How long do you have to file a dog bite lawsuit in Texas?

Texas gives dog bite victims a limited window to file a lawsuit, and once it closes, it closes for good. Understanding the deadline, and the exceptions that can change it, matters even if you never end up going to court, because it shapes how much time you actually have to negotiate a fair settlement before your negotiating position weakens.

The general rule: two years

Under the Texas statute of limitations for personal injury, you generally have two years from the date of the bite to file a lawsuit. This applies whether the claim is based on strict liability, negligence, or a landlord’s failure to address a known dangerous dog. Miss the deadline, and a court will almost certainly dismiss the case, no matter how clear the liability was.

It’s worth being precise about what this deadline covers: it’s the date by which a lawsuit must be filed, not the date your case has to be finished or settled. Most claims never reach a courtroom, they resolve through negotiation with the insurer, but that two-year window is the backstop that gives the deadline its teeth. An insurer that knows you’re running out of time to sue has far less incentive to negotiate seriously.

Why the deadline matters even if you plan to settle

Settlement negotiations can drag on, especially if the insurer keeps countering with lowball offers or delays responding. If the two-year mark is approaching and no fair settlement has been reached, your lawyer needs enough runway to file a lawsuit to preserve your rights, even if the goal is still to settle before trial. Waiting until a few weeks before the deadline to hire a lawyer puts real pressure on that process and can weaken your negotiating position.

Exceptions that can extend or shorten the clock

A few situations change the standard two-year rule:

Minors. Texas generally pauses the clock for a child until they turn 18, meaning they, or a parent on their behalf, may have longer than an adult would. A parent can still file earlier on the child’s behalf.

Government involvement. If a government-owned animal was involved, or the incident happened on government property in a way that implicates a city or county, formal notice requirements often apply with a much shorter deadline, sometimes just months. This is one of the more commonly missed traps in these claims.

Discovery of the injury. In rare cases, if an injury or its full extent wasn’t reasonably discoverable right away, courts may adjust when the clock starts. This is the exception, not something to count on.

Situation	General deadline
Adult victim, standard claim	2 years from the date of the bite
Minor victim	Often tolled until age 18, but a parent can file sooner
Claim involving a government entity	Can be as short as a few months; formal notice required

Why acting early helps even with two years on the clock

A long deadline doesn’t mean there’s no cost to waiting. Evidence gets harder to gather the longer you wait: witnesses move or forget details, animal control records can be harder to track down, and a dog’s prior history becomes tougher to document if too much time passes. Insurers also tend to negotiate more seriously when they know a firm has ample time to prepare a lawsuit if needed, rather than scrambling against a looming deadline.

What to do if you’re not sure where you stand

If you’re uncertain how much time you have left, don’t try to calculate it alone from a general rule, especially if a government entity, a minor, or an unusual set of facts is involved. A quick consultation with a lawyer can confirm your actual deadline and flag any notice requirements that apply well before the two-year mark. This is general information, not legal advice, and deadlines can shift based on facts specific to your case.

Our methodology explains how we evaluate and rank the lawyers in this directory, and you can browse the full list of Texas firms from the homepage if you’re ready to talk to someone about your timeline.