§ 213-c.Action by victim of conduct constituting certain sexual offenses.

Article 2. Limitations of Time · Last amended 2024 · Last verified July 21, 2026

In one sentenceCPLR 213-c gives a victim of rape, incest, or other specified sexual offenses twenty years to sue anyone whose negligent or intentional conduct caused that offense, without requiring a criminal charge or conviction first.

Full Text of CPLR 213-c

Text size

Notwithstanding any other limitation set forth in this article, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section two hundred eight of this article, all civil claims or causes of action brought by any person for physical, psychological or other injury or condition suffered by such person as a result of conduct which would constitute rape in the first degree as defined in section 130.35 of the penal law, or rape in the second degree as defined in subdivision four, five or six of section 130.30 of the penal law, or rape in the second degree as defined in former subdivision two of section 130.30 of the penal law, or rape in the third degree as defined in subdivision one, two, three, seven, eight or nine of section 130.25 of the penal law, or a crime formerly defined in section 130.50 of the penal law, or a crime formerly defined in subdivision two of section 130.45 of the penal law, or a crime formerly defined in subdivision one or three of section 130.40 of the penal law, or incest in the first degree as defined in section 255.27 of the penal law, or incest in the second degree as defined in section 255.26 of the penal law (where the crime committed is rape in the second degree as defined in subdivision four, five or six of section 130.30 of the penal law, or rape in the second degree as formerly defined in subdivision two of section 130.30 of the penal law, or a crime formerly defined in subdivision two of section 130.45 of the penal law), or aggravated sexual abuse in the first degree as defined in section 130.70 of the penal law, or course of sexual conduct against a child in the first degree as defined in section 130.75 of the penal law may be brought against any party whose intentional or negligent acts or omissions are alleged to have resulted in the commission of the said conduct, within twenty years. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require that a criminal charge be brought or a criminal conviction be obtained as a condition of bringing a civil cause of action or receiving a civil judgment pursuant to this section or be construed to require that any of the rules governing a criminal proceeding be applicable to any such civil action.

End

Plain-English Summary

CPLR 213-c covers a defined list of serious sexual offenses — several degrees of rape, incest, aggravated sexual abuse in the first degree, and course of sexual conduct against a child in the first degree, among others tied to specific Penal Law sections. A victim of any of these offenses has twenty years to sue, a window far longer than the one-year default Article 2 otherwise sets for intentional torts like assault and battery.

The claim isn't limited to the person who committed the offense. It reaches any party whose intentional or negligent acts or omissions are alleged to have resulted in that conduct, which can bring in an institution, employer, or other party whose failures enabled the abuse to happen. The section also makes clear that a civil plaintiff doesn't need a criminal charge or conviction to proceed, and that criminal-court procedural rules don't govern the civil case.

Section 213-c yields to CPLR 208(b) in certain circumstances, which can give a minor victim an even longer period than the twenty years set here. It also sits alongside two revival statutes that address claims that were already time-barred: 214-g for abuse suffered as a child, and 214-j for abuse suffered as an adult. Together with 213-b's protections for crime victims generally, these sections form a deliberately long timeline for survivors of sexual violence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a sexual assault victim need to press criminal charges before filing a civil suit in New York?

No. CPLR 213-c states that nothing in the section requires a criminal charge or conviction as a condition of bringing the civil claim or receiving a civil judgment.

How long after a rape or sexual assault can a victim sue in New York?

Twenty years, running from the conduct itself, for the offenses listed in CPLR 213-c.

Can I sue an institution that enabled the abuse, or only the person who committed it?

The section reaches any party whose intentional or negligent acts or omissions are alleged to have resulted in the conduct, so a responsible institution or other enabling party can be a proper defendant alongside the person who committed the offense.

Does CPLR 213-c apply if the abuse happened when I was a minor?

The section applies except as provided in CPLR 208(b), which can extend the time available to a minor victim beyond the twenty years set here; claims already time-barred as a child victim may also be revived under CPLR 214-g.

What sexual offenses does CPLR 213-c cover?

Several degrees of rape under the Penal Law, specified prior versions of related offenses, first- and second-degree incest tied to certain rape-related conduct, aggravated sexual abuse in the first degree, and course of sexual conduct against a child in the first degree.

Amendment History

Add, L 2006, ch 3, § 3, eff June 23, 2006; L 2019, ch 315, § 3, effective September 18, 2019; L 2023, ch 777, § 42, effective September 1, 2024; L 2024, ch 23, § 39, effective September 1, 2024.

Source & verification. Provision text, History, and Advisory Committee Notes are reproduced verbatim from the Consolidated Laws of New York. Last verified July 21, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: New York rape lawsuit statute of limitationstwenty year window sexual assault civil suit NYsue an institution for enabling sexual abuse New Yorkchildhood sexual abuse civil suit deadline NYincest civil lawsuit time limit New York