However, this applies only to sexual assault crimes committed on or after January 1, 2017. In California, the statute of limitations for sexual assault charges is indefinite and may be brought any time after the offense occurs. While most offenses come with a time limit for prosecution, a few especially severe crimes carry no such restrictions and prosecution can be brought at any time. Statutes of limitations may be different for different types of charges and can vary by state. If the time limit on a certain charge expires, the government may be barred from ever bringing a criminal prosecution. This time limit is known as the statute of limitations, and it varies based on the crime you are charged with. However, the government has a limited amount of time to do so for most charges. When a crime occurs, the government is responsible for pressing charges and criminally prosecuting the alleged offender.