Key Takeaways
- Every state sets its own deadline, and for a written contract it runs from three years to ten. Six years is the most common, used by 24 of the 50 jurisdictions we verified.
- Eight jurisdictions give a collector only three years on a written contract: Alaska, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina and South Carolina. Eight others allow ten.
- The general number is not always your number. New York cuts consumer credit to three years, D.C. does the same for all consumer debt, and Virginia and Florida have separate medical debt deadlines.
- A small payment can restart the clock in many states. Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New York and D.C. say by statute that a payment after the deadline does not revive the debt.
- Federal law makes suing on an expired debt illegal everywhere. A collector “must not bring or threaten to bring a legal action” on a time-barred debt (12 C.F.R. § 1006.26(b)).
- You still have to show up. A court can enter judgment on an expired debt if you do not raise the deadline as a defense.
The statute of limitations on debt depends on the state and the kind of debt. For a written contract it ranges from three years to ten, and six years is the most common. For oral contracts and open accounts it is often shorter. The table below gives the deadline for every state and the District of Columbia, taken from each state’s own code, with the statute cited so you can check it yourself.
The deadline is how long a creditor or debt collector has to sue you. It is not how long they can call, and it is not how long the debt stays on your credit report. Those run on different clocks, covered further down. If a collector is pressing you on an old account, or has already sued, call Agruss Law Firm at 888-572-0176 for a free consultation.
Statute of limitations on debt: all 50 states and D.C.
Each row gives the general deadline for three kinds of claims. Written contract covers a signed agreement such as a loan. Oral contract covers an agreement that was never put in writing. Open account covers a running balance, where the state has a statute that names one; “None” means the state sets no separate period for accounts. Where a state has a rule aimed at consumer debt that changes the answer, it is noted under the citation.
| State | Written contract | Oral contract | Open account | Statute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 6 years | 6 years | 3 years | Ala. Code § 6-2-34(4); Ala. Code § 6-2-34(9); Ala. Code § 6-2-37(1) |
| Alaska | 3 years | 3 years | None | Alaska Stat. § 09.10.053 |
| Arizona | 6 years | 3 years | 3 years | A.R.S. § 12-548(A)(1); A.R.S. § 12-543(1); A.R.S. § 12-543(2) |
| Arkansas | 5 years | 3 years | None | Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-111(a); Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-105(1) |
| California | 4 years | 2 years | 4 years | Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 337(a); Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 339(1); Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 337(b) No suit or arbitration once the period has run (Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 337(d)) |
| Colorado | 6 years | 6 years | None | C.R.S. § 13-80-103.5(1)(a) Six years applies to any action to recover a debt, written or not |
| Connecticut | 6 years | 3 years | 6 years | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-576(a); Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-581(a) |
| Delaware | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years | 10 Del. C. § 8106(a) |
| District of Columbia | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years | D.C. Code § 12-301(a)(7); D.C. Code § 28-3814(o) Consumer debt: 3 years, and a later payment does not extend it (D.C. Code § 28-3814(l), (o)) |
| Florida | 5 years | 4 years | 4 years | Fla. Stat. § 95.11(2)(b); Fla. Stat. § 95.11(3)(j) Hospital medical debt: 3 years from referral to collection (Fla. Stat. § 95.11(4)) |
| Georgia | 6 years | Not verified | Not verified | O.C.G.A. § 9-3-24 Oral contracts and open accounts fall under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-25; we could not retrieve the official text to confirm the period |
| Hawaii | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | HRS § 657-1(1) |
| Idaho | 5 years | 4 years | None | Idaho Code § 5-216; Idaho Code § 5-217 |
| Illinois | 10 years | 5 years | None | 735 ILCS 5/13-206; 735 ILCS 5/13-205 |
| Indiana | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | IC 34-11-2-9(b); IC 34-11-2-7(1); IC 34-11-3-1 |
| Iowa | 10 years | 5 years | None | Iowa Code § 614.1(5)(a); Iowa Code § 614.1(4) |
| Kansas | 5 years | 3 years | None | K.S.A. 60-511(1); K.S.A. 60-512(1) |
| Kentucky | 10 years | 5 years | 5 years | KRS 413.160; KRS 413.090(2); KRS 413.120(1); KRS 413.120(9)-(10); KRS 413.130(1)-(2) Written contracts signed before July 15, 2014: 15 years (KRS 413.090(2)) |
