How Long Do I Have to Sue a City or County in California?
Only six months. Before suing a California city, county, or other public entity for injury, you must file a written government claim within six months of the incident — not the usual two years. This covers city vehicles, Metro buses, dangerous roads, and broken sidewalks. Miss it and the claim is almost always lost.
Government defendant? The clock is short — call now.
Se habla español — Llama Me. No out-of-pocket fees — we work on contingency.
Why is the deadline different when the government is involved?
Because the Government Claims Act requires an administrative claim before any lawsuit: you present a written claim to the entity within six months of the injury (Gov. Code § 911.2), the entity gets 45 days to respond (§ 912.4), and only after rejection can you sue — generally within six months of the rejection notice (§ 945.6).
Which accidents does this actually cover?
More than people think: a crash with any city, county, or state vehicle; a Metro or municipal bus injury; a fall on a broken public sidewalk; a crash caused by a dangerous condition of public property — missing signage, broken signals, defective road design (Gov. Code § 835); injuries at public schools, parks, and government buildings.
Sometimes the government’s involvement isn’t obvious — a garbage truck under contract, a road defect contributing to a two-car crash. Identifying a public defendant early is one of the first things a lawyer checks, because it changes every deadline.
What has to be in the claim?
The statute specifies the contents — your information, date/place/circumstances, a description of the injury, and the amount claimed or a statement it exceeds $10,000 (Gov. Code § 910). Most entities have their own claim forms — the City of LA and LA County accept them online — but a nonconforming claim can be attacked, so precision matters.
What if the six months already passed?
There’s a narrow second chance: an application for leave to present a late claim within one year, for reasons like mistake, excusable neglect, or minority (Gov. Code § 911.4). Relief is discretionary and litigated hard — treat it as an emergency exit, not a plan. Being a minor helps for late-claim relief but does not pause the initial six months the way it pauses the ordinary two-year statute.
The government rejected my claim — now what?
Rejection is normal, not a verdict — most claims are rejected or expire by operation of law, and that’s what opens the courthouse door. From a mailed rejection notice you generally have six months to file suit (§ 945.6). Calendar it the day the notice arrives.
Does the two-year deadline still matter in these cases?
The claim deadlines control, but any non-government defendants in the same crash stay on the ordinary two-year clock (Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1) — so mixed cases run on two calendars at once. Overview of all the deadlines: how long after a car accident can you sue?
Six months goes fast. Confirm your deadline today.
Se habla español — Llama Me. No out-of-pocket fees — we work on contingency.
