Statute of limitations on debt in Arkansas
In Arkansas, a creditor or debt collector has 5 years to sue on a written contract, 3 years on an oral agreement, and 3 years on an open account such as a credit card (Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-111 (5 years, written contracts); Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-105 (3 years, oral contracts and open accounts); Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-106(b) (2 years, medical services)). For medical bills, the operative number is 2 years — Arkansas has a medical-debt-specific limitations statute: Ark. Code § 16-56-106(b) bars actions to recover charges for medical services (for services performed after March 31, 1985) after 2 years from the date the services were performed or from the date of the most recent partial payment, whichever is later. Acts 2021, No. 1032 would raise this to 5 years, but its § 2 made that amendment contingent on federal H.R. 5330 (116th Cong.) becoming law by January 1, 2026; that bill never passed, so the 5-year version never took effect. The 2-year medical period (shorter than the 3-year open-account and 5-year written-contract periods) governs ordinary medical bills. Sites reprinting the contingent 5-year text (e.g., FindLaw) are showing a version that is not in force.
| Written contracts | 5 years |
| Oral agreements | 3 years |
| Open accounts (credit cards) | 3 years |
| Medical debt | 2 years |
How the limitation works
- It limits lawsuits, not the debt. A time-barred debt still exists; what expires is the collector’s ability to win in court.
- It is a defense you must raise. Courts don’t apply it for you. If you are sued and don’t respond, the collector wins by default — even on a time-barred debt.
- The clock usually runs from last activity — typically your last payment — not from when the debt was sold. A debt buyer inherits the original clock.
- Threatening to sue on time-barred debt is illegal. Federal Regulation F (12 C.F.R. §1006.26) bars collectors from suing or threatening suit on time-barred debt, whether or not they knew it was time-barred.
The restart trap
Yes — Ark. Code § 16-56-111 (as amended 1989) provides that partial payment or a written acknowledgment of default tolls/restarts the written-contract period, and § 16-56-106(b) expressly restarts the medical-debt period from the most recent partial payment; an oral acknowledgment is not enough.This is the single most expensive mistake people make with old debt: a small “good-faith” payment on a nearly-expired account can hand the collector a fresh lawsuit window. Confirm the dates before paying anything on an old account.
What to do with an old collection notice
- Find the date of last activity — your own bank records beat the collector’s letter.
- Count forward using the table above. Older than the period? The debt may be time-barred in Arkansas.
- Send a written validation request — it forces the collector to document the debt and pauses collection until it does (15 U.S.C. §1692g). Generate it free →
- Do not acknowledge the debt in writing or pay anything until you know where the clock stands.
- If you’re sued, respond by the deadline and raise the statute of limitations. Your state’s legal aid can help free: Arkansas Attorney General's Office, Consumer Protection Division.
Arkansas’s own collection law
The Arkansas Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (Ark. Code Ann. § 17-24-501 et seq.) Enacted 2017 within the collection-agencies chapter, it substantially mirrors the federal FDCPA's prohibitions on harassment, false representations, and unfair practices and is enforceable by state regulators. Yes — collection agencies located in Arkansas or contacting Arkansas debtors must be licensed by the Arkansas State Board of Collection Agencies (Ark. Code Ann. § 17-24-101 et seq.), now organized under the Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing.
Common questions
What is the statute of limitations on debt in Arkansas?
Arkansas allows 5 years to sue on written contracts, 3 years on oral agreements, and 3 years on open accounts such as credit cards (Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-111 (5 years, written contracts); Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-105 (3 years, oral contracts and open accounts); Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-106(b) (2 years, medical services)). Medical debt is generally treated as an open account or per its own rule here — 2 years.
When does the clock start?
Generally from the date of default or last activity on the account — commonly the last payment or charge — not from when the debt was sold to a collector. Selling a debt does not reset the statute of limitations.
Does paying something on an old debt restart the statute of limitations in Arkansas?
Yes — Ark. Code § 16-56-111 (as amended 1989) provides that partial payment or a written acknowledgment of default tolls/restarts the written-contract period, and § 16-56-106(b) expressly restarts the medical-debt period from the most recent partial payment; an oral acknowledgment is not enough.
Can a collector still contact me about a time-barred debt?
Yes — the statute of limitations limits lawsuits, not requests to pay. However, under federal Regulation F (12 C.F.R. §1006.26), a collector may not sue or threaten to sue on a time-barred debt — the ban applies whether or not the collector knew the debt was too old.
What should I do if I get sued on an old debt?
Respond by the court deadline — never ignore a summons, because a default judgment revives everything. If the debt is older than the limitations period, raise the statute of limitations as an affirmative defense in your answer. Many defendants win on this alone.
How is a judgment different?
Once a creditor wins a judgment, a separate and much longer enforcement period applies, and judgments can often be renewed. That is why responding before judgment matters more than anything else on this page.
Keep reading
- Medical debt laws in Arkansas
- Free debt validation letter generator — no account needed
- Look up a debt collector — CFPB complaint records for the biggest agencies
- Charity care: hospital financial assistance, applied
- Medical debt laws in Hawaii
- Medical debt laws in Louisiana
- Medical debt laws in Missouri
- Medical debt laws in New York
- Medical debt laws in Rhode Island
- Medical debt laws in Virginia
Legal information, not legal advice. Statutes change and courts interpret them — for advice on your situation, talk to a lawyer or your state’s legal aid office. Last reviewed AUG 2026.