Understanding what happened and finding your voice after sexual abuse takes time. Oregon law now recognizes that reality. In 2025, lawmakers removed most civil time limits for filing many sexual abuse claims, especially for new claims, while keeping earlier timelines in place for older incidents. If you’re weighing legal action, understanding Oregon’s statutes of limitations for abuse lawsuits is the key to protecting your rights.
Our goal here is to explain the current Oregon deadlines for filing civil lawsuits related to childhood sexual abuse and adult sexual assault, how the discovery rule works, what changed in June 2025, whether there is any “lookback window,” and how these rules affect cases against both individuals and institutions.
Key Takeaways About Oregon Filing Deadlines
- New rule for child sexual abuse (effective June 26, 2025): For claims arising on or after June 26, 2025, there is no civil filing deadline for actions based on child sexual abuse. For older child-abuse claims, the previous rule still applies: file by age 40 or within five years of discovering the connection between the abuse and your injuries—whichever is later.
- New rule for adult sexual assault (effective June 26, 2025): For claims arising on or after June 26, 2025, adult sexual-assault lawsuits may be filed at any time. For older adult-assault claims, the earlier rule still applies: you must file within five years from discovery of the causal connection between the assault and your injuries.
- No Oregon “lookback window”: Oregon did not open a temporary revival window to re-activate already-expired claims. The 2025 change mostly applies going forward and to claims that have not yet reached a final judgment.
- Institutions can be held liable: You can sue abusers and the organizations that allowed, permitted, or encouraged abuse. Oregon’s Supreme Court has confirmed that the child-abuse limitations statute controls and is not blocked by other time-bar rules, even in claims involving public bodies.
- The general two-year rule doesn’t control these cases: Oregon’s standard two-year personal injury deadline does not apply where the child-abuse or adult-assault-specific statutes govern.
Oregon’s Two Tracks: What Changed in 2025—and What Didn’t
In June 2025, Oregon enacted HB 3582, amending the child-abuse statute (ORS 12.117) and the adult sexual-assault statute (ORS 12.118). Here’s the short version of these changes:
- Child sexual abuse: New claims that arise on or after June 26, 2025, may be filed at any time—there is no longer a deadline. Claims that arose before that date stay under the prior framework, which required filing a lawsuit before age 40, or within five years from discovery of the causal connection—whichever is longer.
- Adult sexual assault: New claims that arise on or after June 26, 2025, may be filed at any time. Claims that arose before that date follow the earlier rule, which required filing within five years from discovery.
The enrolled bill confirms the effective date and that these changes are primarily forward-looking. It also clarifies application to cases based on “allowing, permitting, or encouraging” abuse and sexual assault, and removes the prior requirement of proving the institution involved “knowingly” allowed the abuse. This is an important change for claims against institutions.
Can I File a Childhood Sexual Abuse Lawsuit in Oregon?
Deadlines for claims that arose before June 26, 2025
If the abuse happened before June 26, 2025, and your claim arose under prior law, Oregon’s prior child-abuse statute of limitations gives you until your 40th birthday, or five years from when you discovered (or reasonably should have discovered) the connection between the abuse and your injuries, whichever is later. Sexual abuse claims do not fall under the general two-year filing limit for personal injuries or Oregon’s negligence repose statute.
Deadlines for claims that arise on or after June 26, 2025
For abuse that gives rise to a claim on or after June 26, 2025, Oregon has now removed the filing deadline for civil actions based on child sexual abuse. Survivors can come forward when they are ready.
Suing institutions and public bodies
You may bring claims not only against the person who abused you but also against institutions (schools, churches, youth organizations, employers, foster-care agencies, and other entities) that allowed, permitted, or encouraged the abuse.
In a landmark Oregon Supreme Court case, the court made clear that Oregon law Section 12.117 governs child-abuse claims, which are not subject to other time-bar statutes or certain governmental immunities. In other words, these claims may proceed under the child-abuse limitations, including against public bodies.
The discovery rule for child-abuse claims (older claims)
If your claim arose before the 2025 change, the discovery rule can extend your time to file. “Discovery” means you learned, or reasonably should have learned, about the causal connection between the abuse and your injuries . For example, when a therapist helps identify the link between long-term PTSD and childhood abuse, that is the date of discovery.
Under the pre-2025 rule, survivors had to file a claim within five years from the date of discovery, and that discovery-based period sits alongside the age-40 deadline, so they can you use whichever is later.
Adult Sexual Assault Lawsuits in Oregon
Deadlines for incidents before June 26, 2025
Since 2019, Oregon has provided a five-year filing deadline that starts from the discovery of adult sexual-assault claims under Oregon law Section 12.118. This deadline is longer than the general two-year personal-injury limit. If your adult assault claim arose before June 26, 2025, that five-year discovery rule still applies.
No deadline for incidents on or after June 26, 2025
For adult sexual assault claims that arise on or after June 26, 2025, there is no time limit to file in civil court. This change recognizes the trauma-related reasons many adult survivors cannot immediately pursue litigation.
