Statute of Limitations for False Arrest / False Imprisonment in Minnesota

Overview

In Minnesota, the time limit to sue for false arrest or false imprisonment is governed by Minnesota’s general civil statute of limitations for certain intentional torts. DocketMath uses the governing period from Minnesota Statutes § 628.26 (the general/default rule) to calculate the filing deadline.

Because your claim is tied to what happened on a specific date, the statute of limitations analysis often turns on one practical question:

• When did the alleged false arrest/false imprisonment end (or when did the injury accrue)?

Even without a claim-type-specific carveout (see the note in the “Limitation period” section below), Minnesota courts still apply general limitations rules and may address accrual issues in fact-specific ways. This post explains the baseline deadline and the inputs that control DocketMath’s output—without giving legal advice.

Limitation period

General/default statute of limitations (baseline)

Minnesota’s general statute of limitations period for covered claims is:

• 3 years under Minnesota Statutes § 628.26

That means, as a starting point, the lawsuit must generally be filed within 3 years of the date the claim accrued.

What date does the clock usually start?

For false arrest/false imprisonment scenarios, the critical date is typically the point when the allegedly unlawful detention/arrest ended and the claim accrued. In practice, people often use one of these dates as the starting point:

• the date you were released from detention tied to the alleged false arrest, or
• the date the allegedly unlawful restraint stopped, if detention continued over multiple days.

DocketMath’s calculator is designed for this kind of timeline work. Your most important input is the accrual/start date, because the deadline shifts based on it.

How to think about the 3-year deadline

Use the 3-year baseline as your “outer boundary,” then check whether any special timing rules apply (for example, if a tolling doctrine or a specific procedural event affects the timeline). Even when the statute is clear, timing disputes often come from accrual and tolling—not from the basic length of time.

Key exceptions

Minnesota statute of limitations rules include doctrines that can change the effective deadline. These issues are fact-driven, so treat this section as a checklist for what to verify rather than a guarantee that an exception applies.

Here are common categories of timing adjustments that can affect whether a claim is filed on time:

• Accrual disputes

  • The parties may disagree about the date the claim accrued (e.g., end of detention vs. later discovery-related events).
• Tolling

  • Certain legal doctrines can pause or extend the limitations clock in narrow circumstances.
• Procedural timing

  • Dismissals without prejudice, refiling rules, or other procedural events may affect timing, depending on how the case was handled.
• Potential overlap with other claims

  • Some fact patterns generate multiple legal theories; those theories can have different procedural and timing consequences.

Practical checklist before calculating

Before you run DocketMath, gather:

• the release date (or end date) for the alleged detention,
• the date(s) of any related events that may bear on when the claim accrued,
• any dates connected to earlier filings or administrative steps (if applicable).

Statute citation

The general/default limitations period used here is:

• Minnesota Statutes § 628.26 — 3 years

This is the period DocketMath applies for the baseline deadline for false arrest/false imprisonment timing calculations in Minnesota under the general rule described above.

Use the calculator

Want a deadline you can work with immediately? Use DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator:

• Start here: **/tools/statute-of-limitations

Inputs you’ll typically set in the calculator

1. Accrual / start date

   • Choose the date the claim accrued (commonly, the date the detention ended).
2. Jurisdiction

   • Select Minnesota (US-MN) so the tool uses 3 years from Minn. Stat. § 628.26.
3. Apply general rule

   • The tool uses the general/default period because no claim-type-specific sub-rule was found for this scenario.

What output you’ll get

DocketMath will calculate:

• a computed “last day to file” based on the selected start date, using the 3-year period.

How changing inputs changes the result

Here’s the relationship in plain terms:

Example workflow (numbers-based)

• Pick an accrual/start date (for example, a release/end date).
• Let DocketMath apply 3 years per Minn. Stat. § 628.26.
• Use the computed “last day” as your project management deadline.
• Then review whether any tolling/accrual complications might apply (use the checklist above).

Sources and references

Start with the primary authority for Minnesota and confirm the effective date before relying on any output. If the rule has been amended, update the inputs and rerun the calculation.

• Minn. Stat. § 541.05

Related reading

• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Vermont — Tool comparison
• Statute of limitations in Singapore: how to estimate the deadline — How-to guide
• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Connecticut — Tool comparison