Credit Card Statute of Limitations by State (All 50 States, 2026)

Credit card statute of limitations ranges from 3 years (New York, under CPLR §214-i enacted 2021) to 10 years (Rhode Island, West Virginia), with the majority of states falling in the 4–6 year range. Use SOLCheck to calculate your precise expiration date using your state, debt type, and last payment date.

Why Credit Card SOL Varies by State

Credit cards are generally classified as open-account written contracts, which means most states apply their written-contract SOL. However, three complicating factors create variation:

Debt type classification: Some states treat credit cards differently from installment loans or promissory notes, resulting in a shorter or longer window.
Choice-of-law clauses: Your credit card agreement may specify a different state's law governs the contract. Courts may or may not enforce this.
Recent legislative changes: New York shortened its credit card SOL to 3 years in 2021 (CPLR §214-i), effective for actions accruing after April 2022. Always check the current statute, not older guides.

According to the CFPB, the credit card SOL directly affects whether a debt buyer can profitably sue on a portfolio purchase — once the SOL nears expiration, collection lawsuits drop sharply because the risk of dismissal rises.

All 50 States + DC: Credit Card SOL Table

All values from state statutes as of 2025. PENDING EXPERT REVIEW — verify before acting. Use SOLCheck for your specific dates.

State	Credit Card SOL	Statute
Alabama (AL)	6 years	Ala. Code §6-2-34
Alaska (AK)	3 years	Alaska Stat. §09.10.053
Arizona (AZ)	6 years	A.R.S. §12-548
Arkansas (AR)	5 years	Ark. Code §16-56-111
California (CA)	4 years	Cal. CCP §337
Colorado (CO)	6 years	C.R.S. §13-80-103.5
Connecticut (CT)	6 years	Conn. Gen. Stat. §52-576
Delaware (DE)	3 years	Del. Code tit. 10 §8106
District of Columbia (DC)	3 years	D.C. Code §12-301
Florida (FL)	5 years	Fla. Stat. §95.11(2)(b)
Georgia (GA)	6 years	O.C.G.A. §9-3-24
Hawaii (HI)	6 years	Haw. Rev. Stat. §657-1
Idaho (ID)	5 years	Idaho Code §5-216
Illinois (IL)	5 years	735 ILCS 5/13-205
Indiana (IN)	6 years	Ind. Code §34-11-2-7
Iowa (IA)	5 years	Iowa Code §614.1(4)
Kansas (KS)	5 years	Kan. Stat. §60-511
Kentucky (KY)	5 years	Ky. Rev. Stat. §413.120
Louisiana (LA)	3 years	La. Civ. Code art. 3494
Maine (ME)	6 years	Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14 §752
Maryland (MD)	3 years	Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. §5-101
Massachusetts (MA)	6 years	Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260 §2
Michigan (MI)	6 years	Mich. Comp. Laws §600.5807(8)
Minnesota (MN)	6 years	Minn. Stat. §541.05
Mississippi (MS)	3 years	Miss. Code §15-1-29
Missouri (MO)	5 years	Mo. Rev. Stat. §516.120
Montana (MT)	5 years	Mont. Code §27-2-202
Nebraska (NE)	5 years	Neb. Rev. Stat. §25-205
Nevada (NV)	6 years	Nev. Rev. Stat. §11.190(1)(b)
New Hampshire (NH)	3 years	N.H. Rev. Stat. §508:4
New Jersey (NJ)	6 years	N.J. Stat. §2A:14-1
New Mexico (NM)	6 years	N.M. Stat. §37-1-3
New York (NY)	3 years	N.Y. CPLR §214-i
North Carolina (NC)	3 years	N.C. Gen. Stat. §1-52
North Dakota (ND)	6 years	N.D. Cent. Code §28-01-16
Ohio (OH)	6 years	Ohio Rev. Code §2305.07
Oklahoma (OK)	5 years	Okla. Stat. tit. 12 §95(1)
Oregon (OR)	6 years	Or. Rev. Stat. §12.080
Pennsylvania (PA)	4 years	42 Pa. Cons. Stat. §5525
Rhode Island (RI)	10 years	R.I. Gen. Laws §9-1-13
South Carolina (SC)	3 years	S.C. Code §15-3-530
South Dakota (SD)	6 years	S.D. Codified Laws §15-2-13
Tennessee (TN)	6 years	Tenn. Code §28-3-109
Texas (TX)	4 years	Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §16.004
Utah (UT)	6 years	Utah Code §78B-2-309
Vermont (VT)	6 years	12 V.S.A. §511
Virginia (VA)	5 years	Va. Code §8.01-246(2)
Washington (WA)	6 years	Wash. Rev. Code §4.16.040
West Virginia (WV)	10 years	W. Va. Code §55-2-6
Wisconsin (WI)	6 years	Wis. Stat. §893.43
Wyoming (WY)	8 years	Wyo. Stat. §1-3-105(a)(i)

Shortest and Longest SOL States

Shortest (3 years): Alaska, Delaware, DC, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina. In these states, credit card debt can become legally time-barred before the 7-year credit reporting window expires — meaning the debt falls off your credit report around the same time or after the lawsuit window closes.

Longest (8–10 years): Wyoming (8 years), Rhode Island and West Virginia (10 years). Collectors in these states have roughly double the runway compared to 3-year states. A debt from 2018 in Rhode Island or West Virginia is potentially still actionable in 2028.

Most common (5–6 years): 26 states fall in the 5–6 year range, representing the statistical majority of consumers.

The New York 2021 Change — An Important Caveat

New York dramatically shortened its credit card SOL from 6 years to 3 years (CPLR §214-i) effective for actions accruing on or after April 7, 2022. Older debts where the cause of action accrued before that date may still fall under the prior 6-year rule. This is a common source of confusion in NY collection cases. If your last payment was before April 2022, consult an attorney before assuming the 3-year limit applies.

How to Find Your Exact Expiration Date

The table above gives you the SOL for credit cards by state, but the actual expiration date depends on your last payment date. To calculate yours:

Find your last payment or last activity date (check your records, bank statements, or credit report)
Go to SOLCheck
Enter: your state, "credit card" as debt type, your last activity date
The tool returns your expiration date and the controlling statute

If you already know the debt is time-barred, read What to Do When a Collector Calls About Time-Barred Debt before responding to any collector contact.

Compliance note: This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. SOL values are compiled from state statutes as of 2025 via the SOLCheck data source and are marked unverified pending attorney review. Laws change — always confirm with the current text of your state's statute or consult a licensed attorney. Sources: state statutes as listed; CFPB Debt Collection.