Written Contract · Statute of Limitations
Deadline to Sue Over a Contract in Michigan
How long you have to sue over a broken written contract in Michigan, 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.
How the deadline works in Michigan
When the clock starts, whether a discovery rule can delay it, and the deadlines that differ for oral contracts and a sale of goods.
| How the clock works | In Michigan | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Standard deadline | 6 years | The general limitations period to file a written-contract claim. |
| Statute | MCL 600.5807(9); MCL 600.5866 | The controlling statute for the limitations period. Read the full text through the source link below. |
When it starts
The clock generally starts when the breach occurs. MCL 600.5807(9) is drafted as the residual six-year period for any breach-of-contract action the section does not name specifically, and none of the specific subsections turns on whether the contract was written or oral.
Discovery rule No general rule
No general delayed-discovery rule for an ordinary contract. The six years runs from the breach. Michigan is broadly an occurrence-based state, so a late realization does not by itself move the start of the clock unless a specific statute provides otherwise.
Statute of repose: None
No separate statute of repose for ordinary written contracts. The six-year period runs from breach. Longer limitations periods, not repose, apply to some instruments: a covenant in a deed or mortgage carries ten years under § 5807(5), and certain public bonds carry ten years under § 5807(8).
| Deadlines that can differ | Period | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Oral or implied contract | 6 years (same as written) | MCL 600.5807(9) is a residual clause covering any breach-of-contract action not described in the specific subsections, and none of those turns on whether the contract was written. So an oral agreement carries the same six years as a written one. |
| Covenant in a deed or mortgage | 10 years | MCL 600.5807(5) sets ten years for an action founded on a covenant in a deed or mortgage of real estate, longer than the ordinary six-year contract period. |
| Public bond or note | 10 years | MCL 600.5807(8) sets ten years for an action on a bond, note, or like instrument that is the obligation of, or was issued by, the state or a county, city, village, township, school district, special assessment district, or other public or quasi-public corporation. |
| Sale of goods (UCC) | Separate UCC clock | A contract for the sale of goods runs on the Uniform Commercial Code period at MCL 440.2725 rather than on MCL 600.5807(9). Confirm that separate period for your deal, because whether an agreement is a sale of goods can change the deadline. |
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps if a contract was broken in Michigan and the clock is running. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Fix the breach date and count six years
Write down when the other side broke the agreement. In Michigan you generally have six years from that date, and the same six years applies whether the contract was written or oral. Mark the deadline early rather than assuming a spoken deal has a shorter window.
- Check for a deed, mortgage, or public bond
A covenant in a deed or mortgage carries ten years under MCL 600.5807(5), and certain public bonds carry ten years under § 5807(8). If your claim rests on one of these, your deadline is longer than the ordinary six-year contract period.
- Do not count on reviving a barred contract without a signed writing
Under MCL 600.5866, an acknowledgment or new promise revives a barred contract only if it is in a writing signed by the party to be charged. Unlike some states, Michigan’s section adds no saving clause for a part payment, so a payment alone is a weaker basis for revival here.
- Talk to a Michigan attorney before the deadline
When the breach occurred, whether a sale of goods or a sealed instrument is involved, and whether a revival is valid all turn on your facts. A licensed Michigan attorney can confirm your exact deadline. The State Bar of Michigan can refer you to one.
A limitations deadline is easy to miscount, and missing it can end a valid claim. This resource can connect you with a licensed attorney who can confirm your exact deadline.
→ State Bar of MichiganThis 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 Michigan contract claimants get wrong
Michigan gives you a generous six years to sue on a broken contract, and it applies that same period whether the deal was written or spoken. The six-year rule lives in MCL 600.5807(9), which is drafted as the catch-all for every contract action the section does not name specifically, so oral and written agreements land in the same subsection and get the same deadline. The clock generally runs from the breach, not from when you find out. A few instruments carry longer periods rather than the ordinary six years: a covenant in a deed or mortgage runs ten years under § 5807(5), and certain public bonds run ten years under § 5807(8). A sale of goods runs on the separate Uniform Commercial Code clock at MCL 440.2725. The detail most consumer pages get wrong is revival. Michigan, like North Carolina, requires a signed writing to revive a barred contract by acknowledgment under MCL 600.5866, but unlike North Carolina it adds no saving clause for a part payment. That makes a lone payment on a stale debt a weaker basis for restarting the clock in Michigan. One more caution: the section was restructured by 2018 PA 15, so an older source citing a different subdivision number for the contract period is on dead numbering. If your deadline is close, pin down the breach date and the form of the agreement first.
Common questions
What is the statute of limitations on a written contract in Michigan?
Six years from the breach under MCL 600.5807(9). Michigan applies that same six years to oral contracts too, because the subsection is the catch-all for every contract action the section does not name specifically.
How long do I have to sue on an oral contract in Michigan?
Six years, the same as a written contract. MCL 600.5807(9) covers any breach-of-contract action not described in the specific subsections, and none of those turns on whether the contract was written.
Do any contracts get longer than six years in Michigan?
Yes. A covenant in a deed or mortgage of real estate carries ten years under MCL 600.5807(5), and a bond or note issued by the state or a local public body carries ten years under § 5807(8). A sale of goods runs on the separate UCC clock at MCL 440.2725.
Can a payment revive a time-barred contract in Michigan?
Michigan requires a signed writing to revive a barred contract by acknowledgment or new promise under MCL 600.5866, and the section adds no saving clause for a part payment. So a payment alone is a weaker basis for revival here than in states that expressly preserve the effect of a payment.
Why do older sources cite a different subsection for the Michigan contract rule?
MCL 600.5807 was restructured by 2018 PA 15, effective May 7, 2018. The six-year contract period is now subsection (9). A citation to an older subdivision number is quoting superseded numbering, not a different rule.
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.