Why the general two-year rule doesn’t control these cases
Oregon’s default limit for personal injury (ORS 12.110) is two years, but the Legislature created the specialized rules for sexual abuse and assault claims we’ve discussed above. Those specific statutes govern instead of the two-year default.
Is There a “Lookback Window” in Oregon?
Some states open a temporary “lookback” or “revival” window to revive already-expired claims for a set time. Oregon did not adopt a lookback window when it changed the law in 2025.
The Legislature’s enrolled bill shows the new “no deadline” rule is prospective and includes directions for how to handle claims that arose before the effective date. If your claim was already time-barred years ago, Oregon law did not reopen it via a statewide window. A knowledgeable abuse lawyer can still check whether your facts fit within the discovery-based rules or other doctrines.
Quick Reference Chart: Which Deadline Applies?
| Situation | Filing Deadline |
|---|---|
| Child sexual abuse claim arising on/after June 26, 2025 | No deadline (may be commenced at any time) |
| Child sexual abuse claim arising before June 26, 2025 | Until age 40 or 5 years from the discovery of the causal connection, whichever is later |
| Adult sexual assault claim arising on/after June 26, 2025 | No deadline (may be commenced at any time) |
| Adult sexual assault claim arising before June 26, 2025 | 5 years from the discovery of the causal connection |
| General personal-injury claims (not sexual abuse/assault) | 2 years in most cases (but special statutes above control sex-abuse claims) |
Who You Can Hold Accountable
Survivors can pursue civil claims against:
- Individuals who abused them
- Organizations that allowed, permitted, or covered up the abuse. These entities can include faith organizations, schools, youth clubs, camps, sports programs, employers, foster-care agencies, and other public or private entities.
Oregon’s high court has confirmed that the child-abuse statute of limitations applies even in cases against public bodies. That matters if your abuse occurred in settings like foster care or public schools.
How “Discovery” Works (For Older Claims)
The “discovery rule” focuses on when you recognized the connection between the abuse and the injuries you’re now living with. For example, you might have long struggled with anxiety, depression, or substance use without realizing that those injuries trace back to abuse.
Once that connection becomes clear, often through counseling or therapy, the discovery clock starts. For child-abuse claims that arose before the 2025 change, you generally had five years from that discovery; for adult-assault claims that arose before the change, it’s also five years from discovery under ORS 12.118.
What are the Practical Next Steps for Survivors?
- Talk to a survivor-focused attorney promptly. Even where no deadline applies to new claims, taking action as soon as you are able helps preserve evidence and may deter institutional obstruction.
- Write down what you remember in a safe place. Save texts, emails, photos, journals, and names of potential witnesses.
- Get supportive care. Therapy and peer support can help you heal and can also clarify the impact of abuse on your life and your legal case.
- Ask about suing institutions in addition to the perpetrator. Institutional liability can offer broader accountability and more paths to compensation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Sexual Abuse Claims in Oregon
My abuse happened decades ago when I was a child. Can I still sue in Oregon?
It depends on when your claim legally arose. If it arises on or after June 26, 2025, there is no deadline for child sexual-abuse claims. If it arose before that date, the prior rule applies, and you only have until age 40 or five years from discovery, whichever is later.
There is no statewide lookback window in Oregon to revive already-expired claims, but an experienced abuse lawyer can assess whether your facts fit the discovery rule or other tolling doctrines.
I’m an adult survivor of sexual assault that happened in 2023. What is my timeline?
Because your claim arose before June 26, 2025, you generally have five years from your discovery of the connection between the assault and your injuries to file a sexual abuse lawsuit in Oregon. For assaults occurring on or after June 26, 2025, there is no deadline.
Does the 2025 law help me if I’m suing a school, church, or a government agency?
Yes. Oregon law allows suits against entities that allowed, permitted, or encouraged abuse. In child-abuse cases, the Supreme Court has held that the child-abuse limitations statute governs and is not overridden by other time-bar or immunity provisions. This is important for claims involving public entities like foster-care agencies.
Is the general two-year Oregon deadline for injuries relevant to my sexual-abuse case?
Usually not. Oregon’s special statutes for child abuse and adult sexual assault supersede the general two-year injury deadline. Your lawyer will analyze which statute controls your claim.
What if the abuse happened outside Oregon?
You typically must follow the law of the state where the abuse occurred. If you live in Oregon now but the abuse happened elsewhere, your attorney can evaluate which state’s law applies and whether that state has its own lookback window or special rules.
Trust the Team at File Abuse Lawsuit to Help You Navigate the Oregon Legal System
Your story matters, and you deserve answers about what you’ve been through and the timeline that applies to your situation. Whether your claim falls under Oregon’s no-deadline rules for new cases or the earlier discovery-based framework for older incidents, a survivor-focused legal team can help you protect your options and your privacy.
Call File Abuse Lawsuit at (209) 283-2205 for a free, confidential consultation. We’ll listen without judgment, explain your rights step-by-step, and help you decide the path that feels right for you.