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The short answer
Choose a state to review its debt limitation rules, court-response resources, garnishment procedures, settlement-company requirements, medical-bill help, utility protections and rental-deposit rules. The tables identify scoped rules; they do not decide whether an individual debt is time-barred.
Limitation rules: identify the claim before using the number
A state can have several periods. The row below reports one verified claim class, not a default period for every debt. A contract’s wording, accrual, later payments, tolling, governing law and an existing judgment can change the analysis. Open the state’s limitations guide for the source and exceptions.
| State | Verified period | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 6 years | Written promises not under seal; loans; stated or liquidated accounts under §6-2-34. |
| Alaska | 3 years | Contract claims under AS09.10.053 |
| Arizona | 6 years | Written-debt class identified by the court; ARS12-548 |
| Arkansas | 5 years | Written obligations, duties or rights under section 16-56-111(a); illustrated by an installment credit agreement secured by a mortgage. |
| California | 4 years | Common written contract, account stated and open-book claims |
| Colorado | 6 years | Liquidated or determinable monetary debt, debt instruments and rent arrears specified by section 13-80-103.5. Other contract actions can fall under the three-year rule. |
| Connecticut | 6 years | Account/simple/implied contract class under §52-576 |
| Delaware | 3 years | Claims within §8106; not all notes, judgments or sealed instruments. |
| District of Columbia | 3 years | Simple contracts; subject to specifically applicable laws. |
| Florida | Requires confirmation | Five years: written instruments under (2)(b). Four years: nonwritten obligations/store accounts under (3)(j). Three years: covered facility medical debt under (4). |
| Georgia | 6 years | Credit-card debt as explained by the state AG; not a universal rule for every Georgia debt. |
| Hawaii | 6 years | Contractual debt recovery under §657-1(1); not a universal judgment or special-statute period. |
| Idaho | 5 years | Written cardholder agreements established in Unifund v. Lowe; section 5-216. |
| Illinois | 10 years | Written instruments covered by §13-206; this is not a classification of every credit-card claim. |
| Indiana | 6 years | Promissory notes under §34-11-2-9, not every Indiana debt category. |
| Iowa | Requires confirmation | §614.1(4): unwritten contracts, five years; §614.1(5): written contracts, ten years except rent claims, five years. |
| Kansas | Requires confirmation | Five years written; three years nonwritten obligations, subject to applicable specific provisions. |
| Kentucky | 10 years | Written contracts executed after July15,2014, subject to other governing statutes. |
| Louisiana | 3 years | Article3494 categories; not all written instruments or all personal actions. |
| Maine | 6 years | General civil-action period, subject to specially provided rules and judgment exceptions. |
| Maryland | 3 years | General civil actions, subject to a different Code provision |
| Massachusetts | 6 years | Contract actions other than personal-injury claims and specified exceptions. |
| Michigan | 6 years | Residual breach-of-contract category under subsection9; not judgments or every special instrument. |
| Minnesota | 6 years | Contract/obligation actions without a different express limitation; UCC exceptions stated. |
| Mississippi | 3 years | Open accounts and unwritten contract claims covered by section 15-1-29, as discussed in the 2024 opinion. |
| Missouri | 10 years | Qualifying writing for payment of money or property under §516.110; not a universal credit-card or all-contract period. |
| Montana | 6 years | Contract, covenant, obligation or liability founded on a written instrument, subject to classification and applicable-law review. |
| Nebraska | 5 years | Ordinary written-contract claim within §25-205, subject to more specific statutes. |
| Nevada | 6 years | Written-instrument claim under NRS 11.190(1)(b), not a blanket period for all consumer debt. |
| New Hampshire | 3 years | General personal-action period under RSA 508:4, subject to the actual contract/claim classification. |
| New Jersey | 6 years | Contractual claims not under seal and qualifying accounts under §2A:14-1; not every debt or judgment. |
| New Mexico | 4 years | UCC automobile-sale deficiency claims discussed in the Autovest decision; not a universal period for all New Mexico debt. |
| New York | 3 years | Consumer-credit transaction actions covered by CPLR214-i |
| North Carolina | 3 years | Express or implied contract claims under §1-52(1), subject to exclusions |
| North Dakota | 6 years | Contract claims within §28-01-16(1), not mortgage foreclosure, judgments or every specially governed instrument. |
| Ohio | 6 years | Consumer transactions within §2305.07(C), subject to its express exceptions; not the separate four-year unwritten nonconsumer rule in subsection A. |
| Oklahoma | 5 years | Written contract, agreement or promise under12OS95(A)(1) |
| Oregon | 6 years | Contract claims within ORS 12.080(1), excluding specially governed claims. |
| Pennsylvania | 4 years | Claims listed in 42 Pa.C.S. §5525; not a universal period for every note, judgment or secured remedy. |
| Rhode Island | 10 years | General civil actions within §9-1-13(a); specially governed instruments and claims require separate classification. |
| South Carolina | 3 years | Ordinary contract claims under §15-3-530(1), not every secured obligation or judgment. |
| South Dakota | 6 years | Contract claims under §15-2-13(1), subject to §§15-2-6 through 15-2-8 and 15-2-15(3) and (4), plus other special statutes. |
| Tennessee | 6 years | Contract claims not otherwise expressly provided for under §28-3-109(a)(3), not a blanket period for every debt instrument. |
| Texas | 4 years | Unpaid debt under CPRC16.004; debt-buyer protections have their own scope |
| Utah | 6 years | Written-instrument claims under §78B-2-309; not automatically every account, negotiable note or judgment. |
| Vermont | 6 years | General civil-action period under §511, not every note or judgment. |
| Virginia | 5 years | Signed written contract under §8.01-246(A)(2); do not use five years for qualifying medical debt covered by subsection B. |
| Washington | 6 years | Written agreements/accounts receivable underRCW4.16.040 |
| West Virginia | 10 years | Qualifying signed written or sealed contract under §55-2-6; not a universal account or judgment period. |
| Wisconsin | 6 years | General contract obligations under893.43(1) |
| Wyoming | 10 years | Written contract, agreement or promise under §1-3-105(a)(i); subject to other statutes. |
Court papers require their own timeline
A limitation period concerns when a claim may be filed. An answer deadline concerns what you must do after receiving court papers. Small claims, civil court, different service methods and later motions can require different steps. Use the state court-response guide and verify the actual notice.
