Statute of limitations on debt in Louisiana
In Louisiana, a creditor or debt collector has 10 years to sue on a written contract, 10 years on an oral agreement, and 3 years on an open account such as a credit card (La. Civ. Code art. 3494 (3-year prescription: services rendered/professional fees (1), money lent (3), open accounts (4)); La. Civ. Code art. 3499 (residual 10-year prescription for personal actions, written or oral)). For medical bills, the operative number is 3 years — Louisiana law (liberative prescription, not 'statute of limitations') puts actions on open accounts and for compensation for services rendered — including professional fees such as health care charges — under the 3-year prescription of La. Civ. Code art. 3494; medical bills are billed as open accounts/services, so 3 years is the applicable and well-settled period. Only a personal action on a distinct written obligation falls under the residual 10-year period of art. 3499 (ordinary contract claims, written or oral, default to 10 years unless enumerated in art. 3494).
| Written contracts | 10 years |
| Oral agreements | 10 years |
| Open accounts (credit cards) | 3 years |
| Medical debt | 3 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 — acknowledgment of the debt interrupts prescription (La. Civ. Code art. 3464), and Louisiana courts treat a partial payment as an acknowledgment, so the full prescriptive period begins to run anew from the payment (art. 3466).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 Louisiana.
- 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: Louisiana Attorney General Consumer Protection Section (Public Protection Division).
Louisiana’s own collection law
The None comprehensive — Louisiana Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law applies (La. R.S. 51:1401 et seq.; collection-agency registration at La. R.S. 9:3534.1) Louisiana has no comprehensive mini-FDCPA; abusive collection practices are pursued under the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law enforced by the Attorney General, and collection agencies are separately subject to a registration-and-bond requirement under La. R.S. 9:3534.1 (Act 534 of 2006). Collection agencies and debt collectors doing business in Louisiana must register with the Louisiana Secretary of State and post a $10,000 surety bond under La. R.S. 9:3534.1; there is no license from the Office of Financial Institutions.
Common questions
What is the statute of limitations on debt in Louisiana?
Louisiana allows 10 years to sue on written contracts, 10 years on oral agreements, and 3 years on open accounts such as credit cards (La. Civ. Code art. 3494 (3-year prescription: services rendered/professional fees (1), money lent (3), open accounts (4)); La. Civ. Code art. 3499 (residual 10-year prescription for personal actions, written or oral)). Medical debt is generally treated as an open account or per its own rule here — 3 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 Louisiana?
Yes — acknowledgment of the debt interrupts prescription (La. Civ. Code art. 3464), and Louisiana courts treat a partial payment as an acknowledgment, so the full prescriptive period begins to run anew from the payment (art. 3466).
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 Louisiana
- 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 Missouri
- Medical debt laws in New York
- Medical debt laws in Rhode Island
- Medical debt laws in Virginia
- Medical debt laws in Arizona
- Medical debt laws in Georgia
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.