Consumer Debt · Statute of Limitations
Statute of Limitations on Debt in Indiana
How long a creditor or debt collector has to sue you over a debt in Indiana, by debt type — and, just as important, when that clock can restart.
Prefer a calculator? Enter your last payment date in the Indiana debt statute-of-limitations calculator →
The four limits at a glance
Years a lawsuit is allowed, by debt type. Credit card is the most-searched.
Six years. Indiana most often treats a credit card as an account under §34-11-2-7 (6 years). Even if a court instead reads it as a written contract for the payment of money under §34-11-2-9, that period is also 6 years, so the classification debate does not change the answer here. Both roads lead to 6 years.
When the clock starts — and what can restart it
The single most misunderstood part of debt limitations.
Warning: in Indiana a voluntary partial payment, or a new promise or acknowledgment of the debt signed in writing, can restart the 6-year clock from that date (§34-11-9-1). Even a small good-faith payment can reopen a debt that was close to time-barred, so be careful before paying or signing anything on an old debt.
A statute of limitations does not erase the debt or wipe it from your credit report — it is a defense you must raise if you are sued after the period runs. In many states a partial payment or a signed written acknowledgment can restart the clock, so be careful before paying or signing anything on an old account. This page is legal information, not legal advice.
The full limits, with the statute
Every period and how Indiana classifies each debt type.
| Debt type | Limit in Indiana | How it's classified |
|---|---|---|
| Credit card | 6 years | Open account (6 years either way) |
| Written contract | 6 years (§34-11-2-9) | A written contract for the payment of money (most consumer debt) is 6 years under §34-11-2-9. The 10-year period in §34-11-2-11 is for written contracts that are not for the payment of money, so it does not apply to ordinary debt. |
| Oral contract | 6 years (§34-11-2-7) | Oral contracts and unwritten agreements run 6 years under §34-11-2-7. |
| Open account | 6 years (§34-11-2-7) | Accounts run 6 years under §34-11-2-7, which covers "actions on accounts and contracts not in writing". |
| Promissory note | 6 years (§34-11-2-9) | Promissory notes executed after August 31, 1982 run 6 years under §34-11-2-9. Notes executed before September 1, 1982 carried a 10-year period. |
Promissory-note periods often come from the UCC (§3-118, generally 6 years) rather than the general contract statute; confirm the instrument type for a specific note.
What Indiana debtors get wrong
Indiana is unusual in how flat its debt clock is: almost every kind of consumer debt runs 6 years. Oral agreements and open accounts fall under Ind. Code §34-11-2-7, while promissory notes and written contracts for the payment of money fall under §34-11-2-9, and both of those are 6 years for anything executed after August 31, 1982. The 10-year period people sometimes cite comes from §34-11-2-11, but that section covers written contracts that are not for the payment of money, so it does not reach ordinary debt. That distinction, payment-of-money contracts at 6 years versus other written contracts at 10, is the detail most summaries get wrong. Credit-card debt is usually treated as an account, and even under the written-contract reading the period is still 6 years, so the classification argument does not change the deadline. The bigger risk in Indiana is revival: a partial payment or a signed written acknowledgment can restart the whole 6-year clock.
Common questions
What is the statute of limitations on credit-card debt in Indiana?
Six years. Indiana usually treats a credit card as an account under §34-11-2-7 (6 years). Even if a court reads the cardholder agreement as a written contract for the payment of money under §34-11-2-9, that period is also 6 years, so the answer is 6 years either way.
Is a written contract 6 or 10 years in Indiana?
For debt it is 6 years. A written contract for the payment of money runs 6 years under §34-11-2-9. The 10-year period in §34-11-2-11 applies only to written contracts that are not for the payment of money, so it does not cover ordinary loans, cards, or financed purchases.
Can a partial payment restart the debt clock in Indiana?
Yes. A voluntary partial payment, or a new promise or acknowledgment signed in writing, can restart the 6-year clock from that date under §34-11-9-1. Even a small payment on an old debt can reopen it, so be cautious before paying or signing anything.
When does the Indiana debt clock start?
Generally when the debt became due. For a defaulted account that is usually the first payment you missed and never made up, or your last payment before you fell behind. The 6-year period runs from that point.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.