Codex Usage Limit Reached: What It Means and When It Resets
Content updated: Sep 15, 2026
Direct answer
This message means one of your Codex usage windows is exhausted: either the rolling 5-hour limit (capacity returns continuously as the window rolls) or the weekly limit (paused until your personal weekly reset). To see which limit you hit and exactly when it resets, run /status in Codex and paste the output into the Quota Tracker below.
Which limit did you hit?
Run /status in Codex. If the 5-hour quota is at zero but weekly quota remains, waiting is measured in minutes to a few hours as the window rolls forward. If the weekly quota is exhausted, usage resumes at your weekly reset — the /status output shows the exact day and time.
What to do while you wait
Note your weekly reset time and plan heavy work right after it. If this keeps happening, measure your burn rate: two /status checks a day apart reveal how fast you consume quota, and the Burn Rate Calculator tells you the daily budget that would keep you under the limit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Codex say usage limit reached?
You exhausted either the rolling 5-hour window or the weekly limit. /status shows which one and when it resets.
When does Codex work again after limit reached?
For the 5-hour limit, capacity returns continuously as the window rolls. For the weekly limit, at your personal weekly reset time shown by /status.
Is 'limit reached' the same for everyone?
No. Limit windows are individual, so your reset time depends on your own usage schedule.