# Defamation · California — Civil statute of limitations by state and type of claim

For Defamation · California, limitation period is Within one year; section is 340; how the statute describes it is An action for libel, slander, false imprisonment, verified against its source on 2026-08-25.

- **Type of claim:** Defamation _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **State:** California _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Limitation period:** Within one year _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **How the statute describes it:** An action for libel, slander, false imprisonment _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Section:** 340 _(verified: appears in the quote below)_

## What the source says

> 340. Within one year: (a) An action upon a statute for a penalty or forfeiture, if the action is given to an individual, or to an individual and the state, except if the statute imposing it prescribes a different limitation. (b) An action upon a statute for a forfeiture or penalty to the people of this state. (c) An action for libel, slander, false imprisonment, seduction of a person below the age of legal consent,

## Source

- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=CCP&division=&title=2.&part=2&chapter=3&article=

Last verified: 2026-08-25. Review by: 2027-08-25.
Part of [Civil statute of limitations by state and type of claim](https://referencesource.org/state-civil-statute-of-limitations/).