Statute of Limitations for Notice of Claim in Michigan

Overview

Michigan’s general statute of limitations for a notice-of-claim context is 6 years, and the default citation is MCL § 767.24(1). Because no claim-type-specific pre-suit notice rule was identified for this page, the 6-year period should be treated as the general/default period for Michigan notice-of-claim reference purposes.

A notice of claim is a pre-suit requirement in some situations, which means the deadline to give notice can affect whether a later lawsuit is viable. The exact result depends on the claim type, the triggering event, and any statutory notice language tied to that claim. For reference-page use, this page focuses on the general Michigan timing rule and how DocketMath helps you calculate it.

If you are checking timing for a Michigan matter, the safest workflow is to confirm:

• the date of the event that started the clock,
• whether the claim has a separate notice statute,
• whether the deadline runs from injury, accrual, discovery, or another trigger, and
• whether any savings, tolling, or extension rule applies.

For a quick calculation, you can use the DocketMath statute of limitations tool.

Limitation period

Michigan’s general period is 6 years under MCL § 767.24(1). In a plain-meaning workflow, that usually means the clock runs from the relevant triggering date and expires 6 years later, subject to the claim’s own statutory rules.

Here is the practical way to think about the period:

How the calculation works

DocketMath uses the start date you enter and adds the applicable period. That sounds simple, but the output changes based on what you select as the trigger date:

• Event date / injury date: the period begins on the date the claim arose.
• Accrual date: the period begins when the claim legally accrues.
• Discovery date: the period begins when the injury or claim was discovered, if a discovery rule applies.
• Notice deadline: if the statute requires notice before suit, the calculator can help you map the notice date against the later filing deadline.

Example timeline

If a Michigan claim falls under the default 6-year period and the triggering event occurred on March 15, 2020, the general deadline would run to March 15, 2026, unless a specific rule changes the counting method.

That means a user should verify:

• whether the law counts the day of the event,
• whether weekends or holidays matter under the filing rule,
• whether the statute requires filing by the anniversary date or by the end of the preceding business day.

Key exceptions

Michigan’s general 6-year period is the default here, but the actual deadline can change when a specific statute supplies its own rule. A pre-suit notice requirement often comes from the substantive claim statute, not from the general limitations statute.

Common deadline changes to check include:

1. Claim-specific notice statutes
   Some statutes require written notice within a shorter time than the lawsuit deadline. If that applies, the notice deadline can be shorter than 6 years and may be measured from a different trigger.

2. Accrual-based triggers
   The clock may start when the claim accrues, not when the underlying conduct occurred. That can shift the expiration date substantially.

3. Discovery-based timing
   If a discovery rule applies, the period may begin when the injury was discovered or reasonably should have been discovered.

4. Tolling or extension rules
   Certain circumstances can pause or extend the period, including statutory tolling provisions.

5. Multiple defendants or multiple events
   Different defendants or separate acts can create different start dates, so one claim may have several deadlines.

Checklist for users

Statute citation

The Michigan default citation for this page is MCL § 767.24(1), with a 6-year general period.

Citation table

Practical citation use

When you are documenting the deadline internally, a clean reference format is:

• Michigan general SOL: 6 years
• **Authority: MCL § 767.24(1)

That format is useful for:

• intake notes,
• docketing records,
• litigation calendars,
• pre-suit notice tracking,
• internal deadline verification.

Because this page is a general reference page, it does not substitute for a claim-specific statutory analysis. If another Michigan statute imposes a shorter notice period, that shorter period controls the timing calculation.

Use the calculator

DocketMath’s statute of limitations tool helps you turn the statute into a deadline by using the date and rule you select.

What to enter

To get a useful result, enter:

• the start date,
• the jurisdiction: Michigan,
• the period: 6 years,
• and any trigger type that matches the claim.

How the output changes

The output changes based on the input assumptions:

• Earlier trigger date = earlier deadline
• Later accrual date = later deadline
• Discovery trigger selected = deadline may move forward if discovery happened later
• Different claim rule selected = the tool output may no longer use the 6-year default

Best practice workflow

1. Confirm the claim type.
2. Check whether Michigan has a claim-specific notice rule.
3. Use the default 6-year period only if no special rule applies.
4. Save the calculation in the file notes.
5. Re-check if new facts change accrual, notice, or tolling.

This is especially helpful for pre-suit notice work, where the notice deadline and the lawsuit deadline may not match.

Sources and references

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

• MCL § 600.5807

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