Statute of limitations on debt in Michigan
In Michigan, a creditor or debt collector has 6 years to sue on a written contract, 6 years on an oral agreement, and 6 years on an open account such as a credit card (Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5807(9) (6 years, breach of contract); MCL 600.5866 (revival by written acknowledgment)). For medical bills, the operative number is 6 years — Michigan has no medical-debt-specific limitations statute; a medical bill — whether viewed as a written contract, oral/implied contract, or open account — is an action to recover money due for breach of contract under the general 6-year period of MCL 600.5807(9) (verified current through PA 91 of 2026), so 6 years applies either way (sale-of-goods contracts under the UCC, 4 years, MCL 440.2725, do not cover medical services).
| Written contracts | 6 years |
| Oral agreements | 6 years |
| Open accounts (credit cards) | 6 years |
| Medical debt | 6 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 — a voluntary partial payment restarts the 6-year period from the date of payment unless accompanied by circumstances repelling the inference of willingness to pay (Yeiter v. Knights of St. Casimir Aid Society, 461 Mich. 493 (2000)), and a debt already time-barred can be revived by a signed written acknowledgment or promise under MCL 600.5866.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 Michigan.
- 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: Michigan Department of Attorney General — Consumer Protection Team.
Michigan’s own collection law
The Michigan Regulation of Collection Practices Act (RCPA) and Occupational Code Article 9 (Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 445.251–445.258 (RCPA); MCL 339.901–339.920 (Occupational Code art. 9)) The RCPA prohibits harassment, deception, communicating with third parties, and misrepresenting legal rights, applies to creditors as well as collection agencies, and allows consumers to sue for actual damages or $50–$150 statutory damages (trebled for willful violations) plus fees; Occupational Code Article 9 imposes parallel conduct rules on licensed agencies. Yes — collection agencies must hold a license for each place of business from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) under MCL 339.904, with a $5,000 bond and a licensed collection-agency manager.
Common questions
What is the statute of limitations on debt in Michigan?
Michigan allows 6 years to sue on written contracts, 6 years on oral agreements, and 6 years on open accounts such as credit cards (Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5807(9) (6 years, breach of contract); MCL 600.5866 (revival by written acknowledgment)). Medical debt is generally treated as a written contract here — 6 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 Michigan?
Yes — a voluntary partial payment restarts the 6-year period from the date of payment unless accompanied by circumstances repelling the inference of willingness to pay (Yeiter v. Knights of St. Casimir Aid Society, 461 Mich. 493 (2000)), and a debt already time-barred can be revived by a signed written acknowledgment or promise under MCL 600.5866.
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 Michigan
- 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 New Hampshire
- Medical debt laws in Oklahoma
- Medical debt laws in Texas
- Medical debt laws in Wyoming
- Medical debt laws in Connecticut
- Medical debt laws in Indiana
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.