9A.04.080 - Limitation of actions. - Washington Statutes

Limitation of actions.

(1) Prosecutions for criminal offenses shall not be commenced after the periods prescribed in this section.

     (a) The following offenses may be prosecuted at any time after their commission:

     (i) Murder;

     (ii) Homicide by abuse;

     (iii) Arson if a death results;

     (iv) Vehicular homicide;

     (v) Vehicular assault if a death results;

     (vi) Hit-and-run injury-accident if a death results (RCW 46.52.020(4)).

     (b) The following offenses shall not be prosecuted more than ten years after their commission:

     (i) Any felony committed by a public officer if the commission is in connection with the duties of his or her office or constitutes a breach of his or her public duty or a violation of the oath of office;

     (ii) Arson if no death results; or

     (iii)(A) Violations of RCW 9A.44.040 or 9A.44.050 if the rape is reported to a law enforcement agency within one year of its commission; except that if the victim is under fourteen years of age when the rape is committed and the rape is reported to a law enforcement agency within one year of its commission, the violation may be prosecuted up to the victim's twenty-eighth birthday.

     (B) If a violation of RCW 9A.44.040 or 9A.44.050 is not reported within one year, the rape may not be prosecuted: (I) More than three years after its commission if the violation was committed against a victim fourteen years of age or older; or (II) more than three years after the victim's eighteenth birthday or more than seven years after the rape's commission, whichever is later, if the violation was committed against a victim under fourteen years of age.

     (c) Violations of the following statutes may be prosecuted up to the victim's twenty-eighth birthday: RCW 9A.44.073, 9A.44.076, 9A.44.083, 9A.44.086, *9A.44.070, 9A.44.080,9A.44.100 (1)(b), 9A.44.079, 9A.44.089, or 9A.64.020.

     (d) The following offenses shall not be prosecuted more than six years after their commission or their discovery, whichever occurs later:

     (i) Violations of RCW 9A.82.060 or 9A.82.080;

     (ii) Any felony violation of chapter 9A.83 RCW;

     (iii) Any felony violation of chapter 9.35 RCW; or

     (iv) Theft in the first or second degree under chapter 9A.56 RCW when accomplished by color or aid of deception.

     (e) The following offenses shall not be prosecuted more than five years after their commission: Any class C felony under chapter 74.09, 82.36, or 82.38 RCW.

     (f) Bigamy shall not be prosecuted more than three years after the time specified in RCW 9A.64.010.

     (g) A violation of RCW 9A.56.030 must not be prosecuted more than three years after the discovery of the offense when the victim is a tax exempt corporation under 26 U.S.C. Sec. 501(c)(3).

     (h) No other felony may be prosecuted more than three years after its commission; except that in a prosecution under RCW 9A.44.115, if the person who was viewed, photographed, or filmed did not realize at the time that he or she was being viewed, photographed, or filmed, the prosecution must be commenced within two years of the time the person who was viewed or in the photograph or film first learns that he or she was viewed, photographed, or filmed.

     (i) No gross misdemeanor may be prosecuted more than two years after its commission.

     (j) No misdemeanor may be prosecuted more than one year after its commission.

     (2) The periods of limitation prescribed in subsection (1) of this section do not run during any time when the person charged is not usually and publicly resident within this state.

     (3) In any prosecution for a sex offense as defined in RCW 9.94A.030, the periods of limitation prescribed in subsection (1) of this section run from the date of commission or one year from the date on which the identity of the suspect is conclusively established by deoxyribonucleic acid testing, whichever is later.

     (4) If, before the end of a period of limitation prescribed in subsection (1) of this section, an indictment has been found or a complaint or an information has been filed, and the indictment, complaint, or information is set aside, then the period of limitation is extended by a period equal to the length of time from the finding or filing to the setting aside.

[2009 c 61 § 1; 2009 c 53 § 1; 2006 c 132 § 1; 1998 c 221 § 2. Prior: 1997 c 174 § 1; 1997 c 97 § 1; prior: 1995 c 287 § 5; 1995 c 17 § 1; 1993 c 214 § 1; 1989 c 317 § 3; 1988 c 145 § 14; prior: 1986 c 257 § 13; 1986 c 85 § 1; prior: 1985 c 455 § 19; 1985 c 186 § 1; 1984 c 270 § 18; 1982 c 129 § 1; 1981 c 203 § 1; 1975 1st ex.s. c 260 § 9A.04.080.]

Notes: Reviser's note: *(1) RCW 9A.44.070 and 9A.44.080 were repealed by 1988 c 145 § 24.

     (2) This section was amended by 2009 c 53 § 1 and by 2009 c 61 § 1, each without reference to the other. Both amendments are incorporated in the publication of this section under RCW 1.12.025(2). For rule of construction, see RCW 1.12.025(1).

Intent -- 1989 c 317: See note following RCW 4.16.340.

Effective date -- Savings -- Application -- 1988 c 145: See notes following RCW 9A.44.010.

Severability -- 1986 c 257: See note following RCW 9A.56.010.

Effective date -- Severability -- 1985 c 455: See RCW 9A.82.902 and 9A.82.904.

Severability -- Effective date -- 1984 c 270: See RCW 9A.82.900 and 9A.82.901.

Severability -- 1982 c 129: "If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected." [1982 c 129 § 11.]