Sued by a debt collector in Ohio

In Ohio you usually have about 28 days to answer a debt lawsuit. Here is what happens if you don't, how an old debt can be a defense, what can be taken if you lose and what to do now.

Short answer

Mark your deadline the day you are served. 28 days after you are served with the summons and complaint (Ohio Civ.R. 12(A)(1)) If you do not answer within 28 days, the court can enter a default judgment against you, which can lead to wage or bank garnishment. A debt older than Ohio's time limit for written contracts (6 years) can be a defense.

Time to answer
28 days
Time limit to sue (written contract)
6 years
Court self-help
Official page

The answer deadline in Ohio

Time to answer
28 days after you are served with the summons and complaint (Ohio Civ.R. 12(A)(1))
Court self-help
Ohio court self-help (official)

Our 48 state guides range from 14 to 30 days to answer; Ohio's 28 days is longer than most.

In nearby states

Missing the deadline in Ohio

If you do not answer within 28 days, the court can enter a default judgment against you, which can lead to wage or bank garnishment.

Ohio rules for debt lawsuits

  • Since June 16, 2021, Ohio gives 6 years to sue on most consumer debts, and the clock starts 30 days after your last charge or payment. (R.C. 2305.07(C))
  • Ohio gives you 28 days to answer a lawsuit. (Ohio Civ.R. 12(A))
  • A collection agency that sues on an assigned debt must have a separate written assignment and must sue in the county where you live. (R.C. 1319.12(C), (D))
  • Your home is protected from forced sale on a judgment for medical bills: the judgment lien can only be enforced when the home is sold or transferred. (R.C. 2329.66(A)(1)(a))

After a judgment in Ohio

  • Wage limit: Federal limit applies: you keep the greater of 75% of disposable earnings or 30 times the federal minimum wage per week (60 times biweekly, 65 times semimonthly, 130 times monthly).
  • Bank account: $625 in cash and bank deposits (other than earnings) is exempt from April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2028.
  • Property: Your home is protected up to $182,625 in equity, and for a judgment on medical bills the home cannot be sold while you or your family use it as a residence (R.C. 2329.66(A)(1)).

Ohio's garnishment rules

Old debts as a defense in Ohio

Ohio's time limit to sue is 6 years (R.C. 2305.07(C) (6 years for consumer debts, written or not, counted from 30 days after the last charge or payment, whichever is later); R.C. 2305.06 (6 years for written contracts)). Be careful before you pay on an old debt in Ohio: If you make a payment, or sign a written acknowledgment or promise to pay, a new time limit starts from that date. A collector may not sue or threaten to sue on a time-barred debt (12 CFR 1006.26(b)).

Check Ohio's statute of limitations

Suing a collector who breaks the rules in Ohio

Ohio has no separate debt collection act. The Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act (R.C. Chapter 1345) lets a consumer sue for a violation: actual economic damages plus up to $5,000 in noneconomic damages, or in some cases three times damages or $200, whichever is more, plus lawyer fees if the violation was knowing.

Responding to a debt lawsuit in Ohio

  1. Check that the case is real

    Call or search the court yourself; don't use contact details from the papers.

  2. Count the days

    In Ohio: 28 days after you are served with the summons and complaint (Ohio Civ.R. 12(A)(1))

  3. Send in your answer

    File the answer with the clerk and mail a copy to the collector's lawyer. Start with Ohio court self-help (official).

  4. Check every defense

    Is it yours, is the amount right, did you pay, is it older than Ohio's 6 years for written contracts?

  5. Show up in court

    Bring every paper you have, and send a dispute letter so the collector must prove the debt.

Free legal and consumer help in Ohio

Questions about debt lawsuits in Ohio

What is the deadline to respond to a collection lawsuit in Ohio?

28 days after you are served with the summons and complaint (Ohio Civ.R. 12(A)(1))

Can a collector win by default in Ohio?

If you do not answer within 28 days, the court can enter a default judgment against you, which can lead to wage or bank garnishment.

What if the debt is too old to sue on in Ohio?

Ohio's time limit to sue is 6 years (R.C. 2305.07(C) (6 years for consumer debts, written or not, counted from 30 days after the last charge or payment, whichever is later); R.C. 2305.06 (6 years for written contracts)). A collector may not sue or threaten to sue on a time-barred debt (12 CFR 1006.26(b)).

Keep reading about Ohio

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources