Work out the last date under the Limitation Act, 1963
Every suit, appeal and application in India has a deadline. Miss it and the court must dismiss the case, even if the other side never raises the point (section 3 of the Limitation Act, 1963). This free limitation period calculator gives you that last date: pick what you are filing — a money suit, a property suit, an appeal, a review, an execution, or a cheque bounce or consumer complaint — enter the date time starts, and it counts the period the way the Act does.
It also handles the adjustments people usually get wrong: the starting day is excluded, time spent getting a certified copy is added for appeals, an earlier case in the wrong court can be excluded, a written acknowledgment of a debt starts a fresh period, and the Supreme Court’s COVID-19 order froze limitation from 15 March 2020 to 28 February 2022. It runs in your browser. The answer is an estimate, not legal advice — choosing the right article is a legal question in itself.
How to use the Limitation Period Calculator
- Choose what you are filing from the list — each entry shows its article, the period and when the period starts.
- Enter the date the period runs from: the loan date, the date of the decree, the date the cause of action arose, and so on.
- Open “Exclusions and a fresh start” if you need it: days to get a certified copy, days in a court without jurisdiction, or the date of a written acknowledgment or part payment.
- Read the last date, the day of the week and the days left, and the step-by-step working below it.
- Copy the result, and take it to your lawyer with your papers.
Limitation Period Calculator features
45 common periods
Suits about money, contracts, property, declarations and wrongs; civil appeals; applications; and five special-law periods.
Counted the legal way
The first day is excluded and months are calendar months, so 31 January plus one month is 28 or 29 February.
Exclusions and fresh starts
Sections 12, 14, 18 and 19, each with its own field and a line in the working.
COVID-19 order built in
The 15 March 2020 – 28 February 2022 exclusion, including the 90-day rule, applied only when your dates overlap it.
Sundays flagged
If the last day falls on a Sunday, it shows the next day you can file under section 4.
Common limitation periods in India (as of 30 October 2026)
Sources: the Limitation Act, 1963 and its Schedule (the copy published by the Tripura High Court, read 30 October 2026); the Supreme Court’s order of 10 January 2022 in M.A. 21/2022 in Suo Motu W.P.(C) 3/2020 (copy on ibbi.gov.in). The special-law periods (NI Act, Consumer Protection Act, Arbitration Act, Commercial Courts Act) were checked against court judgments and bare-act sites, not the official India Code text, which did not respond.
| What you are filing | Period | Runs from |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery of money lent (Art. 19) | 3 years | When the loan is made |
| Any other suit (Art. 113) | 3 years | When the right to sue accrues |
| Possession of land based on title (Art. 65) | 12 years | When the defendant’s possession becomes adverse |
| Appeal to a High Court under the CPC (Art. 116(a)) | 90 days | Date of the decree or order |
| Appeal to a District Court (Art. 116(b)) | 30 days | Date of the decree or order |
| Execution of a decree (Art. 136) | 12 years | When the decree becomes enforceable |
| Cheque bounce complaint (NI Act s.142) | 1 month | When the drawer’s 15 days to pay end |
| Consumer complaint (CPA 2019 s.69) | 2 years | When the cause of action arose |
How the date is counted
Take a loan made on 15 March 2024. Section 12(1) leaves out that day, so the three years run from 16 March 2024 and end on 15 March 2027 — the same date three years later. Periods in days are counted the same way: 30 days from 1 October ends on 31 October. When a period is in months or years and the end date does not exist, the month’s last day is used.
For a bounced cheque, the cheque bounce notice generator shows the notice and complaint dates together; for a demand before a money suit, see the legal notice generator, and for the filing cost, the court fee calculator.
Limitation Period Calculator FAQ
How do I calculate the limitation period?
Find the article for your case in the Schedule, note its period and the event that starts it, exclude that first day and count the period. This limitation period calculator does the counting and the usual exclusions for you.
What is the limitation period for recovery of money in India?
Usually three years: from the date of the loan (Article 19), the date goods were delivered (Article 14) or when the right to sue accrues (Article 113), depending on the claim.
Can a court accept a case after the limitation period?
For appeals and most applications, yes — section 5 allows it if you show sufficient cause for the delay. A suit filed after the period cannot be saved that way.
Does a part payment or acknowledgment extend the limitation?
Yes. A written, signed acknowledgment of the debt, or a part payment, made before the period expires starts a fresh period from that date (sections 18 and 19).
Does the COVID-19 period still count?
The Supreme Court excluded 15 March 2020 to 28 February 2022 from limitation. It matters for cases where the period was running during that time, and the calculator applies it when your dates overlap it.
Is this result legally binding?
No. It is an estimate based on the dates you enter. Courts decide which article applies and when time started, so check with a lawyer before relying on it.