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Statute of Limitations on Debt in Maine

In Maine, most contract and debt lawsuits, written or oral, must be filed within 6 years, and a note payable at a definite time also has 6 years.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Maine at a glance

Written contracts
6 years
General 6-year rule. Contracts under seal have 20 years.
Oral contracts
6 years
Promissory notes
6 years
Notes signed in the presence of an attesting witness can have 20 years under 14 M.R.S. 751.
Open accounts
6 years
Falls under the general 6-year rule for civil actions.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Maine

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

Written contracts in Maine: 6 years. General 6-year rule. Contracts under seal have 20 years.

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

Oral contracts in Maine: 6 years.

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

Promissory notes in Maine: 6 years. Notes signed in the presence of an attesting witness can have 20 years under 14 M.R.S. 751.

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

Open accounts in Maine: 6 years. Falls under the general 6-year rule for civil actions.

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

The rules above come from 14 M.R.S. 752, 14 M.R.S. 751 and 11 M.R.S. 3-1118. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

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.

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