Statute of limitations on debt in Missouri
10 years to sue on a written contract and 5 years on an open account.
Short answer
In Missouri, a creditor or debt collector has 10 years to sue on a written contract and 5 years to sue on an open account or unwritten agreement. A promise or acknowledgment restarts the clock only if it is in writing and signed by you (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.320). This does not change the effect of a payment of principal or interest (§ 516.340).
- Written contracts
- 10 years
- Open accounts and unwritten agreements
- 5 years
Missouri's time limits to sue on a debt
- Law
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.110(1) (action on any writing for the payment of money: 10 years); § 516.120(1) (other contracts: 5 years); §§ 516.320, 516.340
- Official text
- Read the law
8 of our 48 state guides, Missouri among them, give 10 years on a written contract, longer than the most common 6 years. It is the longest limit in our guides (8 states). For comparison, the written-contract limit is 10 years in Iowa, 10 years in Illinois, 10 years in Kentucky and 5 years in Arkansas.
Does paying restart the time limit in Missouri?
A promise or acknowledgment restarts the clock only if it is in writing and signed by you (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.320). This does not change the effect of a payment of principal or interest (§ 516.340).
Is my debt too old? Check Missouri's time limit
If you are sued on an old debt in Missouri
Raise the time limit in your answer. Time to answer in Missouri: Associate circuit court (most debt cases): you do not have to file a written answer, but any affirmative defenses or counterclaims must be filed in writing by the return date and time on the summons, and you should be in court then (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 517.031).
If you don't appear on the return date, the court can enter a default judgment against you.
What to do about an old debt in Missouri
Match the debt to the right limit
Missouri gives 10 years for written contracts and 5 years for open accounts. Not sure which a credit card is? Try both in the checker.
Don't pay or sign yet
In Missouri: A promise or acknowledgment restarts the clock only if it is in writing and signed by you (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.320). This does not change the effect of a payment of principal or interest (§ 516.340).
Make the collector prove it
Use a dispute letter within 30 days of the collector's validation notice.
Report a collector who sues on an old debt
Complain to Missouri Attorney General, Consumer Protection and to the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. Phone: 1-800-392-8222.
Federal rules on old debts
Under federal law, a collector must not sue or threaten to sue you on a debt that is too old to sue on (12 CFR 1006.26(b)). Most collection accounts can stay on a credit report for up to 7 years from 180 days after you first fell behind (15 U.S.C. 1681c). In Missouri, the time limit of 10 years to sue on a written contract can outlast the 7 years a collection may stay on your report. Read the time-barred debt guide.
Free help in Missouri
Questions about old debts in Missouri
When does a debt become too old to sue on in Missouri?
10 years for written contracts and 5 years for open accounts and unwritten agreements (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.110(1) (action on any writing for the payment of money: 10 years); § 516.120(1) (other contracts: 5 years); §§ 516.320, 516.340).
If I pay part of an old debt in Missouri, does the time limit start over?
A promise or acknowledgment restarts the clock only if it is in writing and signed by you (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.320). This does not change the effect of a payment of principal or interest (§ 516.340).
How long do collectors have to sue on an unwritten agreement in Missouri?
For open accounts and unwritten agreements, Missouri's limit is 5 years (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.110(1) (action on any writing for the payment of money: 10 years); § 516.120(1) (other contracts: 5 years); §§ 516.320, 516.340).
More for Missouri
- Missouri: every collection right on one page
- Wage garnishment in Missouri: 25% (federal limit); 10% for head of family
- Sued by a debt collector in Missouri: date on the summons
- Dispute a debt and ask for proof (validation letter)
- Debt statute of limitations by state
- Guide: time-barred debt
Statute of limitations in nearby states
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.110(1) (action on any writing for the payment of money: 10 years); § 516.120(1) (other contracts: 5 years); §§ 516.320, 516.340
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.320
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 525.030
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 513.430
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 513.440
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 513.475
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 517.031
- Missouri Division of Finance: Consumer Credit Licensing
- Missouri AG: Consumer Complaints
- CFPB: Debt collection (Regulation F)
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.340
Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.