Laws governing defamation differ from state to state. The statute of limitations ranges from six months to three years.
 
ALABAMA Two years
ALASKA Two years
ARIZONA One year
ARKANSAS One year for slander; three years for libel
CALIFORNIA One year
COLORADO One year
CONNECTICUT Two years
DELAWARE Two years
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA One year
FLORIDA Two years
GEORGIA One year
HAWAII Two years
IDAHO Two years
ILLINOIS One year
INDIANA Two years
IOWA Two years
KANSAS One year
KENTUCKY One year
LOUISIANA One year
MAINE Two years
MARYLAND One year
MASSACHUSETTS Three years
MICHIGAN One year
MINNESOTA Two years
MISSISSIPPI One year
MISSOURI Two years
MONTANA Two years
NEBRASKA One year
NEVADA Two years
NEW HAMPSHIRE Three years
NEW JERSEY One year
NEW MEXICO Three years
NEW YORK One year
NORTH CAROLINA One year
NORTH DAKOTA Two years
OHIO One year
OKLAHOMA One year
OREGON One year
PENNSYLVANIA One year
RHODE ISLAND One year for slander; three years for libel
SOUTH CAROLINA Two years
SOUTH DAKOTA Two years
TENNESSEE Six months for slander; one year for libel
TEXAS One year
UTAH One year
VERMONT Three years
VIRGINIA