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Statute of Limitations on Debt in the District of Columbia

In the District of Columbia, a creditor generally has 3 years to sue on a written or oral contract or an account, and 6 years on a promissory note, but suits to collect consumer debt must be filed within 3 years.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

District of Columbia at a glance

Written contracts
3 years
A simple written contract has 3 years. An instrument under seal has 12 years.
Oral contracts
3 years
Promissory notes
6 years
For a negotiable note payable at a definite time. A suit to collect a consumer debt filed on or after September 1, 2021 must be brought within 3 years.
Open accounts
3 years
Simple contract rule. For consumer debt, D.C. law sets 3 years for open account and account stated claims.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in the District of Columbia

What is the statute of limitations for a written contract in the District of Columbia?

Written contracts in the District of Columbia: 3 years. A simple written contract has 3 years. An instrument under seal has 12 years.

What is the statute of limitations for an oral contract in the District of Columbia?

Oral contracts in the District of Columbia: 3 years.

What is the statute of limitations on a promissory note in the District of Columbia?

Promissory notes in the District of Columbia: 6 years. For a negotiable note payable at a definite time. A suit to collect a consumer debt filed on or after September 1, 2021 must be brought within 3 years.

What is the statute of limitations on an open account, such as a credit card, in the District of Columbia?

Open accounts in the District of Columbia: 3 years. Simple contract rule. For consumer debt, D.C. law sets 3 years for open account and account stated claims.

Where do the the District of Columbia statutes of limitations on debt come from?

The rules above come from D.C. Code 12-301, D.C. Code 28:3-118 and D.C. Code 28-3814(o). Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

Since September 1, 2021, any suit to collect a consumer debt must be filed within 3 years of accrual, even on a contract under seal, and a later payment or acknowledgment does not extend an expired period.

What this means in practice

The clock usually starts when the debt is breached, which for a loan or account is often the date of the missed payment or the last payment made. In some states a new payment or a written acknowledgment of the debt can restart or extend the period, so the starting date matters as much as the length.

A statute of limitations is generally a defense the person being sued has to raise. If a lawsuit on an old debt is filed and nobody responds, the court can enter a judgment even if the period had expired. Judgments have their own, separate enforcement periods.

Which state's deadline applies is not always obvious. Contracts may contain a choice of law clause, and some states have borrowing statutes that apply a shorter period from another state. Federal rules also bar debt collectors from suing or threatening to sue on time-barred consumer debt. For a specific dispute, check the statute and consider talking to an attorney.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.