What is the statute of limitations for petty misdemeanors?

• A. 1 year
• B. 2 years
• C. 6 years
• D. No statute

Answer: (A)

Petty misdemeanors have the shortest window in which charges can be filed. The time limit is one year from the date of the offense, meaning prosecutors must bring charges within that one-year period or the case may be barred. This shorter duration reflects the minor nature of petty offenses and helps prevent stale prosecutions for relatively schedule-level misconduct.

There are tolling rules in some situations that can pause or extend the running of this period (for example, if the defendant is unavailable or certain other legal actions delay proceedings), but the baseline rule remains a one-year limit. The options of two years or six years exceed the typical window for petty offenses, and the notion of “no statute” would imply charges can be brought at any time, which is not the norm for petty misdemeanors.