Statute of limitations on debt in Hawaii

6 years to sue on a written contract or an open account (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 657-1(1) (6 years for a debt based on a contract, obligation or liability)).

Short answer

Restarting the clock is limited in Hawaii: No Hawaii statute sets this rule. The official notes to HRS § 657-1 list old Hawaii Supreme Court decisions treating a payment or a new promise as restarting the clock (for example, 22 Haw. 140 (1914)).

Written contracts
6 years
Open accounts and unwritten agreements
6 years
Can a payment restart the clock?
Not by itself

Hawaii's time limits to sue on a debt

Law
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 657-1(1) (6 years for a debt based on a contract, obligation or liability)
Official text
Read the law

6 years is the most common limit in our 48 state guides (22 states). Nearby, the written-contract limit is 4 years in California, 6 years in Oregon, 6 years in Washington and 3 years in Alaska.

If a collector breaks the law in Hawaii

Your right to sue a collector: Through Hawaii's consumer protection law. A violation of ch. 443B or ch. 480D counts as an unfair or deceptive practice under HRS § 480-2. A consumer who is harmed can sue for $1,000 or three times actual damages, whichever is more, plus lawyer fees and costs ($5,000 minimum option for elders).

Can a payment restart the clock in Hawaii?

No Hawaii statute sets this rule. The official notes to HRS § 657-1 list old Hawaii Supreme Court decisions treating a payment or a new promise as restarting the clock (for example, 22 Haw. 140 (1914)). Ask a lawyer before you pay on a very old debt.

Is my debt too old? Check Hawaii's time limit

Hawaii: 6 years for a written contractEnter the date of your last payment to see when the time limit ends.

Handling an old debt in Hawaii

  1. Check before you pay anything

    In Hawaii: No Hawaii statute sets this rule. The official notes to HRS § 657-1 list old Hawaii Supreme Court decisions treating a payment or a new promise as restarting the clock (for example, 22 Haw. 140 (1914)).

  2. Ask the collector for proof

    A dispute letter sent within 30 days of the validation notice makes the collector verify the debt.

  3. Make sure the collector is licensed

    A collector working in Hawaii needs a license. Search: Official license lookup.

  4. Report a collector who sues on an old debt

    Complain to DCCA Regulated Industries Complaints Office (RICO), for collection agencies; DCCA Office of Consumer Protection for other businesses and to the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov/complaint.

Old debts under federal law

A collector may not sue or threaten to sue on a time-barred debt (12 CFR 1006.26(b)). A collection can stay on your credit report up to 7 years, counted from 180 days after the first missed payment (15 U.S.C. 1681c). All the federal rules: time-barred debt guide.

Free legal and consumer help in Hawaii

Questions about old debts in Hawaii

What is the statute of limitations on debt in Hawaii?

6 years for written contracts and 6 years for open accounts and unwritten agreements (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 657-1(1) (6 years for a debt based on a contract, obligation or liability)).

If I pay part of an old debt in Hawaii, does the time limit start over?

No Hawaii statute sets this rule. The official notes to HRS § 657-1 list old Hawaii Supreme Court decisions treating a payment or a new promise as restarting the clock (for example, 22 Haw. 140 (1914)). Ask a lawyer before you pay on a very old debt.

Keep reading about Hawaii

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources