Debt Collection Lawsuit Statute of Limitations By State

Debt Lawsuit Statute of Limitations – Protect Yourself!

What you may not realize when you get that court summons in the mail from a collection agency is that there is a lawsuit statute of limitations for debt in every U.S. state. Granted, these time frames differ, but once your debt passes the statute of limitations, you have a rock-solid defense should a debt collector try to sue you and force you to pay the debt involuntary through a wage garnishment, bank levy or property lien.

The following list details the statute of limitations for each type of debt in all 50 states. Keep in mind that while most states consider collection accounts "open" debt rather than "written" debt, not all do. You can check with your attorney general's office to find out how collection accounts are categorized in your state.


Debt Statute of Limitations By State 


Alabama:  Open – 3 years   Written – 6 years
Alaska:  Open – 3 years  Written – 6 years
Arizona:  Open – 3 years  Written – 6 years
Arkansas:  Open – 3 years  Written – 5 years (2 year open exception for medical debt)
California:  Open – 4 years  Written – 4 years
Colorado:  Open – 6 years  Written – 6 years
Connecticut:  Open – 6 years  Written – 6 years
Delaware:  Open – 3 years  Written – 3 years
Florida:  Open – 5 years  Written – 5 years
Georgia:  Open – 4 years  Written – 6 years
Hawaii:  Open – 6 years  Written – 6 years
Idaho:  Open – 5 years  Written – 5 years
Illinois:  Open – 5 years  Written – 10 years
Indiana:  Open – 6 years  Written – 10 years
Iowa:  Open – 5 years  Written – 10 years
Kansas:  Open – 5 years  Written – 6 years
Kentucky:  Open – 5 years  Written – 15 years
Louisiana:  Open – 3 years  Written – 10 years
Maine:  Open – 6 years  Written – 6 years
Maryland:  Open – 3 years  Written – 3 years
Massachusetts:  Open – 6 years  Written – 6 years
Michigan:  Open – 6 years  Written – 6 years
Minnesota:  Open – 6 years  Written – 6 years
Mississippi:  Open – 3 years  Written – 3 years
Missouri:  Open – 5 years  Written – 10 years
Montana:  Open – 5 years  Written – 8 years
Nebraska:  Open – 4 years  Written – 5 years
Nevada:  Open – 4 years  Written – 6 years
New Hampshire:  Open – 3 years  Written – 3 years
New Jersey:  Open – 6 years  Written – 6 years
New Mexico:  Open – 4 years  Written – 6 years
New York:  Open – 6 years  Written – 6 years
North Carolina:  Open – 3 years  Written – 3 years
North Dakota:  Open – 6 years  Written – 6 years
Ohio:  Open – 6 years  Written – 15 years
Oklahoma:  Open – 3 years  Written – 5 years
Oregon:  Open – 6 years  Written – 6 years
Pennsylvania:  Open – 4 years  Written – 4 years
Rhode Isand:  Open – 6 years  Written – 15 years
South Carolina:  Open – 3 years  Written – 10 years
South Dakota:  Open – 6 years  Written – 6 years
Tennessee:  Open – 6 years  Written – 6 years
Texas:  Open – 4 years  Written – 4 years
Utah:  Open – 4 years  Written – 6 years
Vermont:  Open – 3 years  Written – 6 years
Virginia:  Open – 3 years  Written – 5 years
West Virginia:  Open – 5 years  Written – 10 years
Wisconsin:  Open – 6 years  Written – 6 years
Wyoming:  Open – 8 years  Written –10 years

Related Posts:

Can You Reset the Statute of Limitations on a Debt?

Debt Collection Lawsuits: The Statute of Limitations Defense

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Debt Collection Lawsuit Statute of Limitations By State
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