Debt statute of limitations by state is the deadline each state sets for how long a creditor or debt collector has to file a lawsuit over an unpaid debt, and this page puts all 50 of those deadlines side by side. The answer varies because every state writes its own law, and many states set one period for written contracts and a different one for credit cards and open accounts.
Across the country the range runs from 3 years to 10 years, so a balance that can no longer be sued on in one state may still be within the deadline in another.
Every row in the table comes from that state’s own verified guide on this site, which lists the statute citation, the sources and the date each figure was checked. Use it to see what your state allows before you respond to a collection letter, a court summons, a frozen account notice or a new loan offer.
Click any state below for its full debt statute of limitations by state guide, with the statute citation, the sources and the figures behind each row.
Quick Facts — Debt statute of limitations by state (2026)
- Shortest deadline: 3 years for credit card and open account debt in 12 states: Alabama, Alaska, Delaware, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Virginia.
- Longest deadline: Rhode Island allows 10 years for both written contracts and credit cards. Seven states allow 10 years on written contracts: Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Rhode Island, West Virginia and Wyoming.
- Most common rule in the debt statute of limitations by state table: 6 years for a written contract, used by 24 states. 18 states also apply 6 years to credit card and open account debt.
- The notable outlier: Wyoming is the only state with an 8 year deadline for credit card and open account debt. In Iowa, Kansas and Utah, the courts have not settled which of two periods applies to a card account.
- The type of debt changes the answer: In Illinois a written contract carries 10 years but a credit card carries 5 years. In Florida it is 5 years against 4 years. So check which column fits your debt before you rely on a number.
- True in every state: All 50 states set a fixed time limit, and in every state a court summons has its own response deadline, separate from the statute of limitations. Missing that deadline can lead to a default judgment.
- Free help is available: Your local legal aid office, your state attorney general’s consumer protection division and the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau can all explain your rights at no cost.
Debt statute of limitations by state — All 50 States Compared
The debt statute of limitations by state table below shows the two figures that frame the question in every state. Here is what each column means:
Written Contract = the years a creditor has to sue on a signed loan, lease or agreement, counted from default or the last payment.
Credit Card / Open Account = the period the state’s courts apply to a card or other open account; where the courts have not settled it, the cell shows both figures.
| State | Written Contract | Credit Card / Open Account |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 6 years | 3 years |
| Alaska | 3 years | 3 years |
| Arizona | 6 years | 6 years |
| Arkansas | 5 years | 5 years |
| California | 4 years | 4 years |
| Colorado | 6 years | 6 years |
| Connecticut | 6 years | 6 years |
| Delaware | 3 years | 3 years |
| Florida | 5 years | 4 years |
| Georgia | 6 years | 4 years |
| Hawaii | 6 years | 6 years |
| Idaho | 5 years | 5 years |
| Illinois | 10 years | 5 years |
| Indiana | 6 years | 6 years |
| Iowa | 10 years | 5 or 10 years (the courts have not settled which applies to a card account) |
| Kansas | 5 years | 3 or 5 years (the courts have not settled which applies to a card account) |
| Kentucky | 10 years | 5 years |
| Louisiana | 3 years | 3 years |
| Maine | 6 years | 6 years |
| Maryland | 3 years | 3 years |
| Massachusetts | 6 years | 6 years |
| Michigan | 6 years | 6 years |
| Minnesota | 6 years | 6 years |
| Mississippi | 3 years | 3 years |
| Missouri | 10 years | 5 years |
| Montana | 6 years | 5 years |
| Nebraska | 5 years | 4 years |
| Nevada | 6 years | 4 years |
| New Hampshire | 3 years | 3 years |
| New Jersey | 6 years | 6 years |
| New Mexico | 6 years | 4 years |
| New York | 3 years | 3 years |
| North Carolina | 3 years | 3 years |
| North Dakota | 6 years | 6 years |
| Ohio | 6 years | 6 years |
| Oklahoma | 5 years | 3 years |
| Oregon | 6 years | 6 years |
| Pennsylvania | 4 years | 4 years |
| Rhode Island | 10 years | 10 years |
| South Carolina | 3 years | 3 years |
| South Dakota | 6 years | 6 years |
| Tennessee | 6 years | 6 years |
| Texas | 4 years | 4 years |
| Utah | 6 years | 4 or 6 years (the courts have not settled which applies to a card account) |
| Vermont | 6 years | 6 years |
| Virginia | 5 years | 3 years |
| Washington | 6 years | 6 years |
| West Virginia | 10 years | 5 years |
| Wisconsin | 6 years | 6 years |
| Wyoming | 10 years | 8 years |
Each debt statute of limitations by state cell comes from the verified data behind that state’s own guide on this site, which prints the figure with the statute and the date it was read. Where a cell says “see guide,” the state’s rule needs more than one line, and the guide covers it in full.
