The collection letter arrived six years after surgery. A collections agency — not the hospital, a third party that had purchased the debt — was threatening to sue. The amount had nearly doubled with interest and collection fees.
What they did not mention in the letter: the statute of limitations on that debt had expired four years earlier. They could not legally sue. And they knew it. They were betting on the chance that the person receiving the letter did not know it.
This happens thousands of times every day across the country. Medical debt collection is a $140 billion industry built in significant part on people not knowing their rights. In New Jersey, where I follow consumer protection law closely, collectors are not allowed to sue on time-barred debts — but they are allowed to try to collect through phone calls and letters, and many do exactly that.
Knowing your state’s statute of limitations is your most powerful tool against old medical debt.
How the Medical Debt Statute of Limitations Actually Works
The statute of limitations does not erase the debt. The debt still exists. A collector can still call you, send letters, and try to persuade you to pay. What they cannot do after the statute expires is file a lawsuit against you and use the court system to collect.
There is a critical trap: making a payment on a time-barred debt restarts the clock in most states. Acknowledging the debt in writing can also restart it in some states. Never make a payment on old medical debt without first understanding whether you are restarting the statute of limitations.
There is also a separate deadline — the credit reporting statute — which is 7 years from the date of first delinquency under federal law (FCRA). After 7 years, the debt must be removed from your credit report regardless of whether it has been paid or whether the collection statute has expired.
Medical Debt Statute of Limitations — All 50 States 2026
| State | Written Contract SOL | Notes + Clock Start Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 6 years | Clock starts from date of last payment or date of service. Medical bills treated as written contracts under Alabama law. |
| Alaska | 3 years | Clock starts from date of default or last payment. One of the shorter SOL states — collectors must act within 3 years. |
| Arizona | 6 years | Clock starts from date of last payment or breach. Medical debt treated as written contract. |
| Arkansas | 5 years | Clock starts from date of service or last payment. Arkansas courts have upheld medical debt as written contract claims. |
| California | 4 years | Clock starts from date of last payment or date debt became due. California also prohibits lawsuits on medical debt under $500. Strong consumer protections overall. |
| Colorado | 6 years | Clock starts from date of last payment. Colorado passed significant medical debt protections in recent years — verify current law for any additional limitations. |
| Connecticut | 6 years | Clock starts from date of last payment or default. Medical bills classified as written contracts. |
| Delaware | 3 years | Clock starts from date of last payment. Delaware’s 3-year window is among the shortest — collectors have limited time to sue. |
| Florida | 5 years | Clock starts from date of last payment. Florida reduced its SOL from 5 to 4 years for oral contracts but medical billing agreements are typically written — 5 years applies. |
| Georgia | 6 years | Clock starts from date of default. Medical bills treated as written contracts under Georgia law. |
| Hawaii | 6 years | Clock starts from date of last payment or default. Medical billing written agreements apply 6-year SOL. |
| Idaho | 5 years | Clock starts from date of last payment or breach. Idaho courts classify medical bills as written contracts. |
| Illinois | 5 years | Clock starts from date of last payment. Illinois has separate consumer protections that complement the SOL rules — medical debt collectors face additional requirements. |
| Indiana | 6 years | Clock starts from date of last payment. Medical billing agreements treated as written contracts. |
| Iowa | 5 years | Clock starts from date of default or last payment. Iowa courts have consistently applied 5-year SOL to medical debt. |
| Kansas | 5 years | Clock starts from date of last payment. Medical bills classified as written contracts. |
| Kentucky | 5 years | Clock starts from date of default. Kentucky uses a 5-year SOL for written contracts including medical billing agreements. |
| Louisiana | 3 years | Clock starts from date service was rendered or date of last payment. Louisiana’s 3-year SOL is among the shortest — act quickly if pursuing collection or defending against it. |
| Maine | 6 years | Clock starts from date of last payment. Medical bills treated as written contracts. |
| Maryland | 3 years | Clock starts from date debt became due. Maryland has one of the shortest SOLs for medical debt. Maryland also restricts wage garnishment for medical debt — strong consumer state. |
