What is the deadline to sue a city or county?
Claims against government entities operate under sovereign immunity rules with their own timeline.
The notice requirement comes first. A written claim must be presented to the appropriate agency, and in many cases to the state's Department of Financial Services, before suit may be filed. Missing that notice can end the claim regardless of its merits.
A waiting period follows. The agency has a defined period to investigate and respond before suit may be brought, which means filing cannot happen immediately even after notice is given.
Separate deadlines apply for presenting the claim and for filing suit, and they're different for wrongful death.
Damage caps apply. Recovery against government entities is limited by statute, with amounts above the cap requiring a claims bill passed by the Legislature — a rare and lengthy process.
Who this covers: cities, counties, school boards, law enforcement agencies, state agencies, and sometimes contractors performing government functions.
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