Medical Debt Statute of Limitations by State (2026 Table)

Medical debt is a heavy burden for millions of Americans, often leading to stress, financial hardship, and fear of collection actions. For those paying out-of-pocket, understanding your rights and the legal timelines involved is crucial. One of the most important legal protections you have is the "statute of limitations" – a legal deadline that limits how long a creditor or debt collector can sue you to collect a debt. But this deadline varies significantly by state and even by the type of debt. Knowing your state's specific rules can help you to protect yourself from aggressive collection practices and potential lawsuits.

What is the Statute of Limitations on Medical Debt?

At its core, the statute of limitations (SOL) is a legal concept designed to create fairness and finality. It sets a maximum time period after an event (like a missed payment on a debt) during which legal proceedings can be initiated. For medical debt, this means there's a limit to how long a hospital, doctor's office, or debt collector has to file a lawsuit against you to recover what they claim you owe. If they miss this deadline, they generally lose their right to sue you in court for that specific debt.

It's important to understand that the SOL does not erase the debt itself. The debt may still exist, and collection agencies might still contact you. But if the SOL has passed, you have a strong legal defense against a lawsuit, and you can inform collectors that the debt is time-barred.

Why Your State's SOL Matters

Knowing your state's statute of limitations for medical debt is a critical piece of information for several reasons:

1. Protection from Lawsuits: The primary benefit is protection from being sued. If the SOL has expired, a debt collector cannot successfully sue you to force payment. If they do, you can use the expired SOL as a defense in court.
2. Negotiation Leverage: Understanding the SOL can give you leverage in negotiations. If a debt is nearing or past its SOL, a collector might be more willing to settle for a lower amount, knowing their legal options are limited.
3. Stopping Harassment: While collectors can still contact you about time-barred debt, knowing your rights allows you to push back. You can send a cease and desist letter, and if they continue to harass you or threaten legal action on a time-barred debt, they may be violating consumer protection laws like the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).
4. Avoiding Accidental Resets: Many people inadvertently restart the SOL clock by making a payment, even a small one, or by acknowledging the debt in writing. Knowing the SOL helps you avoid these common pitfalls.

How SOL is Determined: Debt Types

The statute of limitations often depends on how the medical debt is classified in your state. Medical debts typically fall into one of three categories:

• Written Contracts: This is often the longest SOL. A written contract might be a signed payment plan agreement with a hospital, a promissory note, or a document where you explicitly agree to specific payment terms. For example, if you signed a financial agreement stating you would pay for services, this could be considered a written contract.
• Oral Contracts: This refers to an agreement made verbally. While less common for significant medical debt, if you verbally agreed to pay for services without signing anything, it might fall under this category. Oral contracts usually have a shorter SOL than written ones.
• Open Accounts (or Account Stated): Many routine medical bills, where you didn't sign a specific payment contract but received services and a bill, are treated as "open accounts." This is very common for standard doctor visits or minor procedures. The SOL for open accounts is often shorter than for written contracts but can be similar to oral contracts in some states.

It's crucial to understand that how your medical debt is classified can significantly impact how long a creditor has to sue you. In many cases, if you simply received a bill after a service without signing a specific financial agreement, it might be considered an open account or an implied contract, which typically has a shorter SOL than a formal written contract.

Medical Debt Statute of Limitations by State

The most challenging aspect of the statute of limitations is its variability. There is no single federal SOL for medical debt; it is determined by individual state laws. For a typical medical bill with no signed payment agreement, the deadline ranges from 2 years (Arkansas) to 10 years (Rhode Island). A few states now set a shorter deadline for medical debt specifically, including Arkansas, Florida (hospital and surgery-center debt), New York and Virginia.

The table below covers all 50 states and DC. "Most medical bills" is the deadline for an unpaid bill when you did not sign a payment agreement, which is how most medical bills arise. "Signed written agreement" applies if you signed a payment plan or promissory note. Each figure was checked against the state's statute text in September 2026, and the statute is listed so you can check it yourself. This is general information, not legal advice. Courts sometimes classify a medical bill differently, and when the clock starts varies by state. If you are being sued, talk to a consumer attorney or legal aid office.

