Statute of Limitations on Debt by State (2026)

How long a creditor or debt collector has to sue you over an unpaid debt in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., for credit cards, written contracts, oral agreements and promissory notes.

3–10 yrsRange for credit card and open-account debt

6 yrsMost common limit for credit cards

7 yrsHow long most negative items can stay on your credit report

The short version

After the statute of limitations runs out, a collector generally can't win a lawsuit against you for that debt. The debt doesn't disappear, though, and collectors may still contact you.
In many states, a small payment or a written promise to pay can restart the clock. Know your state's rule before you pay an old debt.
The statute of limitations and the credit reporting period are different clocks. Paying an old collection doesn't remove it from your report.

Find your state

Showing 51 of 51. Click a column to sort.

State	Written contracts	Oral agreements	Promissory notes	Open accounts (credit cards)
Alabama AL Details Open or unliquidated accounts run 3 years from the last item; courts have treated debt-buyer credit card suits as open accounts (Ayers v. Cavalry SVP I, 2003). Written acknowledgment or partial payment can restart the period. Ala. Code §§ 6-2-34, 6-2-37(1), 7-3-118(a)	6	6	6	3
Alaska AK Details Negotiable notes get 6 years under the UCC (some consumer guides list 3 for all categories); payment or written acknowledgment can restart the period. Alaska Stat. §§ 09.10.053, 45.03.118(a)	3	3	6	3
Arizona AZ Details Credit card debt is 6 years by statute (§ 12-548(A)(2)); other open or stated accounts are 3 years under § 12-543. Section 12-548(B) makes Arizona's period control over a conflicting other-state rule. Accrual on accelerated debt per Mertola v. Santos (Ariz. 2018). Ariz. Rev. Stat. §§ 12-548(A), 12-543, 47-3118(A)	6	3	6	6
Arkansas AR Details Open accounts and credit cards are generally 3 years, but 5 years if the creditor sues on a signed written agreement (sources split on which to list). Arkansas adopted a non-uniform 5-year UCC note period. Partial payment or written acknowledgment tolls written debts (§ 16-56-111(b)); verbal acknowledgment is insufficient. Ark. Code Ann. §§ 16-56-111, 16-56-105, 4-3-118(a)	5	3	5	3
California CA Details Since 2019 (SB 1061), CCP § 337(d) bars suing or arbitrating on consumer debt once the period runs, and payment does not revive it; only a signed written acknowledgment under § 360 can extend a running period. Negotiable notes are 6 years; non-negotiable written notes are 4. Cal. Civ. Proc. Code §§ 337, 339(1), 360; Cal. Com. Code § 3118(a)	4	2	6	4
Colorado CO Details Any liquidated or determinable debt gets 6 years whether written or oral; unliquidated contract claims are 3 years. Revival requires a signed written acknowledgment or a payment (§ 13-80-113). Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 13-80-103.5(1)(a), 13-80-101(1)(a), 13-80-113, 4-3-118(a)	6	6	6	6
Connecticut CT Details The 3-year oral period applies only to executory contracts; once the creditor has fully performed (e.g., money lent), 6 years applies (Tierney v. American Urban Corp.). Licensed collectors and debt buyers must disclose time-barred status (§ 36a-805(a)(14)). Payment or unequivocal acknowledgment can revive under common law. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 52-576(a), 52-581(a), 42a-3-118(a)	6	3	6	6
Delaware DE Details Instruments under seal can run up to 20 years, and written contracts of at least $100,000 may set their own period up to 20 years (§ 8106(c)). Delaware's borrowing statute (§ 8121) applies the shorter period of the state where the claim arose, relevant to Delaware-chartered card banks. A written acknowledgment can restart the period. 10 Del. C. §§ 8106, 8109, 8121; 6 Del. C. § 3-118(a)	3	3	6	3
District of Columbia DC Details For consumer debt suits filed on or after Sept. 1, 2021, a flat 3-year period applies to all theories, including notes and contracts under seal (otherwise 6 and 12 years). After expiration, payment or affirmation does not revive the debt (§ 28-3814(l)), and suing on known time-barred consumer debt is an unlawful practice (§ 28-3814(f)(10)). D.C. Code §§ 28-3814(o), 12-301(7), 28:3-118(a)	3	3	3	3
