Debt statute of limitations by state: compare claim categories
By Xavier Carraté · Creator and editor · Editorial review: September 7, 2026
Educational information, not individual legal advice. Xavier is not a licensed attorney.
A statute of limitations limits the time for bringing a particular legal claim. To use a state comparison, first identify the type of claim and which law applies. This table is a starting point for 18 states, not a calculator for an individual account.
How to use the comparison
- Identify the account, creditor and any debt buyer; keep the agreement and collection notice.
- Open the state guide and its primary sources. Compare the legal category with the actual claim.
- Gather due dates, payments, later agreements and any court record. Ask legal help to assess accrual, extensions and exceptions.
The CFPB's older-debt explanation describes why debt type, applicable state law and later actions matter. Do not assume the same period begins at the last payment for every debt.
| State | Category to check | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Six years for the covered written-contract and credit-card categories; three for specified other claims. | Medical interest uses a lower-of rule; certain property amounts adjust annually. |
| California | Generally four years for a debt claim based on a written agreement; other categories differ. | An ordinary civil debt response and a small-claims hearing use different procedures. |
| Florida | Generally five years for covered written instruments and four for specified non-written claims. | Chapter 395 facility medical debt has a separate three-year rule measured from collection referral. |
| Georgia | Generally six years for simple written contracts; four for specified open-account or unwritten claims. | A missing handwritten signature does not establish a shorter credit-card deadline; identify the source of garnished funds. |
| Illinois | Generally five years for unwritten-contract claims and ten for covered written instruments. | Claim classification needs the full record; the 2026 homestead amounts changed. |
| Indiana | Generally six years within the account and specified written-payment categories. | Judgment satisfaction, property liens and execution must be checked separately. |
| Maryland | Generally three years under section 5-101; special categories and exceptions differ. | Section 5-1202 addresses time-barred consumer actions and later activity. |
| Massachusetts | Generally six years for covered contract actions; exceptions require review. | State earnings protection is not a flat federal 25% withholding rule. |
| Michigan | Generally six years for covered contract actions; special instruments can differ. | Collector conduct and original-creditor conduct use different statutory definitions. |
| New Jersey | Generally six years for covered contract claims; exceptions require review. | Consumer-law damages require their own claim elements; a clause does not automatically produce $100. |
| New York | Generally three years for covered consumer-credit transactions under CPLR 214-i. | The court and method of service affect the required response; other claims can use different periods. |
| North Carolina | Generally three years within section 1-52(1); exceptions require review. | Wage protection and an order from another jurisdiction need separate checks. |
| Ohio | Generally six years for covered consumer transactions under section 2305.07(C). | Transition rules and the operative statutory version matter; judgment enforcement is separate. |
| Pennsylvania | Generally four years for covered contract categories in section 5525. | Execution and revival of a judgment lien are separate questions. |
| Tennessee | Generally six years for covered contract claims under section 28-3-109. | The wage formula and available dependent allowance require actual pay and household records. |
| Texas | Generally four years for ordinary debt actions; other instruments and secured claims can differ. | The no-revival provision has a defined debt-buyer scope; current wages and deposited funds differ. |
| Virginia | Generally five years for specified signed written contracts and three for specified unsigned or unwritten contracts. | Medical debt has its own three-year framework; judgment date and court matter. |
| Washington | Six years for covered written contracts and accounts receivable; three for specified other unwritten claims. | The accounts-receivable exception matters; hospital charity care and consumer wage protections are distinct. |
Three different clocks
- Starting a lawsuit
- The claim category, accrual date and applicable limitations law determine this question.
- Enforcing a judgment
- After judgment, obtain the court record. Enforcement, dormancy, extension and property-lien rules can differ from the original lawsuit period.
- Credit reporting
- A reporting period is separate from either court question. Removal of an entry does not by itself prove the debt was canceled.
Regulation F 1006.26 prohibits covered collectors from suing or threatening suit on time-barred debts, subject to its specified bankruptcy-filing exception. If court papers arrive, address the court's deadline promptly; do not assume an old account means you can ignore the case.
Before paying an old account
Payments, acknowledgments and new agreements can have different effects depending on the law and timing. Ask about your account before acting. A validation letter organizes a dispute; it does not decide whether a debt is time-barred or respond to a lawsuit.
Prepare a collection dispute · Browse the state guides · Find civil legal aid
Editorial correction — September 7, 2026: Updated the state summaries, removed unsupported remedy promises and separated filing categories from judgment enforcement. Review scope is the educational material on this page and the linked guides; later changes and individual facts need their own review. Editorial guidelines.