Prescription Periods for Penal Violations

Section 1 governs violations penalized by special acts unless those acts provide otherwise.
Section 1 governs violations penalized by municipal ordinances.
Section 3 defines special acts as acts that define and penalize violations of law not included in the Penal Code.
Section 1 sets separate prescription rules for offenses penalized by special acts and by municipal ordinances.

Section 1(a) provides that violations penalized by special acts prescribe after one year for offenses punished only by a fine or by imprisonment for not more than one month, or both.
Section 1(b) provides that violations prescribe after four years for offenses punished by imprisonment for more than one month but less than two years.
Section 1(c) provides that violations prescribe after eight years for offenses punished by imprisonment for two years or more but less than six years.
Section 1(d) provides that violations prescribe after twelve years for any other offense punished by imprisonment for six years or more.
Section 1(d) provides that the offense of treason prescribes after twenty years.

Section 1 provides that violations penalized by municipal ordinances prescribe after two months.

Section 2 provides that prescription begins to run from the day of the commission of the violation.
Section 2 provides that if the violation is not known at the time, prescription begins to run from discovery of the violation.
Section 2 further provides that when the violation was not known at the time, prescription begins to run from the discovery thereof and the institution of judicial proceedings for investigation and punishment.

Section 2 provides that prescription is interrupted when proceedings are instituted against the guilty person.
Section 2 provides that prescription begins to run again if the proceedings are dismissed for reasons not constituting jeopardy.