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Medical debt laws in California

CALIFORNIA · STATUTE-SOURCED · MAINTAINED — LAST REVIEWED AUG 2026 · FREE, NO ACCOUNT

In California, the statute of limitations on medical debt is 4 years (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 337 (4 years, written contracts and book accounts/accounts stated/open mutual accounts); Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 339 (2 years, oral contracts); Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 360 (acknowledgment/payment)). California medical bills are governed by Code of Civil Procedure § 337 whether characterized as a written contract (signed admission/financial agreement) or as a book account / account stated / open account — both carry 4 years, so 4 years applies to unpaid medical bills either way; only a purely oral arrangement with no account kept would fall to 2 years under § 339, which is rare for medical providers. That clock decides whether a collector can win a lawsuit against you — which changes what you should do next, so check the dates on the bill before you do anything else.

California — statute of limitations on debt
Written contracts4 years
Oral agreements2 years
Open accounts (credit cards)4 years
Medical debt4 years
SOURCE: Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 337 (4 years, written contracts and book accounts/accounts stated/open mutual accounts); Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 339 (2 years, oral contracts); Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 360 (acknowledgment/payment)

What the time limit actually means

The statute of limitations does not erase a debt — it limits how long a collector can successfully sue over it. A time-barred debt can still be requested, reported (within credit-reporting time limits), and settled. But if a collector sues after the period has run and you raise the statute of limitations as a defense, the case should be dismissed. The defense is not automatic: you must respond to the lawsuit to use it.

Careful: A new promise or acknowledgment revives a debt only via a signed writing under CCP § 360, but that section expressly preserves the effect of a payment of principal or interest — so a partial payment can restart the clock — although Civ. Code § 1788.14 bars collectors from suing once the original period has run.

California protections for medical debt

  • Medical debt credit-reporting ban (SB 1061, 2024) (Cal. Civ. Code § 1785.27) — As of Jan. 1, 2025, providers, collectors, and credit bureaus may not report medical debt to consumer credit reporting agencies regardless of amount; from July 1, 2025 every contract creating medical debt must contain a disclosure of this ban, and a contract missing the disclosure is void and unenforceable.
  • Hospital Fair Pricing Act / charity care (as expanded by AB 1020 (2021) and AB 2297 (2024)) (Cal. Health & Safety Code § 127400 et seq.) — Hospitals must offer free or discounted care to patients at or below 400% of the federal poverty level, wait at least 180 days before sending bills to collections, and (per AB 2297, eff. 2025) may not place liens on primary residences or consider assets in charity-care eligibility.
  • Rosenthal Act and Fair Debt Buyer Practices Act coverage of medical debt (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1788-1788.33; §§ 1788.50-1788.66) — California's mini-FDCPA applies to original creditors (including hospitals and medical groups) as well as third-party collectors, and Civ. Code § 1788.14 bars suing or threatening suit on time-barred debt and requires time-barred-debt disclosures.
  • Charity care is federal law. Nonprofit hospitals must maintain a written Financial Assistance Policy and publicize it (IRS §501(r)). If your bill is from a nonprofit hospital, ask for the FAP application before paying anything. How to apply →
  • Surprise out-of-network bills. The federal No Surprises Act bans most out-of-network balance billing for emergency care and for out-of-network providers at in-network facilities. When a bill is illegal →
  • Credit reporting. The national bureaus no longer report paid medical collections, medical collections under $500, or those less than a year old.

Rules California sets for collectors

Beyond the federal FDCPA, California has its own collection statute — the Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (plus the Fair Debt Buyer Practices Act) (Cal. Civ. Code § 1788 et seq.; Cal. Civ. Code § 1788.50 et seq.). The Rosenthal Act incorporates the federal FDCPA's protections and extends them to original creditors collecting their own consumer debts, with statutory damages; the Fair Debt Buyer Practices Act adds documentation and pleading requirements for purchased debt.

Yes — under the Debt Collection Licensing Act (Cal. Fin. Code § 100000 et seq.), since Jan. 1, 2022 debt collectors and debt buyers collecting California consumer debt must be licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI).

Under the FDCPA, within five days of first contacting you a collector must send a written validation notice (15 U.S.C. §1692g). If you dispute the debt in writing within 30 days of that notice, the collector must stop collection activity until it mails you verification. There is no legal deadline for the collector to respond — but until it does, it cannot lawfully keep collecting.

If a collector is calling: the first 24 hours

  1. Do not confirm the debt is yours on the phone, and do not make a payment yet — get everything in writing first.
  2. Ask for the collector’s company name, mailing address, and the amount claimed. Write down the date and time.
  3. Check the dates: if the last activity on the bill is older than 4 years, the debt may be time-barred in California.
  4. Send a written validation request within 30 days. Generate the letter free →
  5. If the bill is from a hospital, request an itemized bill and ask about financial assistance — billing errors are common and assistance is often retroactive.

Where to complain in California

California Attorney General's Office, Public Inquiry Unit (Consumer Protection) handles collection complaints at the state level. Federally, file with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — complaints become part of the public record collectors are judged on.

Common questions

How long can a debt collector pursue medical debt in California?

The statute of limitations on medical debt in California is 4 years (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 337 (4 years, written contracts and book accounts/accounts stated/open mutual accounts); Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 339 (2 years, oral contracts); Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 360 (acknowledgment/payment)). California medical bills are governed by Code of Civil Procedure § 337 whether characterized as a written contract (signed admission/financial agreement) or as a book account / account stated / open account — both carry 4 years, so 4 years applies to unpaid medical bills either way; only a purely oral arrangement with no account kept would fall to 2 years under § 339, which is rare for medical providers. After that period, a lawsuit to collect can be challenged as time-barred, though collectors may still ask you to pay voluntarily.

Can I be sued for a medical bill after 4 years in California?

A collector can still file a lawsuit after the limitations period, but the statute of limitations is a defense: if you raise it, a time-barred case should be dismissed. It is not automatic — you must respond to the lawsuit and assert it. Never ignore a court summons.

Does making a small payment restart the clock in California?

A new promise or acknowledgment revives a debt only via a signed writing under CCP § 360, but that section expressly preserves the effect of a payment of principal or interest — so a partial payment can restart the clock — although Civ. Code § 1788.14 bars collectors from suing once the original period has run.

Does unpaid medical debt go on my credit report?

Since 2023, the three national credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) do not report paid medical collections, medical collections under $500, or medical collections less than a year old. Larger, older unpaid medical collections can still appear.

Do hospitals in California have to offer financial assistance?

Every nonprofit hospital in the United States is required by federal law (IRS Section 501(r)) to have a written Financial Assistance Policy and to tell patients about it. California adds its own protections on top — see the list on this page.

How do I dispute a medical bill that went to collections?

Send the collector a written debt validation request. Under the federal FDCPA (15 U.S.C. §1692g), if you dispute the debt in writing within 30 days of their first notice, the collector must stop collecting until it mails you verification of the debt. You can generate that letter free on this site — no account needed.

Where do I complain about a debt collector in California?

File with the California Attorney General's Office, Public Inquiry Unit (Consumer Protection) (https://oag.ca.gov/contact/consumer-complaint-against-business-or-company) and with the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. Complaints are free and create a record.

Keep reading

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.

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