Statute of Limitations for False Arrest / False Imprisonment in Oregon

Overview

In Oregon, claims labeled “false arrest” and “false imprisonment” are typically treated as tort claims about unlawful restraint or detention. If you’re tracking deadlines for a potential claim, the statute of limitations is the rule that usually matters most: it sets the latest date you can file in court for the alleged wrongful conduct.

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator helps you map that deadline using key case facts (like the date the restraint ended). The goal is to help you organize information and confirm you’re working from the right legal timeline—not to predict outcomes or offer legal advice.

Limitation period

Default limitations period (typical private-law scenario)

For most false arrest / false imprisonment tort claims in Oregon, the general rule is a two-year statute of limitations measured from when the claim accrues—commonly tied to when the restraint ends (for example, when the person is released from custody or otherwise free from the restraint).

Practical framing for your timeline

• Start point: often the date the restraint ended (not the date of the arrest event itself).
• Deadline: two years from that accrual date.

How to interpret “accrual” in this context

“Ongoing restraint” can make accrual tricky. Many fact patterns will use the end of confinement/detention as the clean accrual point. If you’re entering dates into a calculator, focus on:

• The release date (or the date you were no longer restrained), and
• Whether there was any later re-restraint based on the same incident that changes when the claim accrued.

What DocketMath can change with your inputs

When you use DocketMath, the computed deadline will change based on the following kinds of inputs:

• Accrual/ending date of restraint

  • Later ending dates generally push the filing deadline later.
• Whether special defendant categories apply

  • Some claims against government entities can use different limitations rules.

If you’re aiming for accuracy, gather:

• The date of arrest/restraint,
• The date you were released or otherwise free from restraint,
• Any known dates tied to later legal actions (only if needed for the calculator prompts).

Key exceptions

Oregon’s limitations rules include variations that can matter in restraint-related claims. The biggest “exception buckets” tend to fall into these areas:

1) Claims involving government entities and statutes with specific schemes

If the defendant is a public body or a government actor, Oregon often has special procedural and timing rules for civil claims. Even when the “tort label” is false arrest/false imprisonment, the applicable limitations period may differ from the default two-year period, depending on the statutory framework and how the claim is pleaded.

Actionable step: identify whether the defendant is:

• A private individual or business, or
• A state or local government entity / government officer acting in an official capacity

2) Tolling (pauses or extensions)

Certain circumstances can toll (pause) the limitations period. Oregon tolling rules can apply in specific situations, such as certain disabilities or statutory tolling provisions tied to procedural requirements.

Practical check: if the restrained person had a qualifying condition during part of the relevant time, tolling may extend the deadline. The calculator can help you test timelines, but you should still verify that your situation fits the statutory criteria.

3) Accrual disputes (when the clock starts)

Even without “tolling,” you may see arguments over:

• Whether accrual was at the arrest date vs. release date,
• Whether the restraint ended in a single continuous episode,
• Whether later events restart accrual.

Pitfall: entering the arrest date when the calculator assumes the release/ending date can shift your computed last filing date by months or more.

4) Related claims with different deadlines

Sometimes what looks like a single incident supports multiple claim types (for example, claims that involve different legal elements). Different claims can have different statutes of limitation. A false arrest/false imprisonment label doesn’t always control the deadline if the underlying legal theory is different.

Statute citation

For the typical tort limitations period in Oregon for claims like false arrest / false imprisonment, the governing limitations rule is generally treated as a two-year period under Oregon’s general tort statute of limitations framework.

Statute to know (general tort limitations):

• ORS 12.110(1) — two-year limitation for certain actions, including many tort claims.

Because false arrest/false imprisonment may be pled and analyzed through the lens of tort accrual and sometimes defendant-category rules, the exact applicability can depend on how the claim is brought and against whom.

Use the calculator

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations tool is designed to translate dates into a filing deadline using the relevant Oregon limitations framework. Here’s how to get the most reliable output.

Step 1: Open the tool

Use this link: **/tools/statute-of-limitations

Step 2: Choose the scenario inputs

Typically, the calculator will prompt for:

• Jurisdiction: US-OR (Oregon)
• Accrual date (or a date you’re using as the “end of restraint” proxy)
• Any special flags the tool supports (like defendant category, if offered)

Step 3: Check how the output changes

After you enter your dates, review these outputs and validations:

• Computed last filing date

  • Changing the accrual/ending date by 1 day changes the deadline by about 1 day (subject to month/day counting conventions).
• Time remaining from today

  • If you’re calculating after the accrual date, the tool should reflect how much time has elapsed.
• Warnings or notes

  • If the tool detects dates that appear outside typical windows or missing required inputs, it may prompt you to re-check facts.

Step 4: Confirm the “end of restraint” date

Before accepting the deadline:

• Verify the date you were released or otherwise no longer restrained.
• If the restraint had multiple episodes, identify which episode corresponds to the claim’s accrual.

Step 5: Save and use as a checklist

Once you have the computed deadline, turn it into a practical checklist:

Sources and references

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

• Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.010

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