Each State has a time limit associated with each type of debt. In other words a collector can only legally go after an alleged debt for a specified amount of time. Many third party debt collectors will try to collect on old outdated or time barred debt. The chart below lists the time limits.
Open ended accounts are associated with credit card debt where the balances change and credit is used over and over. The names”written contracts and oral contracts” are pretty self explanatory. Promissory notes are contracts that you signed for a loan, etc. by the way, any contract should have your signature as well as the signature of the lender.
| Statutes of limitations by state | ||||
| State | Written contracts | Oral contracts | Promissory notes | Open-ended accounts |
| Alabama | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 |
| Alaska | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Arizona | 6 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| Arkansas | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| California | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Colorado | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Connecticut | 6 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| Delaware | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| D.C. | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Florida | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Georgia | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Hawaii | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Idaho | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Illinois | 10 | 5 | 10 | 5 |
| Indiana | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Iowa | 10 | 5 | 10 | 5 |
| Kansas | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Kentucky | 15 | 5 | 10 | 5 |
| Louisiana | 10 | 10 | 10 | 3 |
| Maine | 6 | 6 | 20 | 6 |
| Maryland | 3 | 3 | 12 | 3 |
| Massachusetts | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Michigan | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Minnesota | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Mississippi | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Missouri | 10 | 6 | 3 | 5 |
| Montana | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Nebraska | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Nevada | 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| New Hampshire | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| New Jersey | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| New Mexico | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| New York | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| North Carolina | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| North Dakota | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Ohio | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Oklahoma | 5 | 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Oregon | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Pennsylvania | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Rhode Island | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| South Carolina | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| South Dakota | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Tennessee | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Texas | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Utah | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Vermont | 6 | 6 | 14 | 6 |
| Virginia | 5 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| Washington | 6 | 3 | 6 | 6 |
| West Virginia | 10 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Wisconsin | 6 | 6 | 10 | 6 |
| Wyoming | 10 | 8 | 10 | 6 |
Just to be clear, a third party debt collector is a collector that has purchased an alleged debt. They are not the original creditor. The original creditor, as the name suggests, is the bank or finance company where you got your loan or credit card originally. Third party debt collectors can be made to back off with specific letters asking for true and lawful validation.