Florida FL Details Credit cards are 5 years if the creditor produces the written cardholder agreement, otherwise 4 as an open account. Revival requires a signed written acknowledgment (§ 95.04). The 4-year provision was renumbered to (3)(j) by 2023 amendments (formerly (3)(k)). Fla. Stat. §§ 95.11(2)(b), 95.11(3)(j), 95.04	5	4	5	4
Georgia GA Details Credit card claims get 6 years only if the creditor proves the written cardholder agreement (Hill v. American Express, 2008); otherwise 4 years as an open account. Contracts under seal are 20 years. O.C.G.A. §§ 9-3-24, 9-3-25, 11-3-118(a)	6	4	6	4
Hawaii HI Details One 6-year period covers debts on any contract, written or oral; a written acknowledgment or promise to pay can restart it (HRS § 657-11). Haw. Rev. Stat. § 657-1; § 490:3-118 (negotiable notes)	6	6	6	6
Idaho ID Details Credit cards are 4 years as unwritten accounts, or 5 if a signed written agreement is proven. Negotiable notes may get 6 years under the UCC. A signed written acknowledgment or a partial payment can restart the period (§ 5-238). Idaho Code §§ 5-216, 5-217; § 28-3-118 (negotiable notes)	5	4	5	4
Illinois IL Details Courts apply the 5-year unwritten period to credit cards unless every term is in one signed writing (Portfolio Acquisitions v. Feltman, 2009). Negotiable notes get 6 years under the UCC. A payment or a written promise to pay can restart the period (13-206). 735 ILCS 5/13-205, 5/13-206; 810 ILCS 5/3-118 (negotiable notes)	10	5	10	5
Indiana IN Details Written contracts for the payment of money, including notes, get 6 years (34-11-2-9); other written contracts get 10 years (34-11-2-11). Deposit accounts get 2 years. A signed written acknowledgment can restart the period (34-11-9). Ind. Code §§ 34-11-2-7, 34-11-2-9, 34-11-2-11	6	6	6	6
Iowa IA Details Credit cards are usually treated as unwritten accounts with a 5-year period, unless a signed written contract is proven. Negotiable notes may get 6 years under the UCC; one secondary source lists 5 years for notes, but the statute text points to 10 for a written note. A signed written acknowledgment restarts the period (§ 614.11). Iowa Code § 614.1(4), (5); § 554.3118 (negotiable notes)	10	5	10	5
Kansas KS Details Credit cards are 3 years as open accounts, or 5 if a signed written agreement is proven. Negotiable notes may get 6 years under the UCC. A written acknowledgment or a partial payment can restart the period (K.S.A. 60-520). K.S.A. 60-511, 60-512; 84-3-118 (negotiable notes)	5	3	5	3
Kentucky KY Details 2014 Ky. Acts ch. 142 (HB 369) cut the written-contract period to 10 years for contracts made after July 15, 2014; older ones keep 15 years (413.090). Courts split on whether credit cards are 5-year unwritten accounts or written contracts. Negotiable notes may get 6 years under the UCC. KRS 413.160, 413.090(2), 413.120(1); 355.3-118 (negotiable notes)	10	5	6	5
Louisiana LA Details Louisiana calls this prescription. Open accounts, including credit cards, and money lent get 3 years (art. 3494). Notes get 5 years whether negotiable or not (art. 3498). Other contracts get 10 years (art. 3499). An acknowledgment interrupts prescription and starts it over (art. 3464). La. Civ. Code arts. 3494, 3498, 3499	10	10	5	3
Maine ME Details Collectors cannot sue on consumer debt more than 6 years after the last activity, even where a longer period exists, such as 20 years for sealed or witnessed notes (14 M.R.S. § 751). Payment or acknowledgment does not revive a consumer debt (32 M.R.S. § 11013(8)). 14 M.R.S. § 752; 32 M.R.S. § 11013(8); 11 M.R.S. § 3-1118	6	6	6	6
Maryland MD Details Contracts under seal (specialties) get 12 years (5-102); negotiable notes get 6 under the UCC, and unsealed non-negotiable notes get 3. Suing on time-barred consumer debt is banned, and payment or acknowledgment does not revive it (5-1202). Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. §§ 5-101, 5-102, 5-1202; Com. Law § 3-118	3	3	6	3
Massachusetts MA Details Contracts under seal and witnessed promissory notes get 20 years (ch. 260, § 1). AG regulation 940 CMR 7.07(24) requires collectors to disclose time-barred status. A Senate bill for a 5-year consumer debt limit passed the Senate in 2025 but has not been enacted. Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2; ch. 106, § 3-118; ch. 260, § 1 (sealed contracts, witnessed notes)	6	6	6	6
