Call +1 943 270 2421

Limitation Period Calculator (India)

Work out how long you have to file, and when your deadline falls, under the Limitation Act 1963. Pick the type of claim — money recovery, breach of contract, immovable property, cheque bounce §138 and more — and the date the cause of action arose, to see the limitation deadline and days remaining. This is an indicative planning aid, not legal advice.

Limitation period
3 years
Deadline to file
24 July 2029
Days remaining
1095 days

Basis: Articles 19–22, Limitation Act 1963

Money payable for money lent runs from when the loan is made (Arts 19, 21); money on a deposit payable on demand runs from the demand (Art 22).

How this is calculated

The Limitation Act 1963 sets a fixed period for each kind of suit, appeal or application in its Schedule. The clock generally starts on the date the “right to sue” accrues — when a contract is broken, money falls due, or possession becomes adverse. This tool adds the relevant period to the start date you enter and compares it with today to show the days remaining.

Cheque bounce (§138 NI Act) is a chained timeline, not a single period: send the demand notice within 30 days of the bank’s dishonour memo, allow the drawer 15 days to pay, then file the complaint within one month of the cause of action (§142). The two §138 options here model those separate windows.

  • Money recovery, breach of contract, promissory note: 3 years.
  • Possession of immovable property (title): 12 years; mortgage redemption: 30 years.
  • Appeal to High Court: 90 days; set aside arbitral award (§34): 3 months.

Sources & legal basis

  • The Limitation Act, 1963 — the Schedule of prescribed periods (Articles 19–22, 34–35, 52, 54–55, 58, 61, 65, 72, 113, 116, etc.).
  • Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 — §138(b), §138(c) and §142 (cheque dishonour notice and complaint windows).
  • Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 — §34(3) (application to set aside an award).
  • Sections 4, 5, 12, 18 and 19 of the Limitation Act — exclusion of court holidays, condonation, acknowledgement and part-payment.

Limitation periods and their exceptions turn on the specific facts and the current Schedule to the Limitation Act. Treat this result as an indicative planning aid and confirm your actual deadline with an advocate before you rely on it.

Frequently asked questions

A suit to recover money lent, or for the price of goods or services, generally has a 3-year limitation period under Articles 19–22 of the Limitation Act 1963, running from when the money became due.

Yes, in defined ways. A written acknowledgement of liability (s.18) or a part-payment (s.19) can restart the clock, and courts can condone delay for sufficient cause (s.5) in appeals and applications. Days when the court is closed are also excluded (s.4).

It is a chained timeline: send the demand notice within 30 days of the bank’s dishonour memo, give the drawer 15 days to pay, and if unpaid, file the complaint within the next 30 days under §138(c) read with §142 of the Negotiable Instruments Act 1881.

A suit for possession of immovable property based on title has a 12-year limitation under Article 65, running from when the defendant’s possession becomes adverse to your title.

Related tools & reading

Never miss a statutory deadline

CaseDocker tracks notice and limitation timelines across every matter, with reminders before the clock runs out.

Notice Management Case Management