Texas Civil-Rights Filing Deadlines
Texas civil-rights deadlines: the federal Section 1983 statute of limitations borrows Texas's 2 years personal-injury deadline (Wilson v. Garcia) and a state notice-of-claim window of about 180 days. Texas sits in the 5th Cir. (N.D./E.D./S.D./W.D. Texas). General reference only — confirm every deadline with a licensed attorney.
- Federal Section 1983 statute of limitations: 2 years (borrowed personal-injury SOL under Wilson v. Garcia).
- Most state-law claims against government defendants require a notice of claim within roughly 180 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: N.D./E.D./S.D./W.D. Texas.
- Federal circuit: 5th Cir..
- State civil-rights statute: Texas Commission on Human Rights Act, Tex. Lab. Code Ch. 21.
- Tort Claims Act: Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ch. 101 (TTCA).
- State-law damage cap: $250,000 per person / $500,000 per occurrence (TTCA — most cities) (Section 1983 claims are not subject to state caps).
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §101.101 — 6-month TTCA notice; many cities require 30–90 days under charter.
- Legal-aid hub: TexasLawHelp (https://www.texaslawhelp.org).
- ACLU affiliate: https://www.aclutx.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.