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Medical debt laws, state by state.

How long a collector can sue you depends on your state — anywhere from 3 to 10 years. Every guide cites the actual statute. Last reviewed AUG 2026.

All 50 states on one page — how long they can sue, which states add protections, which have no collection law: Medical debt laws by state, 2026 →

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MEDICAL DEBT · 3 YEARS · Ala. Code § 6-2-34 (6 years, contracts/simple contracts, incl. oral, and stated or liquidated accounts); Ala. Code § 6-2-37(1) (3 years, open or unliquidated accounts); Ala. Code § 6-2-16 (revival by partial payment or signed writing)

MEDICAL DEBT · 3 YEARS · Alaska Stat. § 09.10.053 (3 years, contract actions express or implied); Alaska Stat. § 09.10.200 (acknowledgment must be signed writing); Alaska Stat. § 09.10.210 (part payment restarts period)

MEDICAL DEBT · 3 YEARS · Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-548(A)(1)-(2) (6 years, written contracts and credit card debt); Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-543 (3 years, oral contracts and open accounts); Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-508 (revival of barred debt only by signed writing)

MEDICAL DEBT · 2 YEARS · 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 · 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)

MEDICAL DEBT · 6 YEARS · Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-103.5(1)(a) (6 years, liquidated/determinable debts); Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-101(1)(a) (3 years, other contract actions)

MEDICAL DEBT · 6 YEARS · Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-576 (6 years, written/implied contracts and accounts); Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-581 (3 years, executory oral contracts)

MEDICAL DEBT · 3 YEARS · 10 Del. C. § 8106

MEDICAL DEBT · 3 YEARS · Fla. Stat. § 95.11(2)(b) (5 years, written); Fla. Stat. § 95.11(3)(j) (4 years, not founded on a written instrument, incl. store/open accounts); Fla. Stat. § 95.11(4) (3 years, facility medical debt)

MEDICAL DEBT · 4 YEARS · O.C.G.A. § 9-3-24 (6 years, simple written contracts); O.C.G.A. § 9-3-25 (4 years, open accounts and contracts not in writing); O.C.G.A. § 9-3-26 (4 years, other implied/oral undertakings)

MEDICAL DEBT · 6 YEARS · Haw. Rev. Stat. § 657-1

MEDICAL DEBT · 4 YEARS · Idaho Code §§ 5-216, 5-217

MEDICAL DEBT · 5 YEARS · 735 ILCS 5/13-205; 735 ILCS 5/13-206

MEDICAL DEBT · 6 YEARS · Ind. Code §§ 34-11-2-7, 34-11-2-9

MEDICAL DEBT · 5 YEARS · Iowa Code § 614.1(4), (5)

MEDICAL DEBT · 3 YEARS · K.S.A. 60-511 (written, 5 years); K.S.A. 60-512 (oral/implied contracts and open accounts, 3 years)

MEDICAL DEBT · 5 YEARS · KRS 413.090(2) (written contracts executed before 7/15/2014, 15 years); KRS 413.160 (written contracts executed after 7/15/2014, 10 years); KRS 413.120(1) (oral/implied contracts and open accounts such as credit cards, 5 years)

MEDICAL DEBT · 3 YEARS · 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 · 6 YEARS · 14 M.R.S. § 752

MEDICAL DEBT · 3 YEARS · Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-101 (3 years, general); § 5-102 (12 years, specialties/contracts under seal); § 5-1202 (no revival of expired consumer debt)

MEDICAL DEBT · 6 YEARS · Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2 (contract actions, 6 years); ch. 260, § 1 (20 years for contracts under seal); ch. 260, §§ 13–14 (acknowledgment/new promise)

MEDICAL DEBT · 6 YEARS · Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5807(9) (6 years, breach of contract); MCL 600.5866 (revival by written acknowledgment)

MEDICAL DEBT · 6 YEARS · Minn. Stat. § 541.05, subd. 1(1) (contracts, 6 years); Minn. Stat. § 541.053 (consumer debt, 6 years, no revival)

MEDICAL DEBT · 3 YEARS · Miss. Code Ann. § 15-1-29 (open accounts, account stated, unwritten contracts — 3 years); § 15-1-49 (catch-all for written contracts — 3 years); § 15-1-31 (accrual on open accounts)

MEDICAL DEBT · 5 YEARS · Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120 (5 years, contracts/obligations not in writing for payment of money, incl. open accounts); § 516.110 (10 years, writings for the payment of money); §§ 516.320, 516.340 (acknowledgment and part payment)

MEDICAL DEBT · 5 YEARS · Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-202 (written 6 yrs — shortened from 8 by SB 143, Ch. 174, L. 2025; oral/account 5 yrs; other non-written obligations 3 yrs). Note: causes of action that accrued before the 2025 amendment's effective date may still be governed by the prior 8-year written-contract period.

