Statute of Limitations on Debt by State
The statute of limitations is the deadline a creditor or collector has to sue you over a debt. After it passes, the debt is often called time-barred, and under Regulation F a debt collector cannot sue or threaten to sue you over it. The debt may still exist, and collectors may still ask you to pay.
Pick your state to see the general deadline for written contracts. Credit cards may fall under a different rule, and in many states a payment or a written acknowledgment can restart the clock. This deadline is not the same as the 7-year credit reporting period. If you were sued, talk to a consumer attorney or legal aid.
STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS CHECKER
Can they still sue you?
General deadline for a written contract. Credit cards may differ, and in many states a partial payment or written acknowledgment can restart the clock. The deadline to sue is not the same as the 7-year credit reporting period.
Full table: all 50 states + DC
| State | Written contract (years) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 6 | |
| Alaska | 3 | |
| Arizona | 6 | |
| Arkansas | 5 | |
| California | 4 | |
| Colorado | 3–6 | Colorado’s limit depends on the type of debt (3 to 6 years). |
| Connecticut | 6 | |
| Delaware | 3 | |
| District of Columbia | 3 | |
| Florida | 5 | |
| Georgia | 6 | |
| Hawaii | 6 | |
| Idaho | 5 | |
| Illinois | 10 | |
| Indiana | 10 | |
| Iowa | 10 | |
| Kansas | 5 | |
| Kentucky | 10 | Kentucky: 10 years for written contracts signed after July 15, 2014; 15 years for older contracts. |
| Louisiana | 10 | |
| Maine | 6 | |
| Maryland | 3 | |
| Massachusetts | 6 | |
| Michigan | 6 | |
| Minnesota | 6 | |
| Mississippi | 3 | |
| Missouri | 10 | |
| Montana | 6 | |
| Nebraska | 5 | |
| Nevada | 6 | |
| New Hampshire | 3 | |
| New Jersey | 6 | |
| New Mexico | 6 | |
| New York | 6 | New York’s limit for consumer credit debt is 3 years (CPLR 214-i), and a payment does not restart it. |
| North Carolina | 3 | |
| North Dakota | 6 | |
| Ohio | 6 | |
| Oklahoma | 5 | |
| Oregon | 6 | |
| Pennsylvania | 4 | |
| Rhode Island | 10 | |
| South Carolina | 3 | |
| South Dakota | 6 | |
| Tennessee | 6 | |
| Texas | 4 | |
| Utah | 6 | |
| Vermont | 6 | |
| Virginia | 5 | |
| Washington | 6 | |
| West Virginia | 10 | |
| Wisconsin | 6 | |
| Wyoming | 10 |
Source: state statutes of limitations for written contracts; laws change. Check your state’s law or ask legal aid before you decide.