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Statute of Limitations on Debt in Iowa

In Iowa, a creditor generally has 10 years to sue on a written contract, including a written promissory note, and 5 years on an oral contract or an open account.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Iowa at a glance

Written contracts
10 years
Oral contracts
5 years
Promissory notes
10 years
Iowa's negotiable instruments law sets only when a note claim accrues, so a written note falls under the 10-year written contract rule.
Open accounts
5 years
No separate period; an unwritten account has 5 years. A continuous, open, current account accrues on the date of the last item.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Iowa

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

Written contracts in Iowa: 10 years.

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

Oral contracts in Iowa: 5 years.

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

Promissory notes in Iowa: 10 years. Iowa's negotiable instruments law sets only when a note claim accrues, so a written note falls under the 10-year written contract rule.

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

Open accounts in Iowa: 5 years. No separate period; an unwritten account has 5 years. A continuous, open, current account accrues on the date of the last item.

Where do the Iowa statutes of limitations on debt come from?

The rules above come from Iowa Code 614.1(4), Iowa Code 614.1(5), Iowa Code 614.5 and Iowa Code 554.3118. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

Claims for rent under a written contract have 5 years, not 10.

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.