| Louisiana | 10 years | 10 years | 3 years | La. Civ. Code art. 3499; La. Civ. Code art. 3494(4) An action on money lent is also 3 years (La. Civ. Code art. 3494(3)) |
| Maine | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 14 M.R.S. § 752; 14 M.R.S. § 751; 14 M.R.S. § 852 |
| Maryland | 3 years | 3 years | None | Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-101; Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-102 |
| Massachusetts | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | M.G.L. c. 260, § 2; M.G.L. c. 260, § 6 |
| Michigan | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | MCL 600.5807(9); MCL 600.5831 |
| Minnesota | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | Minn. Stat. § 541.05, subd. 1(1); Minn. Stat. § 541.10 |
| Mississippi | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years | Miss. Code Ann. § 15-1-49(1); Miss. Code Ann. § 15-1-29 |
| Missouri | 10 years | 5 years | 5 years | RSMo § 516.110(1); RSMo § 516.120(1); RSMo § 516.160 |
| Montana | 6 years | 5 years | 5 years | Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-202(1); Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-202(2) Cut from 8 years to 6 by the 2025 Legislature |
| Nebraska | 5 years | 4 years | None | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-205(1); Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-206 |
| Nevada | 6 years | 4 years | 4 years | Nev. Rev. Stat. § 11.190(1)(b); Nev. Rev. Stat. § 11.190(2)(c); Nev. Rev. Stat. § 11.190(2)(a)-(b) A payment after the period runs does not revive it (NRS 11.200(2)) |
| New Hampshire | 3 years | 3 years | None | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 508:4(I) |
| New Jersey | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2A:14-1(a) |
| New Mexico | 6 years | 4 years | 4 years | N.M. Stat. Ann. § 37-1-3(A); N.M. Stat. Ann. § 37-1-4 |
| New York | 6 years | 6 years | None | N.Y. CPLR 213(2) Consumer credit: 3 years, and a later payment does not revive it (N.Y. CPLR § 214-i) |
| North Carolina | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-52(1); N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-31 |
| North Dakota | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | N.D. Cent. Code § 28-01-16(1); N.D. Cent. Code § 28-01-37 |
| Ohio | 6 years | 4 years | 6 years | Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.06; Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.07(A); Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.07(C) |
| Oklahoma | 5 years | 3 years | None | Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 95(A)(1); Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 95(A)(2) |
| Oregon | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.080(1); Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.090 |
| Pennsylvania | 4 years | 4 years | None | 42 Pa.C.S. § 5525(a)(8); 42 Pa.C.S. § 5525(a)(3) |
| Rhode Island | 10 years | 10 years | None | R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-13(a) |
| South Carolina | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years | S.C. Code Ann. § 15-3-530(1); S.C. Code Ann. § 15-3-610 |
| South Dakota | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | SDCL § 15-2-13(1); SDCL § 15-2-4 |
| Tennessee | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Contract actions fall under Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-109; the official code could not be retrieved to confirm the period |
| Texas | 4 years | 4 years | 4 years | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004(a)(3); Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.051; Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004(c) A debt buyer may not sue after 4 years, and a payment does not revive it (Tex. Fin. Code § 392.307) |
| Utah | 6 years | 4 years | 4 years | Utah Code § 78B-2-309(1)(b); Utah Code § 78B-2-307(1)(a); Utah Code § 78B-2-307(1)(b)-(c) |
| Vermont | 6 years | 6 years | None | 12 V.S.A. § 511 |
| Virginia | 5 years | 3 years | 5 years | Va. Code § 8.01-246(A)(2); Va. Code § 8.01-246(A)(4); Va. Code § 8.01-246(A)(3) Medical debt: 3 years from the final invoice due date, unless a payment plan allows longer (Va. Code § 8.01-246(B)) |
| Washington | 6 years | 3 years | 6 years | RCW 4.16.040(1); RCW 4.16.080(3); RCW 4.16.040(2) |
| West Virginia | 10 years | 5 years | 5 years | W. Va. Code § 55-2-6 |
| Wisconsin | 6 years | 6 years | None | Wis. Stat. § 893.43(1) |
| Wyoming | 10 years | 8 years | None | Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(i); Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(ii)(A) |
Two rows need a caveat. Georgia’s six-year written-contract period is confirmed from the official code, but the text of O.C.G.A. § 9-3-25, which covers oral contracts and open accounts, could not be retrieved to confirm the number. Tennessee’s official code could not be retrieved at all. Rather than print a figure we could not check, we have marked those cells “Not verified.” If you live in either state, ask a lawyer to confirm the deadline for your account.
