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

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 Utah, the statute of limitations sets a deadline for how long the state can wait to file certain criminal charges after an alleged offense. For a Class C felony / 3rd degree felony scenario, the baseline timing is 4 years.

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator helps you translate that legal rule into a usable date range—typically by anchoring the clock to a specific event date (often the date of the offense) and then applying Utah’s limitation period. The tool can also help you model how certain events could affect timing.

Note: Statute-of-limitations calculations can be affected by procedural events (for example, when charges are filed, whether a defendant was absent or concealed, or other Utah-specific exceptions). This guide explains Utah’s governing rule and the major exceptions you’ll want to look for, but it isn’t legal advice.

Limitation period

For Utah Code § 76-1-302, the general statute of limitations for many felonies—including the type of Class C / 3rd degree felony timing described in Utah’s legal help materials—is 4 years.

Here’s how that baseline typically functions in practice:

What you’re usually trying to compute

Most people using a SOL calculator want to know something like:

Earliest “last day” the state can file: offense date + 4 years (adjusted for any applicable exception)
Whether a filing date falls inside or outside that window

How the clock is commonly anchored

While specific facts can change results, the most common input is:

Offense date (the date the conduct occurred)

Then:

Limitation period = 4 years for this category under Utah Code § 76-1-302

Quick examples (baseline rule)

Assume no exceptions apply:

Offense date	Baseline SOL end date (4 years later)
Jan 15, 2022	Jan 15, 2026
Mar 1, 2019	Mar 1, 2023
Nov 30, 2020	Nov 30, 2024

If the state files after the SOL end date, it may be time-barred unless an exception or tolling applies. If the state files on or before the SOL end date, the filing is typically within the baseline limit.

Key exceptions

Utah’s statute of limitations framework includes exceptions that can extend deadlines beyond the baseline. For this Utah provision, the key exception to flag is:

Utah Code § 76-1-302 — 4 years — exception P4

Because “exception P4” is referenced as a specific sub-rule in Utah’s legal-help summary, you should use the calculator to model the scenario properly and then review the exact exception text in the statute (or a trusted legal source) against the facts of your case.

Practical checklist: what to verify before trusting a date range

Before you treat the SOL end date as final, confirm whether any of these fact patterns might be relevant in Utah:

Pitfall: People often rely on “offense date + 4 years” and stop there. Utah’s exceptions (including the referenced exception P4) can change the end date, so you should not assume the baseline is controlling without checking whether an exception applies.

How exceptions change calculator inputs/outputs

In a statute-of-limitations tool, exceptions typically do one of two things:

Extend the end date (tolling or suspension)
Require a different starting point (a different clock anchor)

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations workflow is designed around this idea: you enter the key date(s) and then apply the relevant rule set so the output reflects Utah’s structure rather than a simplistic “add four years” approach.

Statute citation

The governing rule for Utah’s statute of limitations for the relevant felony timing discussed here is:

Utah Code § 76-1-302 — 4 years
- Including the referenced exception P4.

Utah Courts legal help materials also summarize the applicable SOL period for this statute as 4 years, with an exception noted as P4. Source: https://www.utcourts.gov/en/legal-help/legal-help/procedures/statute-limitation.html

Use the calculator

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator is the fastest way to turn Utah Code § 76-1-302 (4 years) into an actual date window you can work with.

Inputs to enter (typical workflow)

Use the tool as follows:

Jurisdiction: Utah (US-UT)
Offense type: Class C / 3rd degree felony (as applicable to your scenario)
Anchor date: usually the offense date
Exception modeling: if your situation may involve the referenced exception (exception P4), select it in the calculator so the output reflects the exception’s effect

What outputs you should expect

Depending on the calculator settings, you’ll generally see:

Calculated SOL start (if applicable to the tool’s method)
Calculated SOL end date based on 4 years
Alternative end date if an exception/tolling setting is applied

How changing inputs changes the result (what to watch)

Try these adjustments to see the impact:

Change the offense date by 30 days → the SOL end date shifts by roughly the same amount (baseline case).
Enable exception P4 (when relevant) → the SOL end date may move later, depending on how the exception operates in the tool’s rule set.
Enter an incorrect offense classification → the calculator could apply the wrong SOL framework, producing an unreliable end date.

Warning: Date-range outputs are only as accurate as the classification and anchor date you provide. If you’re unsure whether the offense is properly categorized as Class C / 3rd degree for SOL purposes, treat the output as a starting point—not a final determination.

Primary CTA

Ready to compute the timeline? Use DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator.