Why there is no single answer
People ask what the time limit is in Illinois as though it were one number. It is not. Which
provision governs your claim depends on three things: how old you were when it happened, who is
responsible, and what legal route the claim runs under.
Childhood sexual abuse
Illinois provides that an action based on childhood sexual abuse may be commenced at any time
(735 ILCS 5/13-202.2). There is a qualification about claims that had already expired before the
provision changed, which is covered in more detail on the dedicated page linked below.
Claims under the Gender Violence Act
The Illinois Gender Violence Act sets its own periods, a longer one for some categories of
gender-related violence, a shorter one for others, and a different period again for actions against
an employer. Where the plaintiff was a minor, each runs from their 18th birthday rather than from
the incident.
Claims against public bodies
The Tort Immunity Act sets a one-year period for civil actions against local public entities and their employees, such as school districts, counties, cities and park districts. Claims against the State itself, including state agencies and public universities, go to the Illinois Court of Claims, which has its own filing rules.
Childhood sexual abuse claims are not subject to it.
The specific provision governing childhood sexual abuse overrides the Tort Immunity Act’s general limit, so a claim arising from abuse suffered as a child in a public institution is not cut off by that short period.
Adult claims
For abuse or assault that happened when you were 18 or older, an ordinary injury claim generally must be brought within two years (735 ILCS 5/13-202). That period is paused for any time you were subject to threats, intimidation, manipulation or fraud by the person responsible (735 ILCS 5/13-202.3). Adult deadlines are far shorter than childhood ones, which is the main reason not to wait.
What to do with that
Not decide for yourself. The single most common thing we hear is that someone assumed they were
too late and never asked. Asking costs nothing and takes one conversation.
This page describes Illinois law in general terms. It is not legal advice and it cannot tell you whether your own claim is in time, that depends on facts this page does not know. A conversation costs nothing and will give you a real answer.