The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 13 : Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Chapter 151 : Limitation of Prosecutions and Actions

• § 4501. Limitation of prosecutions for certain crimes

  (a) Prosecutions for aggravated sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault of a child, sexual assault, sexual exploitation of a minor as defined in subsection 3258(c) of this title, human trafficking, aggravated human trafficking, murder, manslaughter, arson causing death, and kidnapping may be commenced at any time after the commission of the offense.

  (b) Prosecutions for lewd and lascivious conduct, sexual abuse of a vulnerable adult under subsection 1379(a) of this title, grand larceny, robbery, burglary, embezzlement, forgery, bribery offenses, false claims, fraud under 33 V.S.A. § 141(d), and felony tax offenses shall be commenced within six years after the commission of the offense, and not after.

  (c) Prosecutions for any of the following offenses shall be commenced within 40 years after the commission of the offense, and not after:

  (1) lewd and lascivious conduct under section 2601 of this title alleged to have been committed against a child under 18 years of age;

  (2) maiming under section 2701 of this title;

  (3) lewd or lascivious conduct with a child under section 2602 of this title;

  (4) sexual exploitation of children under chapter 64 of this title;

  (5) sexual abuse of a vulnerable adult under subsection 1379(b) of this title;

  (6) voyeurism involving photographing, filming, or recording under subsection 2605(c) of this title;

  (7) voyeurism involving display or disclosure of images to a third party under subsection 2605(e) of this title;

  (8) disclosure of sexually explicit images without consent under section 2606 of this title; and

  (9) sexual extortion under section 2607 of this title.

  (d) Prosecutions for arson and first degree aggravated domestic assault shall be commenced within 11 years after the commission of the offense, and not after.

  (e) Prosecutions for other felonies and for misdemeanors shall be commenced within three years after the commission of the offense, and not after. (Amended 1981, No. 52, § 1; 1981, No. 223 (Adj. Sess.), § 11; 1985, No. 82, § 4; 1987, No. 48, § 7; 1989, No. 292 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 1993, No. 163 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 1995, No. 27, § 1; 2009, No. 58, § 15; 2011, No. 6, § 1; 2011, No. 55, § 4; 2013, No. 62, § 1, eff. June 3, 2013; 2013, No. 170 (Adj. Sess.), § 7, eff. Sept. 1, 2014; 2017, No. 44, § 5; 2019, No. 39, § 1, eff. May 30, 2019; 2025, No. 89 (Adj. Sess.), § 4, eff. July 1, 2026.)