Laws also change. Montana cut its written-contract period from eight years to six in 2025, and bills to shorten the deadline for consumer debt are pending in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. The table reflects the law as published on 10 September 2026.
Which row applies to a credit card?
This is the question the table cannot settle for you, and it is the one collectors and consumers fight about most. Many states set one deadline for written contracts and a shorter one for oral contracts or open accounts. A credit card has a signed application and a cardholder agreement, which sounds written. It also has a balance that moves up and down with every purchase, which is what an open account looks like. Courts in different states have landed in different places.
The CFPB says the deadline can vary with the type of debt, the state where you live, and the “state law named in your credit agreement.” That last one matters more than people expect. If your agreement names another state’s law, you may be looking at a different row than the one next to the name of the state you live in. Keep a copy of the agreement, or ask the collector for one.
The practical rule: if the shorter period has passed, raise it. The collector has to prove the debt is still inside the limit, and a lawyer can tell you which column your state’s courts actually use.
When the clock starts, and what restarts it
The number of years is only half the answer. The other half is the start date. According to the CFPB, “in some states, the statute of limitations period begins once a required payment is missed. In other states, the period of time counts from when the most recent payment was made, even if that payment was made during collection.”
That second rule is where people get hurt. A collector calls about a six-year-old account, asks for a “good-faith” payment of $25, and the consumer sends it to make the calls stop. In many states that payment starts the full period over again. A written promise to pay can do the same. The CFPB puts it plainly: “making a partial payment or acknowledging you owe an old debt, even after the statute of limitations expired, may restart the time period.”
Before you pay anything on an old account, find the date of your last payment and check it against your state’s row.
States that give consumers more than the table shows
The numbers in the table are the general contract deadlines. A handful of states have added rules aimed specifically at old consumer debt, and they matter more than the headline number if you live there.
| State | What the extra rule does | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| California | Once the period has run, “a person shall not bring suit or initiate an arbitration or other legal proceeding to collect the debt.” | Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 337(d) |
| Connecticut | A debt buyer may not sue on consumer debt past the deadline, and a later payment or affirmation does not extend it. | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 36a-814 |
| District of Columbia | All consumer debt has a three-year deadline, suing on a debt the collector knows is past it is a prohibited practice, and a later payment or affirmation “shall not extend the limitations period.” | D.C. Code § 28-3814(f)(10), (l), (o) |
| Maine | A debt collector may not sue more than six years after your last activity on the debt, whatever any other statute says, and a later payment or promise “does not revive or extend the limitations period.” | 32 M.R.S. § 11013(7), (8) |
| Maryland | No consumer debt collection suit after the deadline, and a later payment, affirmation or “any other activity on the debt” does not revive it. | Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-1202 |
| Minnesota | Once the period on a consumer debt has run, a payment or a written or oral reaffirmation does not revive it. | Minn. Stat. § 541.053 |
| Mississippi | When the period runs, it “shall defeat and extinguish the right as well as the remedy.” | Miss. Code Ann. § 15-1-3(1) |
| Nevada | A payment or other activity on a debt after the deadline “does not revive the applicable limitation.” | NRS 11.200(2) |
| New York | Consumer credit suits against the debtor must be filed within three years, not six. Once that runs out, a later payment, promise or “other activity on the debt does not revive or extend the limitations period.” | N.Y. CPLR § 214-i |
| North Carolina | A debt buyer may not sue, arbitrate or otherwise attempt to collect a debt they know is past the deadline, and may not get you to acknowledge an old debt without explaining what that does. | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 58-70-115(1), (4) |
| Oregon | It is unlawful for a debt collector or debt buyer to sue on a debt they know is time-barred. | ORS 646.639(2)(r) |
| Texas | A debt buyer may not sue or arbitrate on consumer debt once the four-year period has run, and a payment or reaffirmation does not revive it. | Tex. Fin. Code § 392.307 |
| Virginia | Medical debt has its own three-year deadline from the final invoice due date, unless a payment plan allows longer. | Va. Code § 8.01-246(B) |
| Washington | A written acknowledgment or promise made after the deadline “shall not restart, revive, or extend the limitation period,” and licensed collection agencies may not sue on a claim they know or should know is time-barred. | RCW 4.16.280; RCW 19.16.250(23) |
| West Virginia | Written collection notices on a debt past the deadline must carry a notice that the collector cannot sue you for it. | W. Va. Code § 46A-2-128(f) |
| Wisconsin | When the period runs, “the right is extinguished as well as the remedy.” The debt itself is gone, not just the lawsuit. | Wis. Stat. § 893.05 |
Going the other way, some states say in their statutes that a payment does start the clock over, including Kansas, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. Most others require a signed written acknowledgment or promise before the period restarts. Either way, a payment on an old account is a decision to make with the dates in front of you, not on the phone with a collector.
