Skip to content
Oakclause

Statute of Limitations on Debt in Tennessee

In Tennessee, the deadline is 6 years for written and oral contracts, open accounts and promissory notes; demand notes have 10 years.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Tennessee at a glance

Written contracts
6 years
Oral contracts
6 years
Promissory notes
6 years
Notes payable at a definite time; actions on demand notes have 10 years under 28-3-109(c).
Open accounts
6 years
Falls under the 6-year rule for contracts not otherwise expressly provided for.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Tennessee

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

Written contracts in Tennessee: 6 years.

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

Oral contracts in Tennessee: 6 years.

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

Promissory notes in Tennessee: 6 years. Notes payable at a definite time; actions on demand notes have 10 years under 28-3-109(c).

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

Open accounts in Tennessee: 6 years. Falls under the 6-year rule for contracts not otherwise expressly provided for.

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

The rules above come from Tenn. Code 28-3-109 and Tenn. Code 47-3-118. 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.