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Statute of Limitations on Debt in New Hampshire

In New Hampshire, most personal actions on contracts and accounts must be filed within 3 years, while a note payable at a definite time has 6 years.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

New Hampshire at a glance

Written contracts
3 years
General 3-year rule for personal actions.
Oral contracts
3 years
Promissory notes
6 years
Six years under the UCC. Notes secured by a real estate mortgage can be sued on as long as the mortgage can be enforced.
Open accounts
3 years
Falls under the general 3-year rule for personal actions.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in New Hampshire

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

Written contracts in New Hampshire: 3 years. General 3-year rule for personal actions.

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

Oral contracts in New Hampshire: 3 years.

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

Promissory notes in New Hampshire: 6 years. Six years under the UCC. Notes secured by a real estate mortgage can be sued on as long as the mortgage can be enforced.

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

Open accounts in New Hampshire: 3 years. Falls under the general 3-year rule for personal actions.

Where do the New Hampshire statutes of limitations on debt come from?

The rules above come from N.H. Rev. Stat. 508:4, N.H. Rev. Stat. 382-A:3-118 and N.H. Rev. Stat. 508:6. 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.