Connecticut Small Claims Statute of Limitations: Time Limits by Claim Type

The Deadlines

Connecticut's statutes of limitations set deadlines for bringing claims. If a defendant raises an applicable limitations defense, an expired deadline can bar recovery even if the claim otherwise has merit.

When the Clock Starts

Contract claims: The limitation period runs from the date of the breach — not the date the contract was signed, and not the date you noticed the breach.

Property damage and negligence: The clock starts when you discover the damage, or when you reasonably should have discovered it. But there's a hard outer limit of 3 years from the date the act occurred, regardless of when you found out.

Sale of goods: The 4-year UCC period runs from the date the seller tendered delivery, whether or not you knew the goods were defective at that point.

The Written vs. Oral Contract Distinction

This catches people off guard. If you have a signed contract and the other side broke it, you get 6 years. If the agreement was oral and neither party had fully performed, you get only 3.

But here's the nuance: if one party fully performed their side of an oral agreement (say, you completed the work but never got paid), Connecticut courts apply the 6-year period under CGS § 52-576, not the 3-year oral contract statute. The logic is that once one side has performed, the debt is established and the longer period applies.

This matters for freelancers and contractors who work on handshake deals. If you did the job and the client didn't pay, you likely have 6 years — not 3.

Demand Letters Don't Pause the Clock

Sending a demand letter does not toll or suspend the statute of limitations. A letter mailed three weeks before the deadline doesn't buy you extra time. Under Connecticut Practice Book § 24-8, a small claims action begins when the signed writ is filed with the clerk and the required fees are paid. The defendant must be served before filing, so complete service and filing before the limitations deadline.

If you're within a few months of the deadline, serve first, negotiate later.

What "Commencing" Means in Connecticut

For a Connecticut small claims action, the commencement point is the signed writ's filing with the clerk and payment of required fees under Practice Book § 24-8. Since service must happen first, the mailing or service date alone is not the filing date.

Since Connecticut requires you to serve the defendant before filing, plan accordingly. If certified mail takes a week and the defendant signs for it on day 8, you still need to file the signed writ and pay the required fee before the limitations deadline.

Security Deposit Timing

Landlord-tenant security deposit claims under CGS § 47a-21 have a separate return deadline: 21 days after the tenancy ends or 15 days after the landlord receives written notice of the tenant's forwarding address, whichever is later. A claim based on missing that deadline arises after the applicable period passes. The deadline to sue is separate from the deposit-return deadline.

Don't assume that the deposit-return period is also the time limit for filing a lawsuit. Check the limitation period that applies to your specific claim before filing.

The Connecticut Small Claims Filing Guide includes a deadline calculator worksheet that maps your specific claim type to the correct limitation period, so you know exactly how much time you have.

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