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

Overview

In the District of Columbia, the statute of limitations (SOL) sets the time window the government has to file criminal charges for certain offenses. For a Class C / 3rd Degree felony, D.C. applies a general default limitation period—and, in this specific write-up, no claim-type-specific sub-rule was found. That means the analysis below uses the general rule rather than a special carve-out for this class designation.

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator can help you estimate end dates once you know the relevant event date (for example, the date of the alleged offense or another triggering date used in your situation).

Limitation period

Default limitation period for Class C / 3rd Degree felony in D.C.

For this offense class, D.C.’s default felony limitation period is:

• 3 years (general SOL period)

General rule (default): Under D.C. Code § 23–113(a)(1), the government must commence prosecution for qualifying offenses within three years from the applicable starting point.

What “3 years” typically means in practice

You can think of the SOL as a countdown:

• Start date: the date the SOL clock begins running (often tied to when the offense occurred; in some matters, other events can affect the start date).
• End date: the last day the government may commence prosecution under the statute.

Because you’ll plug a date into DocketMath, the practical workflow is usually:

1. Identify the triggering date you plan to use (e.g., incident date).
2. Feed that date into DocketMath.
3. Review the computed deadline and then adjust if any exception/tolling is claimed in the underlying facts.

How the calculator output changes with inputs

DocketMath is most useful when you keep a tight handle on the dates.

• If you enter an earlier incident date, the SOL deadline moves earlier.
• If you enter a later incident date, the SOL deadline moves later.
• If you change the triggering date (because you believe a different event starts the clock), you’ll get a different computed end date.

To use the tool effectively, make sure you’re consistent about what date you’re using as the clock start.

Quick reference checklist

Use this checklist to prepare before calculating:

Key exceptions

D.C. SOL calculations can change when exceptions apply. While this page focuses on the general default period, you should still look for factors that may affect whether the SOL clock runs uninterrupted.

Common exception categories to evaluate (case facts determine whether they apply):

• Tolling events (actions or legal circumstances that pause or extend the clock)
• Defendant-related circumstances that can suspend the running of time
• Statutory commencement details (what counts as “commencing prosecution” under the rule can matter)

Because SOL litigation can be fact-sensitive, the best “practical” approach is to treat DocketMath’s calculation as:

1. a baseline estimate using the general 3-year default, and then
2. a prompt to check whether the case involves a recognized tolling/exception theory.

Statute citation

The general/default statute of limitations period for qualifying offenses in this category is:

• D.C. Code § 23–113(a)(1) — 3 years
  Source: https://law.justia.com/codes/district-of-columbia/2014/division-iv/title-23/chapter-1/section-23-113/

Important scope note for this page: No claim-type-specific sub-rule was found for this specific “Class C / 3rd Degree felony” framing. Accordingly, the period stated here reflects the general default limitation period.

Use the calculator

You can calculate the estimated end date using DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations tool:

• Primary CTA: **/tools/statute-of-limitations

Before you start, decide which date is the correct “clock start” for your use. Then enter it in the calculator.

Minimal inputs typically needed

In most SOL workflows, the calculator needs:

• Clock start date (e.g., offense/incident date you’re using)
• Jurisdiction: District of Columbia (US-DC)
• SOL period: default 3 years under D.C. Code § 23–113(a)(1) for the general rule

If you want to cross-check or adjust assumptions, the rest of the workflow usually goes like this:

1. Run the calculation with your baseline date.
2. Identify any factual dates that could affect tolling/exception arguments.
3. Re-run the calculator if your starting assumption changes.

To keep your work organized, you can also use DocketMath’s workflow pages (for example, /tools/) to find related calculators and review how inputs impact outputs.

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