Statute of Limitations on Debt by State
Key takeaways
- The statute of limitations is the deadline a creditor has to sue you over a debt. In most states it is three to six years.
- The deadline depends on your state and the type of debt.
- After it passes, the debt is "time-barred": a collector can still ask you to pay, but cannot sue you or threaten to.
- In some states, a payment or written promise can restart the clock. Check before you pay an old debt.
The clock at a glance
What is the statute of limitations on debt?
Every state sets a time limit for how long a creditor or collector has to file a lawsuit to collect an unpaid debt. The clock usually starts when you first miss a payment and the debt goes into default. Once the deadline passes, the debt becomes time-barred, which means the creditor has lost the right to use the courts to make you pay.
A time-barred debt does not disappear. You may still legally owe it, collectors can still contact you about it, and it may still appear on your credit report for a while.
The four types of debt
Written contracts
Agreements signed in writing, such as personal loans and auto loans.
Oral contracts
Agreements to repay money made by word of mouth.
Promissory notes
Written promises to pay a fixed amount on a schedule, such as the note behind a mortgage.
Open-ended accounts
Revolving credit you can borrow, repay and borrow again. Most credit cards fall here.
Courts in some states treat credit card debt as a written contract rather than an open account, which can change the deadline.
Statute of limitations by state (in years)
Last reviewed: August 2026
| Alabama | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| Arizona | 6 | 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Arkansas | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| California | 4 | 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Colorado | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Connecticut | 6 | 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Delaware | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| District of Columbia | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Florida | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Georgia | 6 | 4 | 6 | 4 |
| Hawaii | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Idaho | 5 | 4 | 6 | 5 |
| Illinois | 10 | 5 | 10 | 5 |
| Indiana | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Iowa | 10 | 5 | 10 | 5 or 10* |
| Kansas | 5 | 3 | 6 | 3 or 5* |
| Kentucky | 10 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Louisiana | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Maine | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Maryland | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| Massachusetts | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Michigan | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Minnesota | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Mississippi | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| Missouri | 10 | 5 | 10 | 5 |
| Montana | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Nebraska | 5 | 4 | 6 | 4 |
| Nevada | 6 | 4 | 6 | 4 |
| New Hampshire | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| New Jersey | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| New Mexico | 6 | 4 | 6 | 4 |
| New York | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| North Carolina | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| North Dakota | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Ohio | 6 | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| Oklahoma | 5 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| Oregon | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Pennsylvania | 4 | 4 | 6 | 4 |
| Rhode Island | 10 | 10 | 6 | 10 |
| South Carolina | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| South Dakota | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Tennessee | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Texas | 4 | 4 | 6 | 4 |
| Utah | 6 | 4 | 6 | 4 or 6* |
| Vermont | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Virginia | 5 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| Washington | 6 | 3 | 6 | 6 |
| West Virginia | 10 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Wisconsin | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Wyoming | 10 | 8 | 6 | 8 |
*Courts in Iowa, Kansas and Utah have not settled whether credit card debt is a written contract or an open account, so either period may apply. New York's figures apply to consumer credit debt. Some states have special rules for medical debt, sealed notes or mortgage-secured notes.
When does the clock start, and what can restart it?
The clock usually starts on the date of your first missed payment that was never made up. In many states, these actions can restart it:
- Making any payment, even a small one
- Signing a written acknowledgment that you owe the debt
- Agreeing in writing to a new payment plan
A growing number of states, including California, New York, Nevada, Maryland and the District of Columbia, limit or bar reviving consumer debt once the deadline has passed. Texas bars it for debts held by debt buyers. Because the rules differ, check your state’s law before paying anything on an old debt.
Statute of limitations vs. credit reporting
These are two separate clocks.
Statute of limitations
The statute of limitations controls whether you can be sued.
Credit reporting
The Fair Credit Reporting Act controls how long a debt can stay on your credit report, which is generally seven years from the date of the original delinquency. Making a payment does not restart the credit reporting clock.
What to do about an old debt
Don't pay or promise anything
Until you know whether the debt is time-barred.
Ask for validation
To confirm the date of default and who owns the debt.
Check your state's deadline
In the table above.
If you are sued on a time-barred debt, respond
The statute of limitations is a defense you have to raise in court. If you ignore the lawsuit, the court can enter a judgment against you even though the debt was too old.
Decide whether to pay
You may still choose to settle an old debt for your own reasons. Just do it knowing your rights.
Is a collector chasing an old debt?
Debt Remediation can help you check whether the debt is time-barred and respond the right way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually the law of the state where the lawsuit is filed, which is often where you live now. Some states "borrow" the shorter deadline of the state where the debt arose. This area is complex, so get advice if it applies to you.
No. Federal student loans can be collected at any time. Private student loans follow the state deadlines.
A debt collector is not allowed to sue or threaten to sue on a time-barred debt. If one does, raise the statute of limitations as a defense in your written response and consider reporting the collector to the CFPB.