Michigan MI Details A signed written acknowledgment or promise can restart the period (MCL 600.5866). Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5807(9); § 440.3118 (negotiable notes); § 600.5866 (acknowledgment)	6	6	6	6
Minnesota MN Details For consumer debt, Minn. Stat. § 541.053 sets 6 years and provides that a payment, bankruptcy discharge, or oral or written reaffirmation does not revive an expired period. Minn. Stat. § 541.05, subd. 1; § 541.053 (consumer debt); § 336.3-118	6	6	6	6
Mississippi MS Details Under § 15-1-3, expiration of the period extinguishes the debt itself, not just the remedy. Negotiable promissory notes get 6 years under § 75-3-118 (Hubbard v. BancorpSouth Bank, Miss. 2014); many consumer tables list 3. Miss. Code Ann. § 15-1-29; § 15-1-3 (extinguishment); § 75-3-118 (negotiable notes)	3	3	6	3
Missouri MO Details 10 years applies only to a written promise to pay money; other written contracts get 5. Courts are split on whether a credit card agreement qualifies for 10 years or is treated as a 5-year account. A partial payment or signed written acknowledgment can restart the period. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.110(1) (10 years, writing for payment of money); § 516.120(1) (5 years, other contracts); § 516.320 (acknowledgment)	10	5	10	5
Montana MT Details SB 143 (2025) cut the written contract period from 8 to 6 years for actions filed on or after Oct. 1, 2025; many older tables still show 8. Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-202 (as amended by SB 143, 2025 Mont. Laws ch. 174); § 30-3-118	6	5	6	5
Nebraska NE Details Negotiable notes get 6 years under UCC § 3-118, while non-negotiable written notes fall under the 5-year § 25-205; many consumer tables list 5. A partial payment or written acknowledgment restarts the period. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-205 (written, 5); § 25-206 (oral and implied, 4); Neb. UCC § 3-118 (negotiable notes, 6); § 25-216 (acknowledgment)	5	4	6	4
Nevada NV Details Under NRS 11.200(2), a payment or affirmation after the period expires does not revive it. Credit card claims are often pleaded on the written agreement (6 years) rather than as a 4-year open account. Nev. Rev. Stat. § 11.190(1)(b), (2)(a)-(c); § 11.200; § 11.390; § 104.3118	6	4	6	4
New Hampshire NH Details Negotiable promissory notes get 6 years under the UCC; contracts under seal get 20 years (RSA 508:5). N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 508:4; § 508:5 (sealed contracts, 20 years); § 382-A:3-118 (negotiable notes)	3	3	6	3
New Jersey NJ Details Retail installment or goods-sale debts may fall under the 4-year UCC § 12A:2-725 period. Bills to bar suits on time-barred consumer debt are pending but not enacted. N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2A:14-1; § 12A:3-118; § 12A:2-725 (sale of goods, 4 years)	6	6	6	6
New Mexico NM Details Accounts get 4 years even when written (37-1-4 annotations), running from the last entry; a written acknowledgment can revive the debt (37-1-16). N.M. Stat. Ann. 37-1-3(A) (written contracts, promissory notes); 37-1-4 (accounts and unwritten contracts)	6	4	6	4
New York NY Details The Consumer Credit Fairness Act (eff. April 7, 2022) set 3 years for actions on consumer credit transactions against the consumer, and after expiration no payment or acknowledgment revives or extends it; non-consumer contracts and notes remain 6 years under CPLR 213(2). N.Y. CPLR 214-i (consumer credit transactions, 3 years); CPLR 213(2) (contracts generally, 6 years)	3	3	3	3
North Carolina NC Details Debt buyers may not sue or arbitrate on time-barred debt (58-70-115); notes under seal get 10 years and negotiable notes 6 years under UCC 25-3-118, but the general 3-year contract period is the usual consumer rule; one compilation lists 5 years for notes, which the statutes do not support. N.C. Gen. Stat. 1-52(1) (contracts, 3 years); 1-47(2) (sealed instruments, 10 years); 25-3-118(a) (negotiable notes, 6 years); 58-70-115 (time-barred debt)	3	3	3	3
North Dakota ND Details N.D. Cent. Code 28-01-16(1)	6	6	6	6
Ohio OH Details S.B. 13 (eff. June 16, 2021) cut written contracts from 8 to 6 years and oral from 6 to 4, and added 2305.07(C): any consumer transaction, including an account stated, written or not, gets 6 years running from 30 days after the last charge or payment; non-consumer oral contracts stay at 4. Some compilations still list 8 years for notes, which is outdated. Ohio Rev. Code 2305.06 (written, 6 years); 2305.07(A) (unwritten, 4 years) and 2305.07(C) (consumer transactions, 6 years); 1303.16 (negotiable notes, 6 years)	6	6	6	6
