Statute of Limitations for State Tort Claims Act — Filing Deadline in Michigan

Overview

Michigan’s State Tort Claims Act (often used when a claim is brought against the State or state entities) includes a specific filing deadline. In Michigan, that deadline is typically measured in years, and it is governed by statute rather than by court-created “equitable” timelines.

When people talk about “statute of limitations,” they usually mean: How long after the injury/event you must file your claim. In Michigan, one commonly applied limitations rule for this category of claims is 6 years, codified at MCL § 767.24(1).

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator can help you model the deadline based on a date you provide (for example, the date of injury or the date the underlying act occurred). You can then adjust inputs (like a different event date) to see how the output changes.

Limitation period

General rule: 6-year limitations period

For many state-tort-related claims in Michigan, the key time window is:

• 6 years
• under **MCL § 767.24(1)

The practical workflow is straightforward:

1. Identify the event date the statute ties to (commonly, the date of injury or the wrongful act).
2. Count forward 6 years from that date.
3. Use the resulting date as the likely filing deadline (subject to exceptions and accrual nuances).

How DocketMath changes the output

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations tool is designed for modeling deadlines, not for deciding the legal merits of a claim. Here’s what typically happens when you change inputs:

• If you enter a later event date, the calculated deadline moves later by the same amount.
• If you enter a different event date (for example, the date you learned of an injury instead of the date it occurred), the deadline may shift, depending on how the applicable accrual rule is interpreted in your situation.

To run the calculator, use this CTA:

• Primary CTA: /tools/statute-of-limitations

You can also link directly through the tool entry point from your workflow (e.g., /tools/statute-of-limitations) to keep your timeline consistent across documents.

Quick deadline example (timeline math)

Assume an event occurred on January 15, 2019.

• 6-year deadline would land on January 15, 2025 (subject to how the court counts time and whether any statutory adjustments apply).

If you instead believed the relevant date was July 1, 2019, the deadline would shift to about July 1, 2025. That’s the core “input → output” relationship DocketMath helps you visualize.

Key exceptions

Michigan’s limitations rules can include exceptions that change the timeline—sometimes by recognizing that a claim is not barred even after the typical period, or by applying a different limitations framework.

Based on the jurisdiction data provided for this topic, the key sub-rules include:

• MCL § 767.24(1) — 6 years — exception V3
• MCL § 600.5853 — 6 years — exception M4

What those exception labels mean in practice

Because exception identifiers like “V3” and “M4” are used here as scenario markers (rather than statute text), treat them as “which rule the calculator or workflow should apply,” not as a substitute for reading the statutory language.

In practice, exceptions generally affect one of these areas:

• Which statute applies (MCL § 767.24(1) vs. an alternative limitations statute)
• When the clock starts (accrual or trigger event)
• Whether tolling or special timing rules change the end date

A practical checklist for exception-sensitive timelines

Before you lock in a single “deadline date,” run through:

Statute citation

The primary limitations provision for this Michigan State Tort Claims Act filing deadline topic is:

• MCL § 767.24(1) — 6 years (sub-rule noted as exception V3)

Related alternative limitations language tied to the same overall period (also marked in the jurisdiction data) includes:

• MCL § 600.5853 — 6 years (sub-rule noted as exception M4)

Michigan’s codified statutes are administered through the Michigan legislative system; the jurisdiction data provided here references https://www.michigan.gov for general access to Michigan legal resources.

Use the calculator

To get an actionable filing deadline estimate with DocketMath, use the statute-of-limitations tool:

• /tools/statute-of-limitations

  • /tools/statute-of-limitations

When you run it, your goal is to generate a deadline date you can place onto a case timeline (for example, to support internal tracking, document requests, or scheduling).

Inputs to consider (and how they affect the result)

Depending on how DocketMath is configured, you will typically supply:

• Start date (event date)

  • Moving this date forward shifts the deadline forward.
• Rule selection (if the tool offers it)

  • Choosing MCL § 767.24(1) vs. another applicable statute (such as MCL § 600.5853) can change the outcome even if both are labeled as 6 years—because the trigger/accrual and statutory fit may differ.
• Jurisdiction confirmation (US-MI)

  • Ensures Michigan’s counting method and applicable statutes are used.

Output to capture in your workflow

After you calculate, record:

• The calculated deadline date
• The statute rule the tool applied (e.g., MCL § 767.24(1))
• The start date you used

You may also want to run a second scenario if your records support multiple potential trigger dates (e.g., “date of injury” vs. “date of discovery”), then compare how each deadline shifts. DocketMath is particularly useful for that “what changes if we use a different date?” step.

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