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

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 Wisconsin, a Class C felony (3rd degree felony) generally faces a statute of limitations (SOL) of 6 years for most prosecutions. That time limit is governed by Wis. Stat. § 939.74(1), which sets the baseline lookback period for criminal charges that must be filed within a specified number of years.

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator helps you translate that legal rule into a date you can use operationally—such as when evaluating whether a case might be time-barred, when preparing internal timelines, or when checking whether key filings fall inside the limitations window.

Note: This page describes the general timing rules under Wisconsin law. SOL analysis can turn on case-specific facts (for example, when the offense occurred and whether any tolling events apply).

Limitation period

The baseline rule: 6 years for many felony charges

For Wisconsin felony prosecutions covered by Wis. Stat. § 939.74(1), the limitations period is 6 years. In practical terms, that means the State generally must commence prosecution within 6 years after the relevant triggering date determined by Wisconsin’s SOL framework.

To use the time limit correctly, think in terms of two dates:

Start date (trigger)
Commonly tied to the date of the offense or another Wisconsin SOL trigger point established by statute and related doctrine.
End date (deadline)
The last day by which prosecution must be commenced under the applicable SOL rule, accounting for any exceptions or tolling.

How DocketMath changes the output based on inputs

DocketMath is designed for quick calculation. When you enter a trigger date (for example, the date of the alleged offense), the calculator will compute the corresponding SOL deadline based on the 6-year period under Wis. Stat. § 939.74(1).

Common input variations that affect the deadline:

Different trigger date:
Moving the start date later shifts the deadline later by the same amount of time.
Use of an exception/tolling pathway:
If an applicable exception modifies the calculation, the effective deadline may extend beyond the straightforward “start date + 6 years.”

Here’s a quick reference table for the baseline (no exceptions applied):

Item	Rule	Result
Class C / 3rd degree felony SOL period	6 years under Wis. Stat. § 939.74(1)	Deadline = start date + 6 years (subject to exceptions/tolling)
Computation method in DocketMath	Uses the entered trigger date and applies the SOL term	Output deadline updates immediately as you change the trigger date

Pitfall: Many timelines fail not because the SOL term is wrong, but because the trigger date (the “clock starts when…” concept) or a tolling/exception event is missed. Always verify both the start date and whether any exception provisions apply to the specific facts.

Key exceptions

Wisconsin’s SOL framework includes statutory exceptions that can alter the baseline period. For this page, the key reference point is:

Wis. Stat. § 939.74(1) — 6 years — exception V2

Because SOL exceptions are fact-dependent, the safest operational approach is to treat the 6-year number as the default and then test whether any listed statutory condition applies to the matter you’re evaluating.

How exceptions typically affect the timeline

Even without diving into every scenario, exceptions can do at least one of the following:

Extend the deadline beyond the plain “6 years from the trigger date”
Change the effective start date (e.g., when the clock is deemed to begin)
Pause or toll the clock during defined periods
Create an alternative limitations rule that supersedes the general term

Practical checklist before you rely on a 6-year calculation

Use this checklist to make sure your calculation doesn’t rest on a missing legal component:

Warning: A “6-year” SOL calculation without checking exceptions can be misleading. If the facts implicate an exception under Wis. Stat. § 939.74(1), the final deadline may not match the simple baseline.

Statute citation

Wisconsin statute of limitations for felonies (baseline rule):

Wis. Stat. § 939.74(1)
- 6 years
- identified here with exception V2 in the jurisdiction data used for this calculator page.

For the statute and context, see:
https://codes.findlaw.com/wi/crimes-ch-938-to-951/wi-st-939-74/

Use the calculator

To compute a Wisconsin Class C / 3rd degree felony SOL deadline, use DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator:

Primary CTA: /tools/statute-of-limitations

What you’ll enter

While exact fields may vary by interface, the typical workflow is:

Enter the trigger date (the date you’re using as the SOL start date).
Select the offense category corresponding to the rule used (for this page, the Class C / 3rd degree felony SOL term).
Review the computed SOL deadline displayed by DocketMath.

How the output updates

Changing any of the following changes the output:

Trigger date: deadline shifts accordingly.
Selected rule/option: whether the calculator applies the 6-year term under Wis. Stat. § 939.74(1).
Exception pathway (if offered in the calculator): deadline may extend or change depending on the exception logic selected.

If you’re unsure about which trigger date to use, consider using DocketMath in parallel with your internal timeline review—run multiple scenarios and compare the resulting deadlines against the dates of relevant case events (e.g., charging/filing dates).