| Massachusetts | 6 years | Clock starts from date of last payment or default. Massachusetts has additional consumer protections beyond the SOL including restrictions on medical debt collection practices. |
| Michigan | 6 years | Clock starts from date of last payment. Medical billing agreements classified as written contracts under Michigan law. |
| Minnesota | 6 years | Clock starts from date of default or last payment. Minnesota has additional medical debt protections enacted in recent years — verify current law. |
| Mississippi | 3 years | Clock starts from date of last payment or accrual. Mississippi’s 3-year SOL is among the shortest — collectors have very limited time. |
| Missouri | 5 years | Clock starts from date debt became due. Medical bills classified as written contracts in Missouri courts. |
| Montana | 5 years | Clock starts from date of last payment. Medical billing agreements treated as written contracts. |
| Nebraska | 5 years | Clock starts from date of default. Nebraska courts apply 5-year SOL to medical debt written agreements. |
| Nevada | 6 years | Clock starts from date debt became due or last payment. Nevada also limits interest rates on medical debt and restricts certain collection practices. |
| New Hampshire | 3 years | Clock starts from date of last payment. One of the shorter SOL states for medical debt. |
| New Jersey | 6 years | Clock starts from date of last payment or default. New Jersey also restricts medical debt from appearing on credit reports — additional consumer protections beyond the SOL. |
| New Mexico | 6 years | Clock starts from date of default. Medical bills treated as written contracts under New Mexico law. |
| New York | 3 years | New York reduced its SOL from 6 to 3 years effective 2022. Clock starts from date of last payment. New York also removed medical debt from credit reporting — one of the most protective states for medical debtors. |
| North Carolina | 3 years | Clock starts from date of last payment. Medical bills are typically treated as simple written contracts in North Carolina with a 3-year SOL. |
| North Dakota | 6 years | Clock starts from date debt became due. Medical billing agreements apply 6-year written contract SOL. |
| Ohio | 6 years | Clock starts from date of last payment or default. Ohio courts consistently apply 6-year SOL to medical debt. |
| Oklahoma | 5 years | Clock starts from date of default or last payment. Medical bills treated as written contracts. |
| Oregon | 6 years | Clock starts from date of last payment. Oregon has additional consumer debt protections that affect medical debt collection practices. |
| Pennsylvania | 4 years | Clock starts from date debt became due. Pennsylvania uses a 4-year SOL for written contracts including medical billing. Note: Pennsylvania restricts wage garnishment for most consumer debts including medical debt. |
| Rhode Island | 10 years | Rhode Island has one of the longest SOLs in the country — 10 years for written contract debt. Collectors have a very long window to sue. |
| South Carolina | 3 years | Clock starts from date of last payment. South Carolina’s 3-year SOL is short — collectors must move quickly or lose their right to sue. |
| South Dakota | 6 years | Clock starts from date of default. Medical bills classified as written contracts. |
| Tennessee | 6 years | Clock starts from date of last payment or default. Medical billing written agreements apply 6-year SOL. |
| Texas | 4 years | Clock starts from date debt was due or last payment. Texas also restricts wage garnishment for consumer debts including medical bills — cannot garnish wages for medical debt in Texas. |
| Utah | 6 years | Clock starts from date of default. Medical bills treated as written contracts. |
| Vermont | 6 years | Clock starts from date of last payment. Medical billing agreements classified as written contracts. |
| Virginia | 5 years | Clock starts from date debt became due. Virginia courts apply 5-year SOL to written medical billing agreements. |
| Washington | 6 years | Clock starts from date of last payment. Washington has additional consumer protections for medical debt including restrictions on credit reporting. |
| West Virginia | 10 years | West Virginia has one of the longest SOLs — 10 years for written contract debt. Collectors have an extended window to pursue lawsuits. |
| Wisconsin | 6 years | Clock starts from date of last payment. Medical billing agreements treated as written contracts under Wisconsin law. |
| Wyoming | 8 years | Clock starts from date of default. Wyoming’s 8-year SOL is among the longer ones — collectors have more time to pursue lawsuits than in most states. |
What Actually Happened to Patricia in New York
Patricia had an emergency appendectomy in Brooklyn seven years before the collection call came. She had insurance at the time — but a billing dispute left $3,400 unresolved. The hospital sold the debt. A collector bought it. They called in year seven demanding payment plus four years of interest — nearly $5,500 total.
