There are four categories of debt:
- Oral Agreements
- Written Contracts (medical debt, typical collection accounts)
- Promissory Notes (car loans, student loans, installment loans)
- Open-ended accounts (credit cards)
Each state has it’s own law that dictates how many years a creditor may collect. It’s also called the Statute of Limitations.
However, even if a debt is past the legal date, bottom-feeding collectors will persist in trying to get money out of you. That’s why it’s good to know the law in your state.
Credit card debt statute of limitations, by state
| State | Years | State statute | Source |
| Alabama | 3 years | Title 6 Ch.2 Sec. 37 | State law |
| Alaska | 3 years | 9.10.053 | State law |
| Arizona | 6 years | HB 24121 | State law |
| Arkansas | 5 years | 4-3-118 | State law |
| California | 4 years | Code of Civil Procedure S.337 | State law |
| Colorado | 6 years | Colorado Revised Statutes Title 13 S.80-103.5 | State law 2 |
| Connecticut | 6 years | Chapter 926 Sec. 52-576 | State law 3 |
| Washington, D.C. | 3 years | 12-301 | D.C. code 4 |
| Delaware | 3 years | Title 10, Sec. 8106 | State law |
| Florida | 5 years4 | 95.11 | State law |
| Georgia | 6 years5 | 9-3-24 | State law |
| Hawaii | 6 years | 657-1 | State law |
| Idaho | 5 years | 5-216 | State law |
| Illinois | 5 years7 | Code of Civil Procedure 5/13-205 | State law Scroll to 735 ILCS 5/13-205 |
| Indiana | 6 years | Title 34 Art.11, 2-9 | State law |
| Iowa | 5 years | Ch. 614.1.4 | State law See note.14 |
| Kansas | 3 years | 60-512 | State law |
| Kentucky | 5 or 15 years | 413.120 and 413.090 | Conflicting state laws 12 |
| Louisiana | 3 years | Civil Code Sec. 2 Art. 3494 | State law |
| Maine | 6 years | 14-205-752 | State law |
| Maryland | 3 years | Section 5-101 | State law |
| Massachusetts | 6 years | General Laws Part III Title V Ch. 260-2 | State law |
| Michigan | 6 years | Ch. 600.5807.8 | State law |
| Minnesota | 6 years | Civil Procedure Ch.541.05 | State law |
| Mississippi | 3 years | 15-1-29 | State law |
| Missouri | 5 years | Ch. 516-120 | State law |
| Montana | 8 years | 27-2-202 | State law |
| Nebraska | 4 years | 25-206 | State law |
| Nevada | 4 years | 11-190 | State law |
| New Hampshire | 6 years | 382-A:3-118 (g) | State law |
| New Jersey | 6 years | 2A:14-1 | State law |
| New Mexico | 4 years | 37-1-4 | State law |
| New York | 6 years | Civil Practice Law & Rules, 2-213 | State law |
| North Carolina | 3 years | Civil Procedure 1-52.1 | State law |
| North Dakota | 6 years | 28-01-16 | State law |
| Ohio | 6 years | Courts – Common Pleas, Ch. 2305.07 | State law |
| Oklahoma | 5 years | 12-95A(1) | State law Go to Title 12 and click on the link. Open the file and go to Section 12-95. |
| Oregon | 6 years | Oregon Revised Statutes, Civil Procedure Ch. 12.080 | State law |
| Pennsylvania | 4 years | Judicial Procedure 42 Pa. C.S. 5525(a) | State law |
| Rhode Island | 10 years | 9-1-13 | State law |
| South Carolina | 3 years | Code of Laws Title 15 Ch. 3 Sec.530 | State law 8 |
| South Dakota | 6 years | 15-2-13 | State law |
| Tennessee | 6 years | Title 28 3-109 | State law 9 |
| Texas | 4 years | Civil Practice and Remedies Code, S.16.004 | State law |
| Utah | 6 years | 78B-2-30910 | State law |
| Vermont | 6 years | 9A-3-118 | State law |
| Virginia | 3 years | 8.01-246 | State law. See note.13 |
| Washington | 6 years | Revised Code of Washington 4.16.040 | State law |
| West Virginia | 10 years | 55-2-6 | State law |
| Wisconsin | 6 years | 893.43 | State law 11 |
| Wyoming | 8 years | 1-3-105 | State law |
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