Debt statute of limitations by state: What Every State Shares
Every row in the debt statute of limitations by state table follows the same basic structure. A state law sets a period of years, and once that period passes, the creditor or collector generally loses the ability to win a lawsuit over the debt.
The clock usually starts when the account went into default or when the last payment was made, depending on how that state’s law and courts define the start date.
Most states separate debts into categories, and the two that matter most for household debt are written contracts, such as a signed loan agreement, and credit cards or open accounts, which many states treat as a separate type of agreement.
A debt that is past its deadline is often called time-barred. Under federal rules, a debt collector may not sue or threaten to sue over a time-barred debt, though in many states the collector may still contact you about it. The debt statute of limitations by state also covers only the lawsuit deadline.
Credit reporting runs on a separate federal timeline, and if a creditor already won a court judgment, collecting on that judgment, including freezing a bank account, follows different and usually longer rules than the ones in this table.
Debt statute of limitations by state: What Makes It Different
The first thing that changes the debt statute of limitations by state is the statute itself. Each legislature picks its own numbers, which is why Wyoming allows 8 years on a credit card while New York allows 3 years.
The second is how courts read those statutes. In Iowa, Kansas and Utah the courts have not settled whether a card account falls under the shorter or longer period, so the table shows both figures.
A contract may also contain a clause naming another state’s law, and some states have rules about which deadline applies when you moved after opening the account.
The third factor is what happens on the account after default. In many states, a new payment or a written acknowledgment of the debt can restart or extend the clock, which means the debt statute of limitations by state can depend partly on recent activity, not only the original default date.
Collectors and debt buyers also differ in how carefully they check dates before they file, and a court generally will not apply the time limit for you.
In most states it is a defense the person being sued has to raise. Knowing the rule lets you see what each side is allowed to do, whatever you decide to do next.
Find the date of your last payment or default before anything else. Compare that date with your state’s row in the debt statute of limitations by state table. If you have received a court summons, note its response deadline right away, because that deadline applies whether or not the debt is old.
Debt statute of limitations by state: What to Do Next
Start by finding your paperwork: the original agreement if you have it, your most recent statements and any letters from a collector. Work out which category your debt falls into, written contract or credit card and open account, and find the date of your last payment. Then open your state’s guide from the debt statute of limitations by state table.
Each state page carries the statute citation, the sources used and the date each figure was verified, so you can read the law yourself or show it to a lawyer or legal aid office.
Next, use the site’s free tools, which apply your state’s rule to your own dates and amounts and show where your debt stands against the deadline. You can also send a collector a written request to validate the debt, which asks them to identify the creditor and the amount claimed.
If anything is unclear, or if you are facing a lawsuit or a frozen account, contact a legal aid office or your state attorney general’s consumer protection division for free guidance.
The debt statute of limitations by state tells you what the law allows, and those sources can help you apply it to your situation.
Check whether the debt is time-barred
Pick the state and the debt type, enter the last payment date; the calculator shows the deadline and what restarts the clock.
Open the Statute of Limitations CalculatorFind Your Debt statute of limitations by state
Ready to see the debt statute of limitations by state where you live? Click any state name in the table above, or browse the full category below.
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Official Sources
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Regulation F: www.consumerfinance.gov — the federal bar on suing or threatening to sue on a time-barred debt
- Federal Trade Commission, debt collection FAQs: consumer.ftc.gov — your rights when a collector calls or sues
- Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School: www.law.cornell.edu — what a statute of limitations is
- State statutes and agency pages: linked inside each state guide, with the date each was read
Debt statute of limitations by state data compiled from the verified figures behind each state’s guide on this site, which cites the statute and the source with the date each figure was read. Figures change by statute and by year, so each row links to the page that explains it. Last reviewed October 2026.
Disclaimer: This page is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading it. Rules, deadlines and figures vary by state and change over time. For advice about your specific situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.