ILLINOIS

CHILD SEX ABUSE SOLs

Historical CSA SOL Treatise

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CURRENT CIVIL SOL

There is no civil SOL for CSA, trafficking, or CSAM claims against any defendants.

CIVIL SOL SNAPSHOT

AGE CAP

CSA: NONE

TRAFFICKING: NONE

CSAM: NONE

REVIVAL LAW

NONE

DISCOVERY TOLLING

NONE

 

CURRENT ILLINOIS CIVIL LAW

735 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/13-202.2 - Childhood sexual abuse

(a) In this Section:

“Childhood sexual abuse” means an act of sexual abuse that occurs when the person abused is under 18 years of age.

“Sexual abuse” includes but is not limited to sexual conduct and sexual penetration as defined in Section 11-0.1 of the Criminal Code of 2012.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an action for damages for personal injury based on childhood sexual abuse must be commenced within 20 years of the date the limitation period begins to run under subsection (d) or within 20 years of the date the person abused discovers or through the use of reasonable diligence should discover both (i) that the act of childhood sexual abuse occurred and (ii) that the injury was caused by the childhood sexual abuse. The fact that the person abused discovers or through the use of reasonable diligence should discover that the act of childhood sexual abuse occurred is not, by itself, sufficient to start the discovery period under this subsection (b). Knowledge of the abuse does not constitute discovery of the injury or the causal relationship between any later-discovered injury and the abuse.

(c) If the injury is caused by 2 or more acts of childhood sexual abuse that are part of a continuing series of acts of childhood sexual abuse by the same abuser, then the discovery period under subsection (b) shall be computed from the date the person abused discovers or through the use of reasonable diligence should discover both (i) that the last act of childhood sexual abuse in the continuing series occurred and (ii) that the injury was caused by any act of childhood sexual abuse in the continuing series. The fact that the person abused discovers or through the use of reasonable diligence should discover that the last act of childhood sexual abuse in the continuing series occurred is not, by itself, sufficient to start the discovery period under subsection (b). Knowledge of the abuse does not constitute discovery of the injury or the causal relationship between any later-discovered injury and the abuse.

(d) The limitation periods under subsection (b) do not begin to run before the person abused attains the age of 18 years; and, if at the time the person abused attains the age of 18 years he or she is under other legal disability, the limitation periods under subsection (b) do not begin to run until the removal of the disability.

(d-1) The limitation periods in subsection (b) do not run during a time period when the person abused is subject to threats, intimidation, manipulation, fraudulent concealment, or fraud perpetrated by the abuser or by any person acting in the interest of the abuser.

(e) This Section applies to actions pending on the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1990 as well as to actions commenced on or after that date. The changes made by this amendatory Act of 1993 shall apply only to actions commenced on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1993. The changes made by this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly apply to actions pending on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly as well as actions commenced on or after that date. The changes made by this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly apply to actions commenced on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly if the action would not have been time barred under any statute of limitations or statute of repose prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an action for damages based on childhood sexual abuse may be commenced at any time; provided, however, that the changes made by this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly apply to actions commenced on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly if the action would not have been time barred under any statute of limitations or statute of repose prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly.

Case law

CURRENT CRIMINAL SOL

CSA: There is no SOL for felony and misdemeanor sex offenses committed against children.

Trafficking: The SOL for trafficking is age 43. 

CSAM: There is no SOL for creating child pornography. Lesser CSAM offenses have an SOL of age 19 or 3 years from the offense, whichever is later.

CRIMINAL SOL SNAPSHOT

CSA

NO SOL

TRAFFICKING

AGE 43

CSAM

NO SOL

 

CURRENT ILLINOIS CRIMINAL LAW

720 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/3-5 - General limitations
(a) A prosecution for: (1) first degree murder, attempt to commit first degree murder, second degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide, a violation of subparagraph (F) of paragraph (1) of subsection (d) of Section 11-501 of the Illinois Vehicle Code for the offense of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, other drug or drugs, or intoxicating compound or compounds, or any combination thereof when the violation was a proximate cause of a death, leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash involving death or personal injuries under Section 11-401 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, failing to give information and render aid under Section 11-403 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, concealment of homicidal death, treason, arson, residential arson, aggravated arson, forgery, child pornography under paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of Section 11-20.1, or aggravated child pornography under paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of Section 11-20.1B, or (2) any offense involving sexual conduct or sexual penetration, as defined by Section 11-0.1 of this Code may be commenced at any time.
(a-5) A prosecution for theft of property exceeding $100,000 in value under Section 16-1, identity theft under subsection (a) of Section 16-30, aggravated identity theft under subsection (b) of Section 16-30, financial exploitation of an elderly person or a person with a disability under Section 17-56; theft by deception of a victim 60 years of age or older or a person with a disability under Section 16-1; or any offense set forth in Article 16H or Section 17-10.6 may be commenced within 7 years of the last act committed in furtherance of the crime.
(b) Unless the statute describing the offense provides otherwise, or the period of limitation is extended by Section 3-6, a prosecution for any offense not designated in subsection (a) or (a-5) must be commenced within 3 years after the commission of the offense if it is a felony, or within one year and 6 months after its commission if it is a misdemeanor.
Case Law

The information provided is solely for informational purposes and is not legal advice. To determine the Illinois SOL in a particular case, contact a lawyer in the state.

Last Updated: November 30, 2023