State	Most medical bills (no signed agreement)	Signed written agreement	Statute for a typical bill	Medical-debt rules to know
Alabama	3 years	6 years	Ala. Code § 6-2-37(1)
Alaska	3 years	3 years	Alaska Stat. § 09.10.053
Arizona	3 years	6 years	Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-543(2)
Arkansas	2 years	2 years for medical charges (5 for other written contracts)	Ark. Code § 16-56-106(b)	Runs 2 years from the date of service or the last partial payment, whichever is later.
California	4 years	4 years	Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 337(b)	Hospitals and anyone who buys their debt cannot sue until 180 days after the first bill (Health & Safety Code § 127425).
Colorado	6 years	6 years	Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-103.5(1)(a)	No court action over hospital bills until 182 days after care (C.R.S. § 6-20-203).
Connecticut	6 years	6 years	Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-576(a)	Hospitals face limits on suing uninsured patients (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-673b).
Delaware	3 years	3 years	Del. Code Ann. tit. 10, § 8106(a)	Large facilities cannot sue until 120 days after the first bill, and cannot garnish wages (6 Del. C. ch. 25J).
District of Columbia	3 years	3 years	D.C. Code § 28-3814(o)
Florida	4 years (3 for hospital and surgery-center debt)	5 years (3 for hospital and surgery-center debt)	Fla. Stat. § 95.11(3)(j), (4)	Debt from hospitals and surgery centers (ch. 395 facilities): 3 years from referral to collections (Fla. Stat. § 95.11(4), 2024).
Georgia	4 years	6 years	O.C.G.A. § 9-3-25
Hawaii	6 years	6 years	Haw. Rev. Stat. § 657-1(1)
Idaho	4 years	5 years	Idaho Code § 5-217	No lawsuit until required billing notices and waiting periods are met (Idaho Code § 48-304).
Illinois	5 years	10 years	735 ILCS 5/13-205	Hospitals must screen uninsured patients for financial aid before collection action (210 ILCS 88/30).
Indiana	6 years	6 years	Ind. Code § 34-11-2-7(1)
Iowa	5 years	10 years	Iowa Code § 614.1(4)
Kansas	3 years	5 years	Kan. Stat. Ann. § 60-512(1)
Kentucky	5 years	10 years	Ky. Rev. Stat. § 413.120(1)	Written contracts signed on or before July 15, 2014 have 15 years.
Louisiana	3 years	3 years for medical services (10 for other written contracts)	La. Civ. Code art. 3494	Bills for services, including professional fees, are 3 years whether or not you signed a form.
Maine	6 years	6 years	14 M.R.S. § 752	Before suing, a collector must notify you that it cannot sue if your household income is at or below 300% of the poverty line (32 M.R.S. § 11013).
Maryland	3 years	3 years	Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-101	Hospitals cannot sue a patient who owes $500 or less, or sue within 240 days of the first bill (Health-Gen. § 19-214.2).
Massachusetts	6 years	6 years	Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2
Michigan	6 years	6 years	Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5807(9)
Minnesota	6 years	6 years	Minn. Stat. § 541.053	Medical debt suits must be filed within the 6-year consumer-debt period (Minn. Stat. § 332C.02).
Mississippi	3 years	3 years	Miss. Code Ann. § 15-1-29
Missouri	5 years	10 years if the document contains a written promise to pay money; otherwise 5	Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120(1)
Montana	5 years	6 years	Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-202(2)	Written-contract period is 6 years for suits filed on or after Oct. 1, 2025 (8 years before).
Nebraska	4 years	5 years	Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-206
Nevada	4 years	6 years	Nev. Rev. Stat. § 11.190(2)(c)	Collection agencies must give 60 days' written notice before collecting (NRS 649.366).
New Hampshire	3 years	3 years	N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 508:4(I)
New Jersey	6 years	6 years	N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2A:14-1(a)	No lawsuit until 120 days after the first bill and after a payment plan is offered (N.J.S.A. 56:11-59).
New Mexico	4 years	6 years	N.M. Stat. Ann. § 37-1-4	Patients found indigent (at or below 200% of the poverty line) cannot be sued over medical debt (N.M.S.A. § 57-32-4).
New York	3 years for hospitals and licensed professionals; 6 otherwise	3 years for hospitals and licensed professionals; 6 otherwise	N.Y. C.P.L.R. 213-d; 213(2)	3 years from treatment for hospitals and licensed health professionals (CPLR 213-d, 2020). Other creditors: 6 years.
North Carolina	3 years	3 years	N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-52(1)
North Dakota	6 years	6 years	N.D. Cent. Code § 28-01-16(1)
Ohio	6 years	6 years	Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.07(C)	Consumer debt is 6 years whether or not you signed anything, counted from 30 days after the last charge or payment.
Oklahoma	3 years	5 years	Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 95(A)(2)
Oregon	6 years	6 years	Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.080(1)	Hospitals must screen for financial aid before sending a bill to collections (ORS 646A.677).
Pennsylvania	4 years	4 years	42 Pa. C.S. § 5525(a)(3)-(4)
Rhode Island	10 years	10 years	R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-13(a)
South Carolina	3 years	3 years	S.C. Code Ann. § 15-3-530(1)
South Dakota	6 years	6 years	S.D. Codified Laws § 15-2-13(1)
Tennessee	6 years	6 years	Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-109(a)(3)
Texas	4 years	4 years	Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004(c)	Providers must send an itemized bill before pursuing collection (Health & Safety Code § 185.002).
Utah	4 years	6 years	Utah Code § 78B-2-307(1)(c)
Vermont	6 years	6 years	Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 12, § 511
Virginia	3 years	3 years for medical debt (5 for other written contracts)	Va. Code § 8.01-246(B)	3 years from the due date of the final invoice, even with a signed agreement (Va. Code § 8.01-246(B), 2024).
Washington	6 years	6 years	Rev. Code Wash. § 4.16.040(2)	Providers cannot send a bill to collections until 120 days after the first bill (RCW 70.54.470).
West Virginia	5 years	10 years	W. Va. Code § 55-2-6
Wisconsin	6 years	6 years	Wis. Stat. § 893.43(1)
Wyoming	8 years	10 years	Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-3-105(a)(ii)(A)

