The robbery statute of limitations runs between three and ten years in most states, but roughly a dozen states set no deadline at all. Federal bank robbery has its own five-year clock, which disappears entirely if someone died during the crime. The exact number depends on where the robbery happened, how serious it was, and whether state or federal law applies.
Typical State Deadlines
In states that do impose a deadline, prosecutors usually have between three and seven years to charge a standard robbery. Arkansas uses a three-year limit for felonies. Alabama and Alaska allow five years. Arizona stretches the window to seven.1Justia. Criminal Statutes of Limitations – 50-State Survey
Severity usually drives the length. A basic robbery with no weapon and no serious injury tends to fall under a state’s general felony period. Armed robbery and robberies that cause significant physical harm often carry longer deadlines. Massachusetts allows ten years for armed robbery. Ohio gives prosecutors twenty years for both robbery and aggravated robbery.2Congress.gov. Statute of Limitation in Federal Criminal Cases – An Overview
States With No Deadline
A significant number of states impose no limitations period on robbery at all. Mississippi and Rhode Island list robbery among the crimes that can be prosecuted at any time.2Congress.gov. Statute of Limitation in Federal Criminal Cases – An Overview
Other states go further and remove the deadline for all felonies. Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming set no statute of limitations for felony offenses, which means robbery can be charged decades after the fact.1Justia. Criminal Statutes of Limitations – 50-State Survey And if a robbery results in someone’s death, nearly every state treats the case as murder or felony murder, which almost universally carries no time limit.
Federal Bank Robbery
Robbing a bank, credit union, or savings and loan association is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. ยง 2113, punishable by up to twenty years in prison for a standard offense and up to twenty-five years when a dangerous weapon is used.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 2113 – Bank Robbery and Incidental Crimes The federal limitations period for non-capital offenses is five years from the date of the crime.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 3282 – Offenses Not Capital
When someone dies during a federal bank robbery, the offense becomes punishable by death or life imprisonment.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 2113 – Bank Robbery and Incidental Crimes Federal law then removes the deadline altogether: an indictment for any offense punishable by death can be brought at any time.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 3281 – Capital Offenses
When the Clock Starts
For robbery, the clock starts on the day the crime was committed. Robbery is a face-to-face offense, and the victim knows the moment it happens, so there is no ambiguity about timing. Some crimes use a discovery rule that delays the clock until the victim learns of the offense, but that rarely applies to robbery because nothing about the crime is hidden at the time it occurs.
What Pauses the Clock
Even in states with a firm deadline, certain circumstances pause the clock through a process called tolling. Time that passes during the pause does not count toward the limit, and the clock picks back up once the pause ends.
Fleeing the Jurisdiction
The most common trigger is leaving the state where the robbery occurred to avoid arrest or prosecution. Most states stop the clock while a suspect is outside the jurisdiction and resume it when they return. Federal law goes further: no statute of limitations applies to any person fleeing from justice.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 3290 A federal robbery suspect on the run can be charged no matter how much time passes.
Concealing Identity
A suspect who stays in the area but hides from law enforcement using a false name or other active steps to avoid identification is treated the same way in most jurisdictions. The clock pauses until the person is discovered or stops hiding.
Active Military Service
Federal law also pauses the clock during a suspect’s active-duty military service. Under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, the period of active service cannot be counted when calculating any legal deadline for actions by or against the servicemember.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 50 US Code 3936 – Statute of Limitations Enlistment or a call to active duty after a robbery freezes the clock for the length of that service.
John Doe DNA Warrants
Prosecutors in at least ten states have used what are called John Doe warrants in cases where investigators recover DNA from a robbery scene but cannot identify the suspect. The warrant formally charges an unnamed defendant identified only by a unique DNA profile.8National Institute of Justice. John Doe Warrant Filing before the deadline preserves the case, so when a database match surfaces later, the suspect can still be arrested and prosecuted.
What Happens Once the Deadline Passes
Expiration is permanent. The government loses the power to prosecute that robbery, and no amount of new evidence changes that. Even a full confession would not revive the case. If a prosecutor files charges after the period has run, the defense moves to dismiss, and the court has no choice but to grant it.
Civil Lawsuits Run Separately
The criminal deadline only governs whether the government can prosecute. Robbery victims can also sue in civil court to recover the value of stolen property, and those lawsuits run on their own clocks. Civil deadlines for property-related claims typically range from two to six years depending on the state, and the clock may start on a different date than the criminal one if the victim did not immediately discover the full extent of their losses.
Someone can be permanently safe from criminal prosecution and still face a civil suit over the same incident. Civil cases use a lower standard of proof and can result in court orders to pay damages, return property, and cover the victim’s legal costs.