Statute of Limitations for Premises Liability / Slip and Fall in North Dakota

Overview

In North Dakota, the statute of limitations (SOL) for many slip-and-fall / premises liability claims is 6 years, typically under N.D. Cent. Code § 28-01-16. As a practical matter, that deadline often starts around the date of the injury (when the claim “accrues”), rather than the date someone later discovers the cause or severity of the problem. That said, accrual and applicable statutes can vary based on how the claim is legally framed and the facts involved.

Premises liability cases can come in different legal “shapes” (for example, negligence-based theories or claims tied to specific property-related duties). North Dakota’s SOL rules are driven more by the legal theory and applicable statute than by the label “slip and fall.”

Limitation period

North Dakota’s general SOL for actions “upon a claim for relief not otherwise limited by statute” is 6 years. In many slip-and-fall situations, plaintiffs use this general limitations framework when no more specific limitations statute clearly applies.

What “6 years” means in real life

Use this planning approach:

• Injury date (often the accrual anchor): when the slip-and-fall occurs and the injury is sustained (commonly the date of the event).
• Deadline date: count 6 years from the claim’s accrual date (often the injury date).
• Filing goal: aim to file well before the deadline—so you have time for medical documentation, incident reports, witness statements, and service on the defendant.

How “accrual” timing can shift your start date

Even when the law states a fixed number of years, the key question is often when the clock starts. North Dakota generally uses rules to determine when a claim accrues, and that accrual timing can be affected by facts such as:

• whether the injury was immediately apparent,
• whether there is an issue about a continuing or ongoing condition,
• or whether a specific statutory scheme governs the claim (which can override the default rule).

For straightforward slip-and-fall cases, planning using injury date → 6 years is typically the most reasonable starting point. If your situation is more unusual, confirm the accrual trigger before relying on a simple count.

Quick reference timeline (planning example)

If the fall occurred on June 1, 2026, then a baseline 6-year planning deadline would be around June 1, 2032—subject to accrual issues or exceptions.

Key exceptions

Not every premises-related incident ends up with a clean “6 years from the injury date” answer. Exceptions can come from different statutes or procedural rules that apply to certain claim types or certain defendants.

Shorter limitation periods that can apply to certain claims

Depending on how the claim is framed, a different SOL might apply instead of the general 6-year period. Examples of situations that can change the timeframe include:

• Contract-based claims (which may be governed by statutes different from negligence/premises theories)
• Claims governed by a specific statutory scheme (rather than the general “not otherwise limited” bucket)
• Other cause-of-action-specific rules that replace the general limitations period

When in doubt, match your facts to the most accurate claim category before locking in a deadline.

Government entities and notice-related traps

If the premises is owned, managed, or maintained by a government entity (for example, a city-owned facility), there may be special requirements in addition to (or alongside) the SOL, such as:

• notice deadlines and/or
• shortened time windows connected to sovereign immunity waiver rules

These issues are often highly fact-dependent, so treat any government-involvement scenario as a “stop and verify” item in your timeline.

Tolling and “pauses” on the clock

Some situations can pause or otherwise affect the limitations period (commonly referred to as tolling). North Dakota may recognize tolling concepts in particular contexts (for example, certain legal statuses). If tolling applies, the “calendar count” approach may need adjustment.

Multiple defendants, multiple events, and amended claims

A single slip-and-fall can involve multiple potential defendants (landlord, tenant, contractor, store operator, property manager). Accrual and limitations analysis can differ by:

• which defendant you are suing, and
• which legal theory you’re pursuing, and
• whether there are multiple relevant incidents or evolving injuries.

Common pitfall to avoid

Statute citation

A commonly used North Dakota statute for premises liability / slip-and-fall timing is:

• N.D. Cent. Code § 28-01-16 — 6-year limitation for actions not otherwise limited by statute.

If your case involves a different legal theory (such as a contract-based claim) or a government entity with special procedural requirements, the controlling limitations period may be different.

Use the calculator

DocketMath’s Statute of Limitations calculator helps you translate the applicable time period into an actionable deadline date.

Inputs you’ll typically enter

• Jurisdiction: **North Dakota (US-ND)
• Claim type / statute mapping: select the option that corresponds to the general premises liability approach (often the general 6-year bucket)
• Date of injury (accrual anchor): enter the slip-and-fall date you are using as the accrual anchor for planning

What the calculator outputs

After you input the above, the calculator generally provides:

• a limitations deadline date (calendar date), and
• an approximate time-remaining estimate based on today’s date

How outputs change with your inputs

Small input changes can meaningfully shift the result:

• If you input a later date than the injury date (for example, the date you sought medical care), you may see a later “deadline”—but that can be inaccurate if accrual is tied to the injury/event date.
• If you select a different statute bucket (claim type mapping), the deadline can change by years.
• If tolling/exception logic applies (including certain defendant-type constraints), you may need to account for adjustments outside a straightforward count.

Best practice: use the actual slip-and-fall date as your default accrual anchor unless you have a specific, fact-driven reason to use another date.

Primary CTA: Use DocketMath’s Statute of Limitations calculator

Sources and references

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

• N.D. Cent. Code § 28-01-18

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