Special Limitation Periods in Ontario
Not every Ontario claim follows the two-year limitation period. Use our free tool to find special limitation period exceptions across Ontario and federal statutes before your deadline passes.
Schedule of Special Limitation Periods in Ontario
These statutory limitation periods are preserved under s. 19 of Ontario’s Limitations Act and override the limitation periods under the Limitations Act. Use this tool for reference purposes only. Last updated on February 12, 2026.
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Ontario Limitation Period Exceptions: Special Deadlines Outside the Limitations Act
Not every claim in Ontario follows the standard two-year limitation period. Dozens of statutes set their own deadlines, some as short as 10 days, and missing them can bar your claim entirely, even if you'd still be within the general window under the Limitations Act, 2002.
These special limitation periods are scattered across Ontario and federal legislation, making them easy to overlook. Some require written notice before you can even start a proceeding. Others impose deadlines that run from the date of the event, not from when you discovered the problem.
This tool collects those limitation period exceptions in one searchable place. Look up the statute or the type of claim, and you'll find the applicable deadline, the relevant section, and key notes about what's required. No more digging through individual Acts trying to figure out whether a special deadline applies to your situation.
If your claim falls under the standard Limitations Act, use our Ontario Limitations Act Calculator to determine your exact deadline, including suspensions, acknowledgments, and tolling agreements.
We want to empower Canadians with the right tools and knowledge to navigate our justice system with confidence. Finally, while you are here, be sure to check out our other tools above!
Frequently Asked Questions
A special limitation period is a deadline set by a specific statute that overrides the general two-year limitation period under the Limitations Act, 2002. If a special limitation period applies to your claim, it takes priority over the default rules.
If your claim involves a specific area of law, such as construction liens, municipal liability, workplace injuries, or insurance disputes, there is a good chance a special limitation period applies. The safest approach is to check the relevant statute before assuming the standard two-year window applies. This tool lets you search by statute or claim type so you can quickly identify whether a special deadline governs your situation.
You are likely still barred. Where a specific statute imposes its own limitation period, that deadline applies regardless of what the Limitations Act, 2002 would otherwise allow. In some cases, you may also be required to provide written notice within a set timeframe as a precondition to suing — missing that notice deadline can be just as fatal to your claim as missing the limitation period itself.
Yes. The same statutory deadlines apply whether you file in Small Claims Court or the Superior Court of Justice. The court you file in does not change the limitation period that governs your claim. If a statute gives you "X" days to preserve a construction lien, that deadline is the same in either court.
