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Statute of Limitations on Debt in Massachusetts

In Massachusetts, contract and debt lawsuits must generally be filed within 6 years, including actions on a note payable at a definite time, while contracts under seal have 20 years.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Massachusetts at a glance

Written contracts
6 years
Contracts under seal have 20 years.
Oral contracts
6 years
Promissory notes
6 years
Notes signed in the presence of an attesting witness, sued on by the original payee, have 20 years.
Open accounts
6 years
Falls under the 6-year rule for contract actions.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Massachusetts

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

Written contracts in Massachusetts: 6 years. Contracts under seal have 20 years.

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

Oral contracts in Massachusetts: 6 years.

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

Promissory notes in Massachusetts: 6 years. Notes signed in the presence of an attesting witness, sued on by the original payee, have 20 years.

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

Open accounts in Massachusetts: 6 years. Falls under the 6-year rule for contract actions.

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

The rules above come from Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, 2, Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, 1 and Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 106, 3-118. 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.