Massachusetts Civil-Rights Filing Deadlines
Massachusetts civil-rights deadlines: the federal Section 1983 statute of limitations borrows Massachusetts's 3 years personal-injury deadline (Wilson v. Garcia) and a state notice-of-claim window of about 730 days. Massachusetts sits in the 1st Cir. (D. Massachusetts). General reference only — confirm every deadline with a licensed attorney.
- Federal Section 1983 statute of limitations: 3 years (borrowed personal-injury SOL under Wilson v. Garcia).
- Most state-law claims against government defendants require a notice of claim within roughly 730 days of the incident.
- Body-camera and dashcam footage is often overwritten in about 30 days — send a written preservation request as early as possible.
- Federal district court: D. Massachusetts.
- Federal circuit: 1st Cir..
- State civil-rights statute: Massachusetts Civil Rights Act, M.G.L. ch. 12 §§ 11H-11I.
- M.G.L. ch. 258 §4 — 2-year presentment requirement under MTCA.
- Legal-aid hub: MassLegalHelp (https://www.masslegalhelp.org).
- ACLU affiliate: https://www.aclum.org.
This page is general legal information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Use the interactive calculator at https://manalegalai.org/deadlines and find help at https://manalegalai.org/resources.