Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.0045 · Subchapter A. LIMITATIONS OF PERSONAL ACTIONS
LIMITATIONS PERIOD FOR CLAIMS ARISING FROM CERTAIN OFFENSES.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) A person must bring suit for personal injury not later than 30 years after the day the cause of action accrues if the injury arises as a result of conduct that violates:
(1) Section 22.011(a)(2), Penal Code (sexual assault of a child);
(2) Section 22.021(a)(1)(B), Penal Code (aggravated sexual assault of a child);
(3) Section 21.02, Penal Code (continuous sexual abuse of young child or disabled individual);
(4) Section 20A.02(a)(7)(A), (B), (C), (D), or (H) or Section 20A.02(a)(8), Penal Code, involving an activity described by Section 20A.02(a)(7)(A), (B), (C), (D), or (H) or sexual conduct with a child or disabled individual trafficked in the manner described by Section 20A.02(a)(7), Penal Code (certain sexual trafficking);
(5) Section 43.05(a)(2) or (3), Penal Code (compelling prostitution by a child or disabled individual); or
(6) Section 21.11, Penal Code (indecency with a child).
(b) A person must bring suit for personal injury not later than five years after the day the cause of action accrues if the injury arises as a result of conduct that violates:
(1) Section 22.011(a)(1), Penal Code (sexual assault);
(2) Section 22.021(a)(1)(A), Penal Code (aggravated sexual assault);
(3) Section 20A.02, Penal Code (trafficking of persons), other than conduct described by Subsection (a)(4); or
(4) Section 43.05(a)(1), Penal Code (compelling prostitution).
(c) In an action for injury resulting in death arising as a result of conduct described by Subsection (a) or (b), the cause of action accrues on the death of the injured person.
(d) A limitations period under this section is tolled for a suit on the filing of a petition by any person in an appropriate court alleging that the identity of the defendant in the suit is unknown and designating the unknown defendant as "John or Jane Doe." The person filing the petition shall proceed with due diligence to discover the identity of the defendant and amend the petition by substituting the real name of the defendant for "John or Jane Doe" not later than the 30th day after the date that the defendant is identified to the plaintiff. The limitations period begins running again on the date that the petition is amended.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 739, Sec. 1, eff. June 15, 1995.
Amended by:
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 593 (H.B. 8), Sec. 3.01, eff. September 1, 2007.
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 24), Sec. 3.01, eff. September 1, 2011.
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 918 (H.B. 189), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2015.
Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1306 (H.B. 3809), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2019.
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 221 (H.B. 375), Sec. 2.01, eff. September 1, 2021.
Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 93 (S.B. 1527), Sec. 2.06, eff. September 1, 2023.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CP/htm/CP.16.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 30f2ea465cf10b9dc69a4c6f0a2aa7480a99705238bb88726c5be7d48239ebf9
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
This section cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Penal Code
- Tex. Penal Code § 20A.02TRAFFICKING OF PERSONS.Printed as Section 20A.02(a)(7), Penal Code | Section 20A.02(a)(8), Penal Code | Section 20A.02, Penal Code
- Tex. Penal Code § 21.02CONTINUOUS SEXUAL ABUSE OF YOUNG CHILD OR DISABLED INDIVIDUAL.Printed as Section 21.02, Penal Code
- Tex. Penal Code § 21.11INDECENCY WITH A CHILD.Printed as Section 21.11, Penal Code
- Tex. Penal Code § 22.011SEXUAL ASSAULT.Printed as Section 22.011(a)(1), Penal Code | Section 22.011(a)(2), Penal Code
- Tex. Penal Code § 22.021AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ASSAULT.Printed as Section 22.021(a)(1)(A), Penal Code | Section 22.021(a)(1)(B), Penal Code
- Tex. Penal Code § 43.05COMPELLING PROSTITUTION.Printed as Section 43.05(a)(1), Penal Code
Cited by 1 provision
Provisions in this library whose text cites Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.0045. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Civil Practice and Remedies Code
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.