Written Contract · Statute of Limitations

Deadline to Sue Over a Contract in Kentucky

How long you have to sue over a broken written contract in Kentucky, the statute of limitations, plus when the clock starts, the shorter deadline for oral contracts, and the four-year UCC rule for a sale of goods. Cited to the statute.

CitedCited to its source

Statute KRS 413.160 · apps.legislature.ky.gov

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Deadline to sue over a contract · Kentucky

10 years

On a written contract

You have ten years to sue over a broken written contract executed after July 15, 2014 in Kentucky under KRS 413.160. A written contract signed before that date carries fifteen years under KRS 413.090, while an oral contract carries only five years under KRS 413.120.

Time to sue10 years

Clock startsWhen the breach occurs

Discovery ruleNo general rule

StatuteKRS 413.160

How the deadline works in Kentucky

When the clock starts, whether a discovery rule can delay it, and the deadlines that differ for oral contracts and a sale of goods.

Recent change to the deadline

Kentucky changed its written-contract period from fifteen years to ten years for contracts executed on or after July 15, 2014. Older written contracts can still carry the fifteen-year period under KRS 413.090.

How the clock works	In Kentucky	What it means
Standard deadline	10 years	The general limitations period to file a written-contract claim.
Statute	KRS 413.160	The controlling statute for the limitations period. Read the full text through the source link below.

When it starts

The clock generally runs from the breach, when the other side fails to perform, not from when you discover it. Kentucky measures ordinary written contract claims from the date the cause of action first accrued, which for a broken contract is usually the breach.

Discovery rule No general rule

Narrow. Kentucky generally starts the clock at accrual, which for an ordinary written contract is the breach. A later start can apply where fraudulent concealment hides the claim, but there is no broad contract discovery rule under KRS 413.160.

Statute of repose: None

No general statute of repose for ordinary written contracts. The ten-year period under KRS 413.160 runs from accrual. Construction and improvements to real property carry their own outer limits under separate provisions, but those are not the general contract clock.

Deadlines that can differ	Period	What it means
Written contract executed before July 15, 2014	15 years	A written contract signed before July 15, 2014 carries fifteen years under KRS 413.090, not ten. Kentucky shortened the period to ten years for contracts executed on or after that date, so the signing date decides which clock applies.
Oral or unwritten contract	5 years	An action on a contract not in writing must be filed within five years under KRS 413.120, half the ten-year written period. Whether your agreement counts as written can decide which deadline applies.
Sale of goods (UCC)	4 years	A contract for the sale of goods runs on KRS 355.2-725: four years from when the breach occurs, with warranty claims accruing at delivery regardless of your knowledge. Parties may agree to shorten it to no less than one year but may not extend it.

What you can do right now

Concrete, neutral steps if a contract was broken in Kentucky and the clock is running. This is legal information, not legal advice.

Check when the written contract was signed
In Kentucky a written contract signed on or after July 15, 2014 carries ten years under KRS 413.160, but one signed before that date carries fifteen under KRS 413.090. The signing date is the first thing to pin down.
Fix the breach date and confirm the writing
Write down when the other side broke the agreement and confirm you have a signed writing. An oral contract is only five years under KRS 413.120, so the paper trail matters.
If goods were sold, check the UCC clock
A sale of goods runs on KRS 355.2-725, a four-year rule that accrues at delivery for warranty claims. Confirm whether your deal is a sale of goods rather than a services or general contract.
Talk to a Kentucky attorney before the deadline
Whether the ten-year or fifteen-year written period applies, and when the contract accrued, turn on your facts. A licensed Kentucky attorney can confirm your exact deadline, and the Kentucky Bar Association can refer you to one.

This is general legal information, not legal advice. Deadlines turn on the specific facts of your case, and exceptions cut both ways, so confirm your date with a licensed attorney before relying on it.

What Kentucky contract claimants get wrong

Kentucky rewards a signed contract, but the size of the reward depends on when you signed. A written contract executed on or after July 15, 2014 carries ten years under KRS 413.160, while one signed before that date carries a full fifteen years under KRS 413.090. An oral or unwritten contract, by contrast, carries only five years under KRS 413.120, so the written-versus-oral gap is at least five years and can be ten. That makes two questions decisive: is the agreement in writing, and when was it signed. The clock generally starts at the breach, not at discovery, and Kentucky does not apply a broad contract discovery rule, so a late-found breach usually does not reset the period unless the claim was fraudulently concealed. A sale of goods runs on its own four-year rule in KRS 355.2-725, with accrual at delivery for warranty claims. If a breach is aging, confirm the signing date and the form of the contract first.

Common questions

What is the statute of limitations on a written contract in Kentucky?

Ten years for a written contract executed on or after July 15, 2014, under KRS 413.160. A written contract signed before that date carries fifteen years under KRS 413.090. The clock generally runs from the breach.

Why do some Kentucky written contracts get fifteen years?

Because Kentucky only shortened the period to ten years for contracts executed on or after July 15, 2014. A written contract signed before that date still carries the older fifteen-year period under KRS 413.090.

How long do I have to sue on an oral contract in Kentucky?

Five years, under KRS 413.120, half the ten-year written period for newer contracts. Because the gap is large, whether your agreement counts as written or oral can decide whether your claim is still timely.

Is a contract to buy goods still ten years in Kentucky?

No, it is four years under the UCC. A sale of goods is governed by KRS 355.2-725, a four-year period that accrues at delivery for warranty claims regardless of your knowledge. Parties can shorten it to no less than one year.

Primary source

→ KRS 413.160

Kentucky Legislature · KRS 413.160 · apps.legislature.ky.gov

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Every figure on this page is cited to its source; a line-by-line statute confirmation is pending. Editorial standards →

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.

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