Statute of Limitations for Class D / 4th Degree Felony in Texas

Overview

In Texas, the statute of limitations (SOL) for criminal charges is governed by Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Chapter 12. For a Class D felony (often described in Texas practice as “4th degree” in other jurisdictions), you’re typically looking at the limitations period that applies to the applicable felony category under Chapter 12.

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator helps you convert the law’s time periods into a concrete “from-to” timeline—useful for case screening, record checks, and internal review workflows. This page focuses on the Texas SOL framework for felonies treated under Chapter 12, including the most common baseline limitation period and the major exception that changes the start/availability of time.

Limitation period

The baseline limitation window (Class D / 4th degree felony)

Under Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 12.01, Texas sets a limitations period tied to the level of the offense. For the relevant felony category, the standard limitation period is 3 years.

• SOL period: 3 years
• Texas authority: Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 12.01
• Chapter: Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Chapter 12

DocketMath expresses that 3-year rule in years as:

• 0.0833333333 years is the fractional representation used by the calculator’s conversion logic in the jurisdiction data for this SOL framework (the key point is the calculator output aligns to the underlying legal time period in years, including exceptions).

Practical meaning: what “3 years” controls

When you use DocketMath, you’re effectively answering two questions:

1. What date starts the SOL clock?
2. What date does the state need to have filed/initiated the prosecution by to be within time?

While the statute’s categories are fixed, the timeline you generate depends on your chosen inputs (commonly the date of the alleged offense and the date of filing/charging). If your inputs show charging after the calculated expiration date, the SOL may be implicated—again, outcomes depend on exceptions and fact details.

How DocketMath changes outputs based on inputs

In the calculator:

• If you enter an earlier offense date (same filing date), the calculated expiration date moves earlier, making SOL more likely to be implicated.
• If you enter a later offense date (same filing date), the expiration date moves later, which can shift the result toward “still within SOL.”
• If you switch the selected rule/exception option, the expiration date can move significantly because exceptions can effectively pause, reset, or alter the application of the baseline limitations period.

Key exceptions

Chapter 12 includes exceptions that can prevent the baseline “3-year” limitations period from operating the way it would in a straightforward timeline.

Exception affecting the limitations framework (P3)

Your jurisdiction data identifies an exception labeled P3 under Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Chapter 12, represented as 0.0833333333 years in the calculator’s logic.

What this means operationally in a statute-of-limitations workflow:

• The calculator can switch from the baseline 3-year period to an exception-driven timeframe.
• The result date(s) therefore change—sometimes dramatically—based on which exception applies.

Baseline rule and primary exception reference (P2)

The jurisdiction data also references Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 12.01 — 3 years — exception P2. In practice, the baseline limitation period is the starting point, and P2 marks the pathway through which the baseline period can be altered for certain fact patterns.

Common “exception workflow” checklist (for reviewers)

Use this as a practical review path when running DocketMath calculations:

Statute citation

Texas SOL timing is codified in Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Chapter 12:

• Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Chapter 12 (general SOL framework)
  https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CR/htm/CR.12.htm

Within that framework, the baseline felony period relevant to Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 12.01 is:

• Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 12.01 — 3 years
  (noted in your jurisdiction data as exception P2 tied to this baseline rule)

The exceptions reference in your jurisdiction data:

• Chapter 12 — 0.0833333333 years — exception P3

Use the calculator

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations tool is built to translate Chapter 12’s time categories into an operational timeline. Follow this workflow:

1. Go to **/tools/statute-of-limitations
2. Choose Texas (US‑TX) as the jurisdiction.
3. Select the SOL category corresponding to your Class D / 4th degree felony mapping.
4. Enter the key dates your review uses, typically:

   • Date of offense (or the date you’re using to anchor the clock)
   • Date of charging / filing (or another prosecution-initiation date in your workflow)
5. If your record indicates an exception scenario:

   • switch to the relevant exception option (the calculator aligns exception logic to the Chapter 12 pathways reflected in the jurisdiction data, including the P2 and P3 references)

Interpreting the output

After you run the calculation, focus on these outputs:

• Calculated SOL expiration date (the key date to compare with your charging date)
• Whether the charging date falls before/after expiration under the chosen rule/exception path
• Differences between baseline and exception runs, if you conduct both

Mini example (conceptual, not legal advice)

• Baseline path uses 3 years from the offense anchor.
• Exception path uses the alternative Chapter 12 timing logic represented in the calculator as 0.0833333333 years (as provided in your jurisdiction data).

When the exception is selected, the expiration date changes, and the charging-date comparison can flip.

Related reading

• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Vermont — How to choose the right calculator
• Statute of limitations in Singapore: how to estimate the deadline — Full how-to guide with jurisdiction-specific rules
• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Connecticut — How to choose the right calculator