During the period of the mediation, any applicable statute of limitation shall be tolled as to the participants. Such tolling shall commence on the date the parties agree in writing to participate in mediation and shall end on the date mediation is officially terminated by the mediator. A defendant in a criminal action shall be deemed to have waived his right to a speedy trial during the period of time he is participating in a mediation proceeding.
§ 1806.Tolling Statute of Limitation
Chapter 37: Dispute Resolution Act · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified August 3, 2026
In one sentenceTolls the statute of limitations for mediation participants from the date they agree in writing to mediate until the mediator officially ends the process, and treats a criminal defendant's participation in mediation as a waiver of the right to a speedy trial during that time.
Full Text of § 1806
Amendment History
Added by Laws 1983, HB 1136, c. 78, §6, emerg. eff. 7/1/1983.
Plain-English Summary
Section 1806 stops the clock on deadlines while mediation is underway. Any statute of limitations that would otherwise apply to the participants is tolled during the mediation -- starting the date the parties agree in writing to participate, and ending the date the mediator officially terminates the mediation. For a criminal defendant, participating in mediation is treated as a waiver of the right to a speedy trial for as long as the mediation continues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does going to mediation affect my deadline to file a lawsuit?
Yes -- the applicable statute of limitations is tolled for participants during the mediation.
When does that tolling start and end?
It starts on the date the parties agree in writing to participate in mediation, and ends on the date the mediator officially terminates the mediation.
Does mediating a criminal case affect the right to a speedy trial?
Yes -- a criminal defendant is deemed to waive the right to a speedy trial while participating in a mediation proceeding.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
Title 12 of the Oklahoma Statutes, enacted by the Oklahoma Legislature.
Last verified August 3, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: does mediation pause statute of limitations oklahomatolling during mediation oklahomaspeedy trial waiver mediation12 O.S. § 1806