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

5 min read

Published March 22, 2026 • By DocketMath Team

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws change frequently — verify all citations with current official sources.

Overview

In Florida, the statute of limitations (SOL) sets a deadline for the State to file a criminal case. For a Class C / 3rd degree felony, the default rule is found in Florida’s general SOL statute rather than a special “class-specific” exception for this category.

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator is designed to help you apply the default timeline to key dates (like the date of the offense and the date charges were filed). You can use it to see whether a case is likely time-barred under the baseline rule—without replacing a legal professional’s review of the case facts.

Note: No claim-type-specific sub-rule was found for Class C / 3rd degree felonies in Florida beyond the general rule described below. That means the SOL guidance here uses the statute’s default period.

Limitation period

Default SOL for Class C / 3rd degree felony in Florida

Florida generally provides a 4-year limitations period for bringing prosecution for certain felonies, including Class C / 3rd degree felonies, under the statute’s general framework.

General SOL period: 4 years
Applies to: prosecutions covered by **Florida Statute §775.15(2)(d)

How to think about the timeline

The SOL clock is typically evaluated by comparing:

The offense date (when the crime occurred), and
The filing date of charges (when the prosecution was initiated)

In practice, people often get different outcomes depending on which date controls under the procedural posture. DocketMath helps you model the calculation consistently using the inputs you choose.

Quick “sanity check” example

Assume:

Offense date: January 10, 2020
Charges filed: January 9, 2024

Under a 4-year default SOL:

January 10, 2020 + 4 years → January 10, 2024
Charges filed on January 9, 2024 would be within the 4-year window.

If charges were filed on January 11, 2024, the default calculation would fall outside the 4-year window.

Key exceptions

Florida’s SOL rules can be affected by events that toll (pause) the limitations period or alter how it’s measured. The default 4-year period is the starting point, but the real-world outcome may change if exceptions apply.

Below are the categories to watch for—use them as a checklist when you’re evaluating whether the default period may not be the whole story:

Tolling events: Certain legal or factual circumstances can pause the limitations clock.
Continuing conduct / ongoing offenses: Some offenses have a “last act” concept, which can shift the date used for the start of the SOL clock.
Case posture and procedural timing: Dates like arrest, charging instrument filing, or other initiation events can matter depending on how the case was brought.
Statutory modifications: Some situations may be governed by provisions outside the simple “4 years from offense” model.

Warning: A SOL calculation that uses only the offense date and the filing date may be incomplete if tolling or special measurement rules apply. DocketMath’s calculator models the statute’s default framework; it can’t verify whether a tolling exception has been triggered by the specific facts.

Practical checklist for inputs

To make your DocketMath result more meaningful, collect these facts before you calculate:

If you have uncertainty about which date controls in your situation, run the calculator using multiple plausible charging dates and compare results.

Statute citation

Florida’s default statute of limitations for qualifying felonies uses Florida Statute §775.15(2)(d).

Citation: **Fla. Stat. § 775.15(2)(d)
Default SOL period: 4 years
Source (Florida Senate): https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2004/775.15?utm_source=openai

Because the content here is based on the general/default period (and no separate claim-type-specific sub-rule was identified for Class C / 3rd degree felonies), the 4-year figure is the baseline you should apply unless the case involves an exception that changes the computation.

Use the calculator

Use DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations tool to model the default 4-year SOL timeline for Florida Class C / 3rd degree felonies:

Primary CTA: /tools/statute-of-limitations

Typical inputs to enter

In most SOL calculators, the most useful inputs are:

Offense date (start point)
Charging/prosecution initiation date (end point)
Optional: jurisdiction confirmation (Florida)

What outputs to look for

After you submit inputs, focus on:

Whether the charges fall inside or outside the 4-year window
The computed deadline date (offense date + 4 years)
The day-count difference between offense and filing

How output changes with different inputs

Even small date changes can flip the result. For example:

Moving the charging date by 1–7 days around the computed deadline can change “within SOL” to “outside SOL.”
If you have competing “trigger” dates (like two plausible filing-related dates), running both will show the sensitivity of the timeline.

Pitfall: Entering the wrong offense date (e.g., using the discovery date instead of the date conduct occurred) can produce a confidently incorrect result. Double-check the date alleged in the charging document or complaint.