Overview

Tennessee uses a 1-year statute of limitations for slander claims, and the jurisdiction data provided for this page did not identify a separate rule specifically for spoken defamation. So for this reference page, the general/default 1-year period is the rule to use.

Slander is defamation spoken to someone other than the person targeted. In practical terms, the limitations clock usually turns on when the statement was published or communicated to a third party, not when the harm is later discovered.

To screen the deadline, focus on:

• the date the statement was spoken
• whether it was heard by a third party
• whether any tolling or accrual issue changes the start date
• whether the claim was filed within 1 year

For a fast deadline check, use DocketMath’s statute of limitations tool: /tools/statute-of-limitations.

Limitation period

Tennessee’s general limitations period for slander is 1 year. The jurisdiction data supplied for this page cites Tennessee Code Annotated § 40-35-111(e)(2) as the general/default statute, and no slander-specific sub-rule was found.

That means a slander claim in Tennessee generally must be filed within 1 year after the claim accrues. If the case is filed after that deadline, the defendant can usually argue that the claim is time-barred.

How the deadline is calculated

A basic deadline check usually works like this:

1. Identify the date the spoken statement was communicated to a third party
2. Treat that date as the starting point unless an exception applies
3. Count forward 1 calendar year
4. File on or before that date

For example:

What the calculator changes

Using a deadline calculator can help you test how different inputs affect the result:

• Earlier publication date → earlier deadline
• Later publication date → later deadline
• Multiple statements → may create separate timing questions
• Tolling facts → may pause or extend the running of the period
• Filing date → determines whether the claim is timely or late

That makes it easier to check borderline cases, especially when the alleged slander happened over more than one date.

Key exceptions

No Tennessee slander-specific exception was identified in the supplied jurisdiction data, so the default 1-year period is the starting point. In real-world screening, timing issues usually come from accrual and tolling questions rather than a special slander subsection.

Common issues to check include:

• Multiple publications: A later repetition may raise a separate timing question if it is a new publication, not just a reference to the earlier statement.
• Discovery arguments: Defamation claims often run from publication, so learning about the statement later does not automatically extend the deadline.
• Tolling: Certain circumstances may pause the running of the limitations period.
• Related claims: If the case also includes other torts, each claim may have a different deadline analysis.

Practical checklist

Statute citation

The jurisdiction data for this page identifies Tennessee Code Annotated § 40-35-111(e)(2) as the general/default statute for the 1-year limitations period used here.

For a practical case note, you might record:

• Claim: Slander (spoken defamation)
• Jurisdiction: Tennessee
• Limitations period: 1 year
• Statute cited: Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-35-111(e)(2)
• Timing note: No claim-type-specific sub-rule found; use the general/default period

Use the calculator

DocketMath’s statute of limitations calculator helps you estimate the filing deadline by counting forward from the event date using Tennessee’s 1-year period.

It is especially useful for:

• intake screening
• pre-filing review
• deadline checks for older statements
• comparing multiple statement dates

What to enter

What you get back

• the deadline date
• a timely or late result
• a simple timeline you can save for notes

To run the calculation, go to DocketMath’s statute of limitations tool.

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