Unfair Competition Law (Bus. & Prof. Code 17200): 4 years
48 months after date the cause of action accrued, under Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 17208.
Rule text
17208. Any action to enforce any cause of action pursuant to this chapter shall be commenced within four years after the cause of action accrued. No cause of action barred under existing law on the effective date of this section shall be revived by its enactment.
Calculate this deadline
- Trigger (Date the cause of action accrued): Friday, November 6, 2026.
- Add 48 months: Wednesday, November 6, 2030.
Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 17208
17208. Any action to enforce any cause of action pursuant to this chapter shall be commenced within four years after the cause of action accrued. No cause of action barred under existing law on the effective date of this section shall be revived by its enactment.Official source
Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 12, 12a, 12b, 350
CCP 12: "The time in which any act provided by law is to be done is computed by excluding the first day, and including the last, unless the last day is a holiday, and then it is also excluded." CCP 12a(a): "If the last day for the performance of any act provided or required by law to be performed within a specified period of time is a holiday, then that period is hereby extended to and including the next day that is not a holiday. For purposes of this section, “holiday” means all day on Saturdays, all holidays specified in Section 135 and, to the extent provided in Section 12b, all days that by terms of Section 12b are required to be considered as holidays." CCP 350: "An action is commenced, within the meaning of this Title, when the complaint is filed."Official source
- Common-law accrual rules, including delayed discovery and continuous accrual, can apply to UCL claims (Aryeh v. Canon Business Solutions, Inc. (2013) 55 Cal.4th 1185); verify. Remedies limited to restitution and injunction for private plaintiffs. NOT APPLIED BY THE ENGINE: (1) accrual: the engine counts from the date you enter; the common-law discovery rule and delayed-accrual doctrines (Fox v. Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (2005) 35 Cal.4th 797; Norgart v. Upjohn Co. (1999) 21 Cal.4th 383), continuing-violation and continuous-accrual doctrines can move the start date, so enter the correct accrual date. (2) tolling: minority or lack of legal capacity (CCP 352), defendant's absence from California (CCP 351, limited by commerce-clause case law), imprisonment (CCP 352.1, max 2 years), equitable tolling, written waivers/tolling agreements (CCP 360.5), acknowledgment or part payment (CCP 360), bankruptcy (11 U.S.C. 108(c)), and Judicial Council Emergency Rule 9 (2020 Covid-19 tolling of civil limitations periods) are NOT applied. An action is commenced when the complaint is filed (CCP 350). Last day on a Saturday, Sunday or judicial holiday rolls to the next court day (CCP 12a; CCP 366.2(b)(1) confirms 12 and 12a apply to limitations periods).
- If the clerk's office is closed or inaccessible on the last day (weather, emergency or local closure orders), the deadline may be extended. Check local orders.
This calculator applies the cited rules to the dates you enter. It is not legal advice. Court orders, local rules, and case-specific facts can change a deadline; verify before relying on it. Rule set pending attorney review.
Worked example
Date the cause of action accrued on Monday, March 15, 2027, personal service: due Monday, March 17, 2031.
- Trigger (Date the cause of action accrued): Monday, March 15, 2027.
- Add 48 months: Saturday, March 15, 2031.
- That day is a Saturday, so the deadline moves to the next court day: Monday, March 17, 2031 (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 12, 12a, 12b, 350).
Notes
Common-law accrual rules, including delayed discovery and continuous accrual, can apply to UCL claims (Aryeh v. Canon Business Solutions, Inc. (2013) 55 Cal.4th 1185); verify. Remedies limited to restitution and injunction for private plaintiffs. NOT APPLIED BY THE ENGINE: (1) accrual: the engine counts from the date you enter; the common-law discovery rule and delayed-accrual doctrines (Fox v. Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (2005) 35 Cal.4th 797; Norgart v. Upjohn Co. (1999) 21 Cal.4th 383), continuing-violation and continuous-accrual doctrines can move the start date, so enter the correct accrual date. (2) tolling: minority or lack of legal capacity (CCP 352), defendant's absence from California (CCP 351, limited by commerce-clause case law), imprisonment (CCP 352.1, max 2 years), equitable tolling, written waivers/tolling agreements (CCP 360.5), acknowledgment or part payment (CCP 360), bankruptcy (11 U.S.C. 108(c)), and Judicial Council Emergency Rule 9 (2020 Covid-19 tolling of civil limitations periods) are NOT applied. An action is commenced when the complaint is filed (CCP 350). Last day on a Saturday, Sunday or judicial holiday rolls to the next court day (CCP 12a; CCP 366.2(b)(1) confirms 12 and 12a apply to limitations periods).
Related deadlines
- Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act claims: 4 years (borrowing Com. Code 2725) (48 months after)
- Consumers Legal Remedies Act (Civ. Code 1770): 3 years (36 months after)
- Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act: 1 year from violation (12 months after)
- Fair Debt Buyers Practices Act: action against a debt buyer within one year from the last violation (12 months after)
Rules current as of 2026-10-27. Confirm against the official source and any local rule or court order before relying on a date. Rules changelog.