MEDICAL DEBT · 4 YEARS · Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-205 (written contracts, 5 yrs); Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-206 (oral/implied contracts and accounts, 4 yrs)

MEDICAL DEBT · 4 YEARS · Nev. Rev. Stat. § 11.190(1)(b) (written, 6 yrs); § 11.190(2)(a) (open account, 4 yrs); § 11.190(2)(c) (not founded on written instrument, 4 yrs)

MEDICAL DEBT · 3 YEARS · N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. (RSA) 508:4, I (3 years for all personal actions); see also RSA 382-A:2-725 (4 yrs, sale of goods) and RSA 382-A:3-118 (negotiable instruments)

MEDICAL DEBT · 6 YEARS · N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2A:14-1 (6 years for contractual claims); Louisa Carman Medical Debt Relief Act, P.L. 2024, c. 48 (codified at N.J.S.A. 56:11-56 et seq.)

MEDICAL DEBT · 4 YEARS · NMSA 1978, §§ 37-1-3 (written contracts, 6 years), 37-1-4 (accounts and unwritten contracts, 4 years)

MEDICAL DEBT · 3 YEARS · N.Y. CPLR 213(2) (contracts, 6 years); CPLR 214-i (consumer credit transactions, 3 years); CPLR 213-d (medical debt, 3 years from treatment)

MEDICAL DEBT · 3 YEARS · N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-52(1)

MEDICAL DEBT · 6 YEARS · N.D.C.C. § 28-01-16(1)

MEDICAL DEBT · 6 YEARS · Ohio Rev. Code §§ 2305.06 (written contracts, 6 years); 2305.07(A) (unwritten contracts, 4 years); 2305.07(C) (consumer transactions, 6 years)

MEDICAL DEBT · 3 YEARS · Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 95(A)(1)–(2) (12 O.S. § 95)

MEDICAL DEBT · 6 YEARS · Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.080(1)

MEDICAL DEBT · 4 YEARS · 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5525(a)

MEDICAL DEBT · 10 YEARS · R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-13(a)

MEDICAL DEBT · 3 YEARS · S.C. Code Ann. § 15-3-530(1)

MEDICAL DEBT · 6 YEARS · S.D. Codified Laws § 15-2-13

MEDICAL DEBT · 6 YEARS · Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-109(a)(3)

MEDICAL DEBT · 4 YEARS · Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004 (see also § 16.051)

MEDICAL DEBT · 4 YEARS · Utah Code § 78B-2-307 (4 yr, oral/open account); Utah Code § 78B-2-309 (6 yr, instrument in writing)

MEDICAL DEBT · 6 YEARS · 12 V.S.A. § 511

MEDICAL DEBT · 3 YEARS · Va. Code § 8.01-246(A)(2) (written contracts, 5 yrs); § 8.01-246(A)(4) (unwritten contracts, 3 yrs); § 8.01-246(B) (medical debt, 3 yrs)

MEDICAL DEBT · 6 YEARS · RCW 4.16.040 (written contracts and accounts receivable, 6 yrs); RCW 4.16.080(3) (contracts not in writing, 3 yrs)

MEDICAL DEBT · 5 YEARS · W. Va. Code § 55-2-6 (written contracts signed by the party, 10 yrs; other contracts express or implied, 5 yrs)

MEDICAL DEBT · 6 YEARS · Wis. Stat. § 893.43(1); Wis. Stat. § 893.05 (expiration extinguishes the right as well as the remedy)

MEDICAL DEBT · 8 YEARS · Wyo. Stat. § 1-3-105(a)(i) (written contracts, 10 yrs); § 1-3-105(a)(ii)(A) (contracts not in writing, express or implied, 8 yrs)

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