Wisconsin Civil-Rights Filing Deadlines
Wisconsin civil-rights deadlines: the federal Section 1983 statute of limitations borrows Wisconsin's 6 years personal-injury deadline (Wilson v. Garcia) and a state notice-of-claim window of about 120 days. Wisconsin sits in the 7th Cir. (E.D./W.D. Wisconsin). General reference only — confirm every deadline with a licensed attorney.
- Federal Section 1983 statute of limitations: 6 years (borrowed personal-injury SOL under Wilson v. Garcia).
- Most state-law claims against government defendants require a notice of claim within roughly 120 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: E.D./W.D. Wisconsin.
- Federal circuit: 7th Cir..
- State civil-rights statute: Wisconsin Fair Employment Act, Wis. Stat. § 111.31 et seq..
- Wis. Stat. §893.80 — 120-day notice of claim against governmental subdivisions.
- Legal-aid hub: Wisconsin Judicare / Legal Action of WI (https://www.legalaction.org).
- ACLU affiliate: https://www.aclu-wi.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.