Except as provided in Section 2-725 of the "Uniform Commercial Code", approved July 31, 1961, as amended, and Section 11-13 of "The Illinois Public Aid Code", approved April 11, 1967, as amended, actions on unwritten contracts, expressed or implied, or on awards of arbitration, or to recover damages for an injury done to property, real or personal, or to recover the possession of personal property or damages for the detention or conversion thereof, and all civil actions not otherwise provided for, shall be commenced within 5 years next after the cause of action accrued.
13-205.Five year limitation.
Article XIII. Limitations · Part 2. Personal Actions · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceIllinois's default 5-year deadline covers unwritten contracts, arbitration awards, injury to property, actions for possession or conversion of personal property, and any civil action not covered by a more specific limitations section.
Full Text of 735 ILCS 5/13-205
Plain-English Summary
This is Illinois's general catch-all limitations period. Actions on unwritten contracts, whether express or implied, actions on arbitration awards, actions to recover damages for injury to real or personal property, actions to recover possession of personal property or damages for its detention or conversion, and "all civil actions not otherwise provided for" must be commenced within 5 years after the cause of action accrued.
Two carve-outs sit at the front of the section: sales-of-goods contracts governed by Section 2-725 of the Uniform Commercial Code, and recovery actions under Section 11-13 of the Illinois Public Aid Code, follow their own limitations rules instead of this one.
Because this section functions as a residual catch-all, it's the deadline that applies by default whenever no more specific section of this Article covers a particular kind of civil claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Illinois's statute of limitations for breach of an unwritten contract?
5 years after the cause of action accrued, under Section 13-205.
Does this 5-year period apply to a written contract?
No. Written contracts and other written evidence of indebtedness generally fall under Section 13-206's 10-year period instead.
What is the deadline for property damage claims in Illinois?
5 years after the cause of action accrued, since damage to real or personal property is one of the categories this section covers.
What happens if no other section of the Code covers my type of claim?
This section functions as a catch-all, covering "all civil actions not otherwise provided for" within its 5-year period.
Does this section apply to a sale-of-goods contract?
No. Sales contracts governed by Section 2-725 of the Uniform Commercial Code are excepted from this section.
Amendment History
(Source: P.A. 82-280.)
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Illinois Compiled Statutes, published by the
Illinois Compiled Statutes, Illinois General Assembly / Legislative Reference Bureau. Last verified July 20, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: illinois statute of limitations breach of contractillinois 5 year statute of limitationsillinois statute of limitations property damageillinois statute of limitations conversionillinois general catch all statute of limitations