Important Considerations

• Start Date: The clock for the SOL typically starts from the date of the last activity on the account, which is usually the date of the last payment or the date the debt became delinquent.
• If You Moved: Which state's deadline applies can depend on where you got care, where you live now, and where you are sued. Some states have "borrowing statutes" that apply the shorter of two states' deadlines. If you have moved since the bill, ask a consumer attorney or legal aid office.

What Can "Reset" the Statute of Limitations?

This is a critical point that many people overlook. Certain actions can inadvertently restart the SOL clock, giving the creditor a fresh period of time to sue you. These actions typically include:

• Making a Payment: Even a small payment on the debt can often reset the SOL, regardless of how old the debt is. This is why you should be very cautious about making any payments on old debts without first understanding your rights.
• Promising to Pay: Acknowledging the debt and promising to pay it, especially in writing, can also reset the SOL in many states.
• Entering a New Payment Agreement: If you agree to a new payment plan or sign a new agreement, it can create a new contract, resetting the SOL from the date of the new agreement.

Debt collectors are often aware of these rules and may try to get you to make a small payment or acknowledge the debt. Be extremely careful and informed before taking any action regarding an old medical debt.

What Happens When Medical Debt Becomes "Time-Barred"?

When the statute of limitations expires, the debt becomes "time-barred." This means:

• Lawsuits Should Fail: If a creditor sues after the deadline, the expired statute of limitations is a defense you raise in court. In most states the judge will not apply it unless you do. Third-party debt collectors are barred by federal rule from suing or threatening to sue on time-barred debt (12 CFR 1006.26(b)).
• Debt Still Exists: The debt itself does not disappear. You technically still owe it. This means collection agencies can still contact you to try and collect the debt voluntarily.
• Credit Report Impact: The statute of limitations does not control your credit report. A collection can generally stay on your report for up to seven years from the original delinquency, even after the lawsuit deadline has passed. The three national credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) stopped reporting paid medical collections on July 1, 2022, now wait one year before an unpaid medical collection can appear, and on April 11, 2023 removed medical collections with an initial balance under $500. A federal CFPB rule that would have removed medical debt from credit reports entirely was vacated by a federal court on July 11, 2025, so it is not in effect. Some states have their own medical-debt credit reporting laws.

How to Choose What to Do About an Old Medical Bill

1. Check the dates first. Find the date of service, the date of your last payment, and your state's deadline in the table above. Do not pay or promise to pay until you know where you stand, because in many states a payment restarts the clock.
2. Within the deadline, and the bill is from a nonprofit hospital: ask for its financial assistance application. Federal rules give you at least 240 days from the first post-discharge bill to apply (IRS Section 501(r)). Dollar For helps for free, and FairVisitHealth's financial assistance directory has policy details for more than 3,300 hospitals.
3. You think the amount is wrong: ask in writing for an itemized bill and proof that you owe the debt, and dispute the errors.
4. Within the deadline, and the bill is correct: negotiate a settlement or a payment plan, and get the terms in writing before you pay. Our guide on how to negotiate a hospital bill has a call script.
5. You are sued: respond by the court's deadline, even if you believe the debt is time-barred. Free legal aid near you: LawHelp.org.
6. A collector threatens to sue on a time-barred debt: report it to the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov/complaint and to your state attorney general.