Oklahoma OK Details Credit cards are usually treated as open accounts at 3 years, but a creditor proving a signed written agreement may argue for the 5-year written period; non-negotiable notes may fall under the 5-year written period. Okla. Stat. tit. 12, 95(A)(1) (written, 5 years), 95(A)(2) (unwritten, 3 years); tit. 12A, 3-118(a) (notes, 6 years)	5	3	6	3
Oregon OR Details Debt collectors and debt buyers may not file suit on debt they know or should know is time-barred (ORS 646.639). Or. Rev. Stat. 12.080(1); 646.639(2)(r) and (4)(a) (time-barred debt suits)	6	6	6	6
Pennsylvania PA Details 4 years applies to contracts under seal or otherwise and to negotiable and nonnegotiable notes; for demand notes it runs from the later of demand or the last payment. 42 Pa. C.S. 5525(a)(3), (4), (7), (8)	4	4	4	4
Rhode Island RI Details The general 10-year civil period covers contracts and accounts; negotiable notes may be limited to 6 years under UCC 6A-3-118. One compilation lists 4 years for written contracts, which conflicts with the statute text. R.I. Gen. Laws 9-1-13(a); 6A-3-118 (negotiable notes)	10	10	6	10
South Carolina SC Details Sealed notes for payment of money stay at 3 years under 15-3-520(b), but a negotiable note may get 6 years under UCC 36-3-118; open accounts accrue from the last item (15-3-610). S.C. Code Ann. 15-3-530(1); 15-3-520 (sealed instruments, 20 years, excluding sealed notes for money only); 36-3-118(a) (negotiable notes, 6 years)	3	3	3	3
South Dakota SD Details S.D. Codified Laws 15-2-13; 57A-3-118	6	6	6	6
Tennessee TN Details Single 6-year period for contracts not otherwise provided for; non-negotiable demand obligations can run 10 years under 28-3-109(c). Tenn. Code Ann. 28-3-109(a)(3); 47-3-118	6	6	6	6
Texas TX Details Debt buyers may not sue or arbitrate on time-barred consumer debt, and a payment or reaffirmation does not revive it (Fin. Code 392.307, HB 996, 2019). Negotiable notes get 6 years under Bus. & Com. Code 3.118; other debt is 4 years. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.004; Tex. Bus. & Com. Code 3.118; Tex. Fin. Code 392.307	4	4	6	4
Utah UT Details Open accounts are 4 years from last charge or payment (78B-2-307), but credit cards with a written agreement may be argued under the 6-year written rule; courts have not settled it. Payment or written acknowledgment restarts the period (78B-2-113). Utah Code 78B-2-309; 78B-2-307; 70A-3-118; 78B-2-113	6	4	6	4
Vermont VT Details A promissory note signed in the presence of an attesting witness has 14 years (12 V.S.A. 508); ordinary notes are 6. 12 V.S.A. 511; 12 V.S.A. 508; 9A V.S.A. 3-118	6	6	6	6
Virginia VA Details Written contracts must be signed by the party charged to get 5 years; unsigned or unwritten (most open and credit card accounts) get 3. Negotiable notes 6 years under 8.3A-118. Va. Code 8.01-246(2), (4); 8.3A-118	5	3	6	3
Washington WA Details 6 years for written contracts and accounts receivable (credit cards fall here), 3 years for oral. Licensed collection agencies may not sue on time-barred debt (RCW 19.16.250(23)). A payment or signed written acknowledgment before expiration restarts the period (RCW 4.16.270, 4.16.280). RCW 4.16.040; 4.16.080(3); 62A.3-118; 19.16.250(23)	6	3	6	6
West Virginia WV Details Signed written contracts get 10 years, other contracts including most credit card and open accounts get 5. Negotiable notes are 6 years under 46-3-118 (a signed non-negotiable note could get 10; some secondary charts list 5, but statute text supports 6). Only a signed written promise revives the debt (55-2-8), and collectors must give a time-barred debt disclosure (46A-2-128(f)). W. Va. Code 55-2-6; 46-3-118; 55-2-8; 46A-2-128(f)	10	5	6	5
Wisconsin WI Details When the period runs the debt itself is extinguished, not just the remedy (Wis. Stat. 893.05). Wis. Stat. 893.43; 403.118; 893.05	6	6	6	6
Wyoming WY Details Credit card accounts are usually treated as unwritten (8 years), though a signed card agreement may support 10. A payment or signed written acknowledgment restarts the period (1-3-119). Wyo. Stat. 1-3-105(a)(i), (a)(ii)(A); 34.1-3-118; 1-3-119	10	8	6	8