The federal rule that sits on top of every state
State law sets the deadline. Federal law decides what happens when a collector ignores it. Under Regulation F, “a debt collector must not bring or threaten to bring a legal action against a consumer to collect a time-barred debt” (12 C.F.R. § 1006.26(b)). A time-barred debt is simply “a debt for which the applicable statute of limitations has expired.” The rule has one carve-out, for proofs of claim in a bankruptcy case, and no exception for a collector who says they miscalculated the date.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act adds a second layer. It bars “the threat to take any action that cannot legally be taken” (15 U.S.C. § 1692e(5)). A letter or a phone call that says “we will sue you” about a debt past your state’s deadline is a violation on its own, whether or not a lawsuit is ever filed.
There is one catch you cannot afford to miss. The statute of limitations is a defense, and defenses have to be raised. The CFPB warns that even when a lawsuit is filed too late, “a court may still award a judgment against you if you don’t show up and raise the statute of limitations as a defense.” A judgment on a dead debt is still a judgment, and it is what opens the door to wage garnishment. If you are served, respond by the date on the summons. Our guide to what happens when a debt collector sues you walks through it.
Two deadlines this table does not cover
Credit reporting runs on its own federal clock. A collection account can stay on your credit report for seven years, and under 15 U.S.C. § 1681c(c)(1) that seven years begins 180 days after “the delinquency which immediately preceded the collection activity.” The date is fixed by that original delinquency, not by your state’s lawsuit deadline. A debt can be too old to sue on and still be on your report, or off your report and still inside the lawsuit window. If an old account is reporting past its date, dispute it with the credit bureaus.
Federal student loans have no deadline at all. Under 20 U.S.C. § 1091a(a)(2), “no limitation shall terminate the period within which suit may be filed, a judgment may be enforced, or an offset, garnishment, or other action initiated or taken” on the covered federal student loans. Nothing in the table below applies to them.
We explain how all three clocks interact in how long a debt collector can try to collect a debt.
Where the problem shows up
In 2025 the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau received 2,284 complaints from people who said a debt collector threatened to sue them over a very old debt. The largest numbers came from California, Texas and Florida.
Those are only the people who knew to complain. Under federal law a threat to sue on a debt past your state’s deadline is a violation on its own, so each of those complaints may also be a claim.
What to do when a collector calls about an old debt
- Do not pay anything or promise to pay yet. In many states a payment or a written acknowledgment restarts the clock. Find out where you stand first.
- Find the date of your last payment. Your own bank records are the best evidence. Your credit report will also show a date of first delinquency for the account.
- Ask for validation in writing. You have the right to ask the collector to validate the debt, including who owns it now and how much they say you owe. Our overview of debt collection law explains what they must send.
- Check your state’s row above. If the period has run, a collector who threatens to sue you is breaking federal law. Keep the letter, the voicemail, or a note of the call with the date.
- If you are served, answer. Raise the statute of limitations as a defense by the date on the summons. Do not assume the court will notice on its own.
- If they will not stop, make them. A written request to stop contact obligates them to cease under the FDCPA, and there are other ways to stop debt collection harassment.
You can also look up your state on our collection laws by state page, which covers the federal protections that apply everywhere.
What a violation is worth
If a collector sues or threatens to sue on a debt past your state’s deadline, you may have a claim against them. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1692k(a), a collector who violates the FDCPA is liable for your actual damages, additional damages of up to $1,000 in an individual case, and your court costs and reasonable attorney’s fees. That fee-shifting is why consumers can bring these cases without paying a lawyer out of pocket.
