Statute of Limitations for False Arrest / False Imprisonment in Tennessee

Overview

In Tennessee, claims for false arrest and false imprisonment are subject to a statute of limitations—the deadline for filing a lawsuit in court. If you miss that deadline, the other side can raise a time-bar defense, and the case may be dismissed regardless of the underlying facts.

For these tort-style claims, Tennessee provides a general (default) limitations period. Based on the jurisdiction data provided for this topic, no claim-type-specific sub-rule was found. That means the same default deadline applies rather than a separate, shorter or longer period specifically labeled for “false arrest” or “false imprisonment.”

Limitation period

Default one-year deadline (general rule)

The general SOL period is 1 year for this category of claim in Tennessee, using the default rule provided in the jurisdiction data.

In practical terms, that means you typically count from the date the claim accrued—often tied to the moment of arrest/imprisonment or when the restraint ended. Because accrual timing can be fact-specific, treat the arrest timeline as the starting point for your internal deadline tracking.

How to think about “accrual” dates

Use a consistent approach to avoid last-minute miscalculations. Common start-point candidates include:

• Arrest date (if the unlawful restraint is tied to the initial detention)
• Release date (if the restraint continued and your claim is focused on the ongoing confinement)
• Dismissal/end date of the underlying proceeding (sometimes relevant in other legal contexts, though the general rule here is still the 1-year default)

Since the provided jurisdiction data does not identify a false-arrest/false-imprisonment-specific exception, the safest workflow is to calculate a deadline based on the earliest plausible accrual date and then verify with your case facts.

Quick timing checklist

Use this checklist to sanity-check your timeline:

Key exceptions

Tennessee’s limitation rules include doctrines that can affect whether a filing is timely even when it appears late. Because the jurisdiction data you provided identifies the general/default period and notes no claim-type-specific sub-rule was found, the most reliable way to talk about “exceptions” here is to focus on the categories that commonly change deadlines in practice.

Here are the main exception themes to examine in your particular situation:

• Tolling events

  • Certain legal circumstances can pause the running of the limitations clock.
  • Examples in general Tennessee limitations practice may include disability/status-based tolling or other statutory tolling mechanisms (you’ll want to check the exact statutory basis that matches your facts).
• Fraudulent concealment

  • If the defendant concealed facts necessary to discover the claim, some limitation periods can be affected by concealment rules.
• Continuing harm vs. one-time injury

  • False imprisonment often centers on restraint. If the restraint continues, your accrual date could shift depending on when the claim is considered to accrue.
• Earlier vs. later accrual arguments

  • Even when the statute says “1 year,” disputes often focus on when the clock started.

What to do if you’re near the deadline

If you’re within a few weeks of the one-year mark, don’t wait to “see what happens.” Practical steps that reduce risk:

Statute citation

The general one-year statute of limitations referenced for this default period is tied to the Tennessee Code.

Tennessee Code Annotated § 40-35-111(e)(2) (General Statute for the default period):
Source: https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-40/chapter-35/part-1/section-40-35-111/

Per the jurisdiction data for this topic:

• General SOL Period: 1 years
• General Statute: **Tennessee Code Annotated § 40-35-111(e)(2)
• Claim-type-specific sub-rule: Not found (therefore the general/default rule applies)

Use the calculator

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator helps you convert a critical date into a deadline using Tennessee’s default time period for this claim category.

Inputs to use

To get a reliable output, you’ll typically provide:

• Accrual date (start date): the date you’re treating as when the limitations clock began
• Jurisdiction: Tennessee (US-TN)
• Claim type / template: Statute of Limitations for False Arrest / False Imprisonment in Tennessee (calculator template: statute-of-limitations)

How outputs change

Because the SOL is 1 year, the biggest driver of the result is the start/accrual date:

• If you use an accrual date that’s earlier, your deadline becomes earlier
• If you use a later accrual date (based on your theory of when the restraint legally “ended” for accrual purposes), your deadline shifts later

That’s why it’s worth calculating using the earliest plausible accrual date first—then, if needed, you can run a second scenario based on your preferred accrual theory.

Run it now

Use DocketMath here: **/tools/statute-of-limitations

A practical approach:

1. Calculate using the earliest plausible accrual date.
2. If the result is tight, calculate again using the date you believe is the strongest accrual argument.
3. Compare both deadlines so you can plan for worst-case timing.

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