Statute of Limitations for Class C / Petty Misdemeanor in Tennessee

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

Run this scenario in DocketMath using the Statute Of Limitations calculator.

In Tennessee, the statute of limitations (SOL) sets a deadline for the State to bring certain criminal charges. For Class C misdemeanors and many petty misdemeanor matters, Tennessee uses a 1-year SOL measured from key legal trigger dates tied to when the offense was committed and how the case is initiated.

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator helps you translate the statutory timeline into a practical “earliest/last day” style outcome. You enter the relevant date(s), and the calculator computes the deadline based on Tennessee’s rules—without needing you to manually reconcile calendar math.

Note: This guide explains the statutory timeline for Class C / petty misdemeanor SOL in Tennessee. It’s not legal advice, and it can’t account for facts like tolling events or procedural timing unless you input those dates correctly.

Limitation period

For Tennessee Class C misdemeanors and similar low-level offenses, the SOL is generally 1 year.

What “1 year” means in practice

Baseline period: 1 calendar year.
What you’re calculating: The last date the prosecution can be filed (or the charging action can be initiated), depending on the statutory framework that applies to misdemeanors.
Why dates matter: A difference of even a few days can move the result from “timely” to “late,” especially when the SOL is only 12 months.

Inputs to expect in DocketMath

When you use DocketMath’s calculator (/tools/statute-of-limitations), you’ll typically provide:

Offense date (the date the alleged conduct occurred)
Relevant case date(s) (such as filing/charging date, depending on how the calculator asks)
Any exception or adjustment selection if prompted

If you change the offense date by 30–60 days, your computed SOL end date moves accordingly because the rule is measured in years (not “a fixed number of days”).

Quick reference: what the calculator will do

Start with the 1-year SOL rule.
Compute the SOL expiration date by adding 1 year to the governing date.
Compare your case initiation date to that expiration date to determine whether the filing is within the SOL window.

Key exceptions

Tennessee’s misdemeanor SOL framework includes exceptions and related statutory provisions that can change the effective deadline. Below are the two most commonly cited 1-year pathways referenced in the Tennessee-specific calculator logic you’ll see in DocketMath.

1) Exception tied to § 40-35-111(e)(2)

Tennessee Code Annotated § 40-35-111(e)(2) provides the 1-year limitation framework for certain misdemeanors (including Class C-type offenses), including an exception track in the calculator as “exception V2.”

SOL period: 1 years
Statutory basis: **Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-35-111(e)(2)
Calculator category: exception V2

If your matter fits the category the calculator labels as V2, selecting the correct exception in the tool will align the computed deadline with that provision.

2) Related 1-year rule under § 40-2-102(a)

A second 1-year reference commonly appears in Tennessee misdemeanor timing: Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-2-102(a), tracked in the calculator as “exception V3.”

SOL period: 1 years
Statutory basis: **Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-2-102(a)
Calculator category: exception V3

Choose the version that matches your charge type and procedural posture as closely as possible. If you pick the wrong exception bucket, your computed expiration date may be incorrect even if the SOL length looks identical (both are 1 year).

Warning: Two different statutes can both show a “1-year” SOL, but they may attach to different offenses, triggering events, or filing mechanics. Confirm which statutory pathway your charge falls under before relying on a computed “expired/not expired” result.

Practical checklist before calculating

Use this quick set of checks to reduce input errors:

Statute citation

The Tennessee statute governing the relevant SOL period for the Class C / petty misdemeanor timing includes:

Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-35-111(e)(2)
- SOL period: 1 years
- Referenced as: exception V2
- Source: https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-40/chapter-35/part-1/section-40-35-111/

A related 1-year misdemeanor timing provision referenced in the calculator logic includes:

Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-2-102(a)
- SOL period: 1 years
- Referenced as: exception V3

Use the calculator

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator (/tools/statute-of-limitations) is designed to turn Tennessee’s statutory timelines into a date you can work with immediately.

Steps

Open: /tools/statute-of-limitations
Enter:
- Offense date
- Case initiation / filing date (or whichever comparison date the calculator asks for)
Select the relevant exception track if shown:
- V2 for **Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-35-111(e)(2)
- V3 for **Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-2-102(a)
Review:
- The computed SOL expiration date
- The tool’s determination based on the comparison between dates

How outputs change when you adjust inputs

Below is a practical “cause-and-effect” table for the most common input change:

You change	Likely calculator effect	Practical takeaway
Offense date (moves later)	SOL expiration date moves later by roughly the same amount	Fewer days/months of limitation remain for late filings
Case filing date (moves later)	“Within SOL” outcome becomes less likely	A matter near the deadline is sensitive to filing timing
Exception selection (V2 vs V3)	Expiration calculation may shift to a different statutory pathway	Even with 1-year length, the governing trigger/logic can differ

Pitfall: If the offense date is entered as the date of arrest or first report instead of the date the alleged conduct occurred, the SOL end date you compute can be off by months—especially in misdemeanor cases with swift charging once an investigation closes.

Primary CTA

Try it now: /tools/statute-of-limitations