California's Catch-All Statute of Limitations: Four Years Under CCP § 343
Reviewed and current as of August 31, 2026. California law can change; verify against the current statute before relying on any date.
An action for relief not hereinbefore provided for must be commenced within four years after the cause of action shall have accrued.
Section 343 is the residual provision: it governs only where no more specific limitations statute reaches the claim.
Source: California Code of Civil Procedure section 343 (as of August 31, 2026).
What the statute says
Section 343 states the rule in a single sentence. Its significance lies entirely in when it applies: a claim falls to the four-year catch-all only after the more specific provisions have been ruled out. Courts look to the gravamen of the claim rather than its label, so pleading a novel cause of action does not by itself route it to section 343.
Claims commonly analyzed under the catch-all include breach of fiduciary duty not grounded in fraud, and certain equitable claims for which no specific period is provided. Where a fiduciary claim rests on fraudulent conduct, the three-year discovery period in section 338(d) generally applies instead.
When the clock starts
The period runs from accrual — generally when the cause of action is complete and the plaintiff has suffered harm. Section 343 contains no discovery rule of its own, so delayed accrual must come from the common-law discovery rule where the claim type supports it, rather than from the statute.
Because the catch-all applies by exclusion, the analysis is always two-step: first determine that no specific statute reaches the claim, then apply four years from accrual.
Key exceptions and tolling
- Applies only by exclusion.Section 343 governs only where no more specific limitations provision reaches the claim; the specific statute always controls.
- Gravamen, not label.Courts look to the substance of the claim. A claim styled novelly but resting on fraud runs under section 338(d); one resting on bodily injury runs under section 335.1.
- Fiduciary duty splits.Breach of fiduciary duty not grounded in fraud is commonly analyzed under section 343's four years; where the breach is fraudulent, section 338(d)'s three-year discovery period generally applies.
- No built-in discovery rule.Unlike sections 338(d) and 15657.7, section 343 contains no statutory discovery provision; delayed accrual must rest on common-law doctrine.
- Public entity defendants.Claim-presentation requirements under the Government Code apply independently and are far shorter.
Frequently asked
What is the default statute of limitations in California?
Four years from accrual under Code of Civil Procedure section 343, for any action for relief not otherwise provided for. It applies only where no more specific limitations statute reaches the claim. This is general information, not legal advice.
What is the deadline for breach of fiduciary duty in California?
Where the breach is not grounded in fraud, it is commonly analyzed under the four-year catch-all in section 343. Where the breach rests on fraudulent conduct, the three-year discovery period in section 338(d) generally applies. The characterisation drives the deadline.
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Not legal advice. This page is general information for licensed attorneys and is not a substitute for independent legal research or professional judgment. It does not address the facts of any specific matter. Statutes, case law, and court rules change; tolling, the discovery rule, equitable estoppel, and claims involving minors, government entities, or out-of-state defendants can all change the applicable deadline. Confirm every date against the current text of California Code of Civil Procedure section 343 and controlling case law. Using this page does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Statutory citations current as of August 31, 2026.