Periods are in years. Last reviewed October 2026.

What the statute of limitations on debt means

Every state sets a deadline for filing a lawsuit to collect a debt. Once that deadline passes, the debt is called time-barred. Under the federal debt collection rules (Regulation F), a debt collector may not sue you or threaten to sue you over a time-barred debt. The debt itself usually still exists, so collectors can still ask you to pay voluntarily, and a few states go further and treat the debt as fully extinguished.

The statute of limitations is a defense, not an automatic shield. If you are sued on an old debt, you generally have to raise the statute of limitations in your response to the court. Never ignore a summons, even for a debt you believe is too old.

When does the clock start?

In most states the clock starts on the date of your last payment or the date you first defaulted on the account, not the date the account was opened or sold to a collector. A debt being sold to a new collector does not restart it.

Can paying restart the statute of limitations?

In many states, a partial payment, a new promise to pay, or a written acknowledgment of the debt can revive it and start a new limitations period. Some states, including Texas and New York, have changed their laws so that a payment does not revive a time-barred consumer debt. Check the notes in the table for your state, and get advice before paying anything on a very old account.

Statute of limitations vs. credit reporting

These are two separate clocks. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, most negative items, including collections and charge-offs, can stay on your credit report for 7 years from the date of first delinquency, no matter what your state's statute of limitations is. Paying a collection does not reset that 7-year reporting period, and it doesn't remove the item either. That is where pay-for-deletion comes in.

Which state's law applies?

Usually the law of the state where you live or where the lawsuit is filed applies. Some credit agreements include a clause choosing another state's law, and some states have "borrowing" rules that apply the shorter of two states' deadlines. If you have moved since the debt went unpaid, the answer can be different, so it's worth asking a consumer attorney.

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Since 2008, BCR has negotiated pay-for-deletion agreements to remove qualifying collections and charge-offs from credit reports, documented in writing before any payment is made. You pay only for results.

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This table is general information about state statutes of limitations for civil debt collection lawsuits, compiled from each state's statutes and reviewed in October 2026. Laws change, courts interpret them differently, and the correct period can depend on the type of debt, the agreement and where you live. BCR Consulting is not a law firm and this is not legal advice. If you have been sued or are deciding whether to pay an old debt, talk with a licensed attorney in your state.