Felonies

• The California Penal Code, section 799, contains the statute of limitations for criminal prosecutions. In California, there is a six-year statute of limitations for felony offenses that are punishable by more than eight years in prison.
  
  

Time Begins

• The statute of limitations begins to run when the cause of action accrues or occurs. The six-year time period begins to run at the time that the criminal act was committed or is discovered.
  
  

Tolling

• In some cases the time period for prosecution will be tolled, or stopped from running. The statute of limitations does not run while the defendant is absent from the state. The time limit can be extended for a maximum of three years.