Find useful guidance even when no provider is available
These guides help you locate the relevant rule and assemble the facts. They do not certify a settlement company, establish eligibility or guarantee that a provider serves your location. Debt-help discovery remains available when a contact or matching path is unavailable.
Your starting checklist
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Questions worth asking
- Why is there not one number for every state?
Common questions
Why is there not one number for every state?
States distinguish types of contracts and obligations and apply different accrual, revival, tolling and judgment rules. A single number without that scope can give a misleading answer.
Sources & further reading
- CFPB — old debts and limitation periods
- CFPB Regulation F §1006.26 — time-barred debts
- Alabama — Alabama Code §6-2-34 — Six years
- Alaska — Alaska Courts — debt collection answer and defenses
- Arizona — Arizona Courts — consumer debt limitation periods
- Arkansas — Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts: March 2023 Appellate Update, NP191, LLC v. Branch
- California — California Courts — defenses to debt collection
- Colorado — Colorado Office of Legislative Legal Services: Title 13, sections 13-80-101, 13-80-103.5 and 13-80-108
- Connecticut — Connecticut General Statutes §52-576 and §52-581
- Delaware — Delaware Code Title 10 §§8106,8108,8109
- District of Columbia — D.C. Code §12-301 — Limitation of time for bringing actions
- Florida — 2026 Florida Statutes §95.11 — Limitations other than real property
- Georgia — Georgia Attorney General ConsumerEd — Credit-card limitations
- Hawaii — Hawaii Revised Statutes §657-1 — Six years
- Idaho — Idaho Supreme Court: Unifund CCR, LLC v. Lowe (February 11, 2016), court opinion reproduced by Justia
- Illinois — 735ILCS5/13-206 — Ten-year limitation
- Indiana — Indiana Court of Appeals, U.S.Bank v.Raths, September24,2026, §34-11-2-9
- Iowa — Iowa Code2026 §614.1 — Period
- Kansas — Kansas Statutes §§60-511 and60-512 — Written and unwritten obligations
- Kentucky — Kentucky Revised Statutes §413.160 — Written contracts after July15,2014
- Louisiana — Louisiana Civil Code arts3494–3495 — Three-year prescription
- Maine — Maine Revised Statutes Title14 §752 — Six years
- Maryland — Maryland Courts and Judicial Proceedings §5-101
- Massachusetts — Massachusetts General Laws c.260 §2 — Contract actions
- Michigan — Michigan Compiled Laws §600.5807 — Contract limitations
- Minnesota — Minnesota Statutes §541.05 subdivision1 — Six-year limitation
- Mississippi — U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Mississippi: Young v. Harris, June 26, 2024
- Missouri — Missouri Revised Statutes §§516.110, 516.120 and 516.100
- Montana — Montana Code Annotated 2025 §27-2-202; 2025 Session Laws Chapter 174
- Nebraska — Nebraska Revised Statutes §§25-205, 25-206 and 25-216
- Nevada — Nevada Revised Statutes §§11.190, 11.200 and 11.390
- New Hampshire — New Hampshire RSA 508:4; RSA 508:5 and508:6
- New Jersey — New Jersey Statutes §2A:14-1
- New Mexico — New Mexico Supreme Court: Autovest auto-loan deficiency decision, August 15, 2024
- New York — New York CPLR214-i — consumer credit transactions
- North Carolina — North Carolina General Statutes §1-52
- North Dakota — North Dakota Century Code §§28-01-16, 28-01-36 through 28-01-39
- Ohio — Ohio Revised Code §2305.07(C): consumer transactions
- Oklahoma — Oklahoma Title12 §§95 and101
- Oregon — Oregon Revised Statutes §§12.080 and 12.090, 2025 edition
- Pennsylvania — Pennsylvania 42 Pa.C.S. §5525: four-year limitation
- Rhode Island — Rhode Island General Laws §9-1-13: general civil-action limitation
- South Carolina — South Carolina Code §§15-3-530, 15-3-120 and 15-3-130
- South Dakota — South Dakota Codified Laws §15-2-13
- Tennessee — Tennessee Court of Appeals: §28-3-109(a)(3), In re Eleanor Chappell Revocable Living Trust (2018)
- Texas — Texas State Law Library — time-barred debts
- Utah — Utah Code §§78B-2-309 and 78B-2-307
- Vermont — Vermont 12 V.S.A. §511: general civil-action limitation
- Virginia — Virginia Code §8.01-246: written, unwritten and medical-debt contracts
- Washington — Washington RCW4.16.040 and4.16.270
- West Virginia — West Virginia Code §55-2-6: money due on contract
- Wisconsin — Wisconsin Statutes §893.43 — action on contract
- Wyoming — Wyoming Statutes §§1-3-102 and 1-3-105
Sources checked October 19, 2026. Rules and programs can change. This article uses AI-assisted research and has not received attorney or other professional signoff. Read our editorial standards.
Educational guidance for U.S. debt situations. This page does not decide legal rights, eligibility, fees or suitability. If you have a court, property or service deadline, seek appropriate help promptly; reading this page does not extend it.