Paying, Settling, Disputing, or Raising the Deadline: Compared

Option	Can it restart the deadline?	Best when	Watch out for
Pay in full	In many states, yes	The bill is correct, within the deadline, and affordable	Get a paid-in-full letter
Settle or set up a payment plan	In many states, yes, and a new signed plan can start a new deadline	You owe it but cannot pay all at once	Get the terms in writing before paying
Dispute the bill	Not by itself, if you do not admit the debt or promise to pay	The amount is wrong or the debt is not yours	Dispute in writing and keep copies
Raise the statute of limitations	No	The deadline has passed and you are sued	You must raise it in court yourself
Do nothing	No	The deadline has passed and no one has sued you	Never ignore court papers: a default judgment can still be entered

Protecting Yourself: Actionable Next Steps

If you're dealing with medical debt, especially older debt, here are concrete steps you can take:

1. Identify the Type of Debt: Determine if your medical debt falls under a written contract, oral contract, or open account based on how the debt was incurred (e.g., did you sign a specific payment agreement?).
2. Determine Your State's SOL: Research the specific statute of limitations for the relevant debt type in your state. You can often find this information on your state's attorney general website, legal aid resources, or by consulting with a legal professional. Remember to verify the current laws.
3. Document Everything: Keep meticulous records of all medical bills, payment agreements, correspondence (letters, emails), and notes from phone calls (date, time, who you spoke with, what was discussed). This documentation is crucial if you need to dispute the debt or defend yourself against a lawsuit.
4. Be Cautious with Communication: If a debt collector contacts you about an old debt, be very careful about what you say or do. Do not acknowledge the debt, make any promises to pay, or make even a partial payment without first verifying the SOL and understanding the implications. You can request validation of the debt in writing.
5. Dispute Inaccurate Debts: If you believe the debt is not yours, the amount is incorrect, or the SOL has expired, dispute it in writing. Send a certified letter with a return receipt requested.
6. Assert Your Rights: If you are sued for a time-barred debt, you must appear in court and inform the judge that the statute of limitations has expired as your defense. Ignoring a lawsuit can result in a default judgment against you, even if the debt is time-barred.
7. Seek Legal Advice: If you are unsure about your specific situation, especially regarding the SOL or if you are being sued, consult with a consumer law attorney or legal aid service in your state. They can provide tailored advice and help you understand your options.

How FairVisitHealth Helps

FairVisitHealth.com helps self-pay patients by providing transparent pricing information for medical procedures, helping you compare costs and find more affordable healthcare options upfront. While we don't offer legal advice on debt, understanding your rights is part of being an informed healthcare consumer.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: Can I still be contacted about time-barred medical debt?

A1: Yes, debt collectors can still contact you to try to collect a time-barred debt. Under the CFPB's Regulation F (12 CFR 1006.26(b)), a third-party debt collector may not sue or threaten to sue you over it. If one does, that may violate federal law. You can also send a written request that the collector stop contacting you.

Q2: Does time-barred medical debt disappear from my credit report?

A2: Not automatically. The statute of limitations limits lawsuits, not credit reporting. A collection can generally stay on your report for up to seven years from the original delinquency. The national credit bureaus stopped reporting paid medical collections in July 2022 and removed medical collections under $500 in April 2023. A CFPB rule to remove all medical debt from credit reports was vacated by a federal court in July 2025.

Q3: What if a collection agency sues me for time-barred debt?

A3: If you are sued for a debt that you believe is time-barred, it is crucial not to ignore the lawsuit. You must appear in court and raise the statute of limitations as your legal defense. Ignoring the lawsuit can result in a default judgment against you, which could then allow the creditor to garnish wages or levy bank accounts.

Q4: Is medical debt typically considered a "written contract" or "open account"?

A4: This depends on the circumstances. If you signed a specific financial agreement or payment plan with the hospital or provider, it might be considered a "written contract." If you simply received services and were billed without a formal signed agreement, it's often treated as an "open account" or implied contract. The classification affects the applicable statute of limitations.

Q5: Should I pay a time-barred medical debt?

A5: This is a personal decision. A time-barred debt usually still exists, but a creditor should not win a lawsuit over it if you raise the deadline as your defense. But if you choose to pay, be aware that even a partial payment can, in many states, reset the statute of limitations, potentially allowing the creditor to sue you again. Consider the impact on your credit, your financial situation, and whether the debt is truly yours and accurate before making any decision. It's often wise to seek legal counsel before making a payment on old debt.