Statute of Limitations Checker

A debt collector generally can't win a lawsuit over a debt once your state's statute of limitations has passed — but the clock's start date and length vary by state, and a single payment can restart it. Enter your state and the date of your last payment or account activity to see where you stand, across the 20 states this tool currently covers.

Is my debt time-barred? — 20-state checker

Enter the date of your last payment or other account activity and your state, and this checks it against that state's statute of limitations for a written-contract or credit card debt. A creditor generally can't win a lawsuit over a time-barred debt — but see the caveats below before relying on this.

Your stateDate of last payment or account activityMost states start the clock at the date of default or last payment, not when the account was opened.

Not legal advice. The clock can restart in many states if you make a payment or acknowledge the debt in writing after it goes delinquent — see statute of limitations expiration before assuming a debt is safe to ignore. This tool covers ordinary written-contract/credit card debt only, not oral or open-account debt, which can run shorter in some states — check your state's exact statute before acting. See the full 20-state ranking for citations and additional states.

Questions about this calculator

If my debt shows as time-barred, does that mean I don't owe it anymore?

No — the debt still exists on paper. A time-barred statute of limitations only means a creditor generally can't win a lawsuit over it; they can still contact you and ask for payment. See Statute of Limitations for the full distinction.

— US Debt Compass Editorial Team

Can a payment I already made have restarted the clock?

In many states, yes — even a small payment or a written acknowledgment of the debt can restart the statute of limitations and hand the collector a fresh window to sue. Check this calculator against your true last activity date, not just when you first stopped paying.

— US Debt Compass Editorial Team

My state isn't one of the 20 covered — where can I check?

See the full statute of limitations ranking for sourcing and coverage notes, and treat any uncovered state's figure as unverified rather than assuming it matches a neighboring state — statutes of limitations vary by debt type and state in ways that don't follow a clean regional pattern.

— US Debt Compass Editorial Team