a practical workflow:

• Step 1: Run the default 6-year calculation.
• Step 2: Identify dates and events in the case timeline that might affect SOL.
• Step 3: Re-run comparisons using any adjusted “effective” dates that match the exception’s statutory trigger (if you can identify them from the case record).

Statute citation

The default SOL period used for this calculation is:

• Ark. Code Ann. § 5-1-109(b)(2) — 6 years (general SOL period)

This is the general/default rule for calculating the limitation period in the absence of a qualifying exception.

Use the calculator

To compute the deadline using Arkansas’s default SOL, use DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations tool: /tools/statute-of-limitations.

1. Go to /tools/statute-of-limitations
2. Enter the alleged offense date
3. (Recommended) Enter the charging/filing date so DocketMath can compare timing against the calculated deadline
4. Review the result:

   • SOL deadline date (based on the 6-year rule)
   • Whether the filing date appears within or after the deadline

If you want to stress-test your timeline:

• Run multiple scenarios if you have multiple relevant dates (e.g., original charge date vs. amended filing date).
• Keep your assumptions consistent: use the same offense date and only change the filing date to see how outcomes shift.

Sources and references

Start with the primary authority for Arkansas and confirm the effective date before relying on any output. If the rule has been amended, update the inputs and rerun the calculation.

• Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-105

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