The deadline for your own claim is short. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1692k(d), it must be brought “within one year from the date on which the violation occurs.” A threatening letter from last spring may already be close to that line.
Frequently asked questions
Does making a payment restart the statute of limitations?
In many states, yes. The CFPB warns that “making a partial payment or acknowledging you owe an old debt, even after the statute of limitations expired, may restart the time period.” Some states have closed that door for consumers. New York says that once the three-year period for consumer credit runs out, a later payment or promise to pay “does not revive or extend the limitations period” (N.Y. CPLR § 214-i), and Washington says a written acknowledgment made after the deadline cannot restart it (RCW 4.16.280). Check your state before you pay anything on an old account.
Does the debt go away when the statute of limitations runs out?
Usually not. The CFPB says a debt “doesn’t generally expire or disappear until it’s paid.” What ends is the collector’s ability to sue you for it. They can still call and write, within the limits of the FDCPA, but under 12 C.F.R. § 1006.26(b) they cannot bring or threaten a lawsuit. A few states go further. Wisconsin’s statute says that when the period runs, “the right is extinguished as well as the remedy” (Wis. Stat. § 893.05).
Which state’s law applies if I moved?
It depends. The CFPB lists three things that can decide it: the type of debt, the state where you live, and the “state law named in your credit agreement.” Many cardholder agreements choose the law of the state where the bank is chartered, and courts sometimes enforce that. If you have moved since the account went delinquent, the answer may not be the row for your current state, and it is worth having a lawyer look at the agreement.
What is the statute of limitations on medical debt?
The table shows the general contract deadlines, and those are what a medical bill usually falls under unless your state has written a separate rule. Virginia has. Since 2024, a suit to collect medical debt there must be filed within three years from the due date of the final invoice, or three years from a missed payment on a payment plan, unless the plan itself allows longer (Va. Code § 8.01-246(B)). Separately, the credit reporting clock for a medical collection account runs under federal law, not state law.
Which state has the shortest statute of limitations on debt?
For written contracts, three years is the shortest general deadline, and eight jurisdictions use it: Alaska, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina and South Carolina. For consumer credit, New York also uses three years under N.Y. CPLR § 214-i. For contracts that were never written down, California is shorter still at two years (Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 339).
Can I be sued for a debt that is 10 years old?
In most states, no. Only eight jurisdictions give a collector ten years on a written contract: Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Rhode Island, West Virginia and Wyoming. Everywhere else a ten-year-old debt is past the general deadline, unless something restarted the clock, such as a payment or a signed acknowledgment. Once the deadline has passed, 12 C.F.R. § 1006.26(b) bars a collector from suing you or threatening to.
Is credit card debt a written contract?
It depends on the state, and it is one of the most argued questions in collection cases. Some courts treat a cardholder agreement as a written contract; others treat a card balance as an open account, which often has a shorter deadline. A few states answer it in the statute. Arizona, for example, applies its six-year period to any debt “evidenced by or founded on” a credit card (A.R.S. § 12-548). If your state has two different numbers, the shorter one is worth raising.
Talk to a lawyer who does this every day
Agruss Law Firm represents consumers against debt collectors nationwide. If a collector is pressing you on an account you believe is too old, or has already sued you on one, we will look at the dates and tell you where you stand. Call 888-572-0176 for a free consultation, or read more about why debt collectors are calling you.
Sources
- Each state’s statute of limitations, as cited in the table, from the official code published by that state’s legislature or its designated public-access publisher, and the D.C. Code from the Council of the District of Columbia. Retrieved 10 September 2026.
- 12 C.F.R. § 1006.26, Collection of time-barred debts, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
- 15 U.S.C. §§ 1681c, 1692e, 1692k and 20 U.S.C. § 1091a, Office of the Law Revision Counsel, uscode.house.gov
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Can debt collectors collect a debt that’s several years old?
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Consumer Complaint Database, debt collection complaints received in 2025
This article is general information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Statutes of limitations change, and which deadline applies to a particular account can depend on the type of debt, the terms of the agreement and the facts. Speak with a lawyer about your own situation before you pay or respond to a collector on an old debt.