Patricia’s first instinct was to pay something — anything — to make the calls stop. Instead she looked up New York’s statute of limitations. In 2022 New York had reduced its SOL to 3 years. Her debt from seven years prior was time-barred. They could not sue her.
She sent a written cease-and-desist letter citing the expired statute. The calls stopped. The debt remains technically owed — but Patricia does not pay it, it cannot appear on her credit report (New York removed medical debt from credit reporting), and no court will enforce it.
Knowing the number saved her $5,500.
What to Do If a Collector Contacts You About Old Medical Debt
Do not make a payment or acknowledge the debt in writing until you know the SOL status. Even a small payment in many states restarts the statute of limitations clock from zero, giving the collector a fresh period to sue you on the entire original amount.
Calculate when the SOL started. Find your last payment date or the date of service if you never paid. Count forward using your state’s SOL from the table above. If that date has passed, the debt is time-barred.
Request a debt validation letter. Under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), collectors must send you a written validation of the debt within 5 days of first contact. Request it in writing. Review it carefully for the original creditor, original amount, and account opening date.
Send a cease-and-desist letter for time-barred debts. If the SOL has expired, you can send a written cease-and-desist letter stating the debt is time-barred and demanding they stop contacting you. Under the FDCPA, once you send this letter, most contact must stop.
Questions People Ask About Medical Debt Statute of Limitations
Does paying part of a medical bill restart the statute of limitations?
In most states, yes — any payment on a debt, no matter how small, restarts the SOL clock from zero. This is why paying something to “show good faith” on old debt is often the worst financial move you can make. Before making any payment on old medical debt, confirm the current SOL status and whether a payment would restart the clock in your state.
Can a hospital sue me after the statute of limitations expires?
They can try — filing a lawsuit is not automatically blocked by the SOL. But you have the right to raise the expired statute as a defense, and the court must dismiss the case if the SOL has passed. Many collectors count on debtors not showing up to court or not knowing to raise the SOL defense. If you are sued on old medical debt, appear in court and raise the statute of limitations defense — or hire an attorney to do it for you.
Does the statute of limitations affect my credit report?
No — these are separate timelines. The credit reporting SOL is 7 years from the date of first delinquency under federal law, regardless of your state’s collection SOL. Medical debt under $500 was removed from credit reports by the major bureaus in 2023. Paid medical debt is removed immediately. Unpaid medical debt over $500 must still be removed after 7 years.
What if the collector says the debt is not time-barred?
Ask them to provide the date of the last payment and the date of first delinquency in writing. Calculate the SOL yourself using your state’s rules from the table above. If you believe the debt is time-barred and the collector disagrees, consult a consumer protection attorney — many handle FDCPA cases on contingency. A collector who sues on a time-barred debt may itself violate the FDCPA and owe you damages.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ·
Federal Trade Commission — Debt Collection ·
State Attorney General Offices · State Civil Statute of Limitations Codes
📋 Disclaimer: The information on this page is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Medical debt statute of limitations laws vary by state and change regularly. The information here reflects our research as of early 2026. Always verify current law with your state attorney general’s office or a licensed consumer protection attorney before taking action on old medical debt. USARoundup.com is not a law firm and does not provide legal representation of any kind.
Last reviewed and updated for 2026 · USARoundup.com
