Written Contract · Statute of Limitations
Deadline to Sue Over a Contract in Missouri
How long you have to sue over a broken written contract in Missouri, 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 Missouri
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 Missouri | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Standard deadline | 10 years | The general limitations period to file a written-contract claim. |
| Statute | Mo. Rev. Stat. §516.110 | The controlling statute for the limitations period. Read the full text through the source link below. |
When it starts
The ten years generally runs from the breach, but Missouri measures accrual under §516.100 from when the damage is sustained and capable of ascertainment. For an installment obligation, a fresh clock can run from each missed payment. A late-found breach usually does not reset the clock unless the harm was not yet ascertainable.
Discovery rule Yes
Limited. Missouri does not use a broad discovery rule, but §516.100 delays accrual until the damage is sustained and capable of ascertainment, which can push the start slightly past the breach. Fraud claims carry their own discovery trigger, but the ordinary contract clock is not discovery-based.
Statute of repose: None
No general statute of repose for ordinary written contracts, so the ten-year clock runs from accrual. Claims over improvements to real property carry their own separate outer limit under Missouri law, but that repose does not govern the general contract deadline.
| Deadlines that can differ | Period | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Oral or other contract | 5 years | A contract not covered by the ten-year writing rule runs five years under Mo. Rev. Stat. §516.120, half the written period. Oral contracts and writings that are not for the payment of money or property fall here, so which statute applies can decide your deadline. |
| Sale of goods (UCC) | 4 years | A sale of goods runs on Mo. Rev. Stat. §400.2-725, four years from the breach, with warranty claims accruing at delivery regardless of your knowledge. That is shorter than the ten-year writing rule, so confirm whether your deal is a sale of goods. |
| Writing not for money or property | 5 years | The ten-year rule in §516.110 covers a writing for the payment of money or property. A written contract that does not promise money or property can instead fall under the five-year period in §516.120, so read what the writing actually promises. |
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps if a contract was broken in Missouri and the clock is running. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Confirm the writing promises money or property
Missouri gives ten years only to a writing for the payment of money or property under §516.110. If your written contract does not promise those, it may fall under the five-year rule in §516.120, so read the promise carefully.
- Fix the accrual date, not just the breach date
Missouri measures accrual under §516.100 from when the damage is sustained and capable of ascertainment. Write down both the breach date and when the loss became ascertainable, because the clock can start at the later point.
- If goods were sold, check the UCC clock
A sale of goods runs on Mo. Rev. Stat. §400.2-725, a four-year rule that accrues at delivery for warranty claims. Confirm whether your deal is a sale of goods rather than a general written contract, because it is much shorter than ten years.
- Talk to a Missouri attorney before the deadline
Whether §516.110 or §516.120 governs, and when your claim accrued, turn on your facts. A licensed Missouri attorney can confirm your exact deadline before it runs.
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 Missouri contract claimants get wrong
Missouri hands out one of the longest contract deadlines in the country, but only to the right kind of writing. Section 516.110 gives ten years to an action on a writing for the payment of money or property, so a signed note or a written promise to pay is protected far longer than in most states. The catch is that a written contract which does not promise money or property can drop to the five-year rule in section 516.120, the same period that covers oral contracts. Missouri also measures accrual its own way. Under section 516.100 the clock starts when the damage is sustained and capable of ascertainment, which can sit slightly after the breach itself. A sale of goods is the short outlier, running four years under section 400.2-725 with accrual at delivery. If your deadline matters, read exactly what the writing promises and pin down when your loss became ascertainable before relying on ten years.
Common questions
What is the statute of limitations on a written contract in Missouri?
Ten years from accrual for a writing for the payment of money or property, under Mo. Rev. Stat. §516.110. That is one of the longest contract deadlines in the country, though a writing that does not promise money or property can fall to five years.
How long do I have to sue on an oral contract in Missouri?
Five years, under Mo. Rev. Stat. §516.120, half the ten-year written-note period. Oral contracts and writings that are not for the payment of money or property both fall under this five-year rule.
When does the Missouri contract clock start?
At accrual, which §516.100 defines as when the damage is sustained and capable of ascertainment. That can be the breach date or slightly later, once the loss becomes ascertainable, rather than only when you happen to discover it.
Is a contract to buy goods still ten years in Missouri?
No, it is four years under the UCC. A sale of goods is governed by Mo. Rev. Stat. §400.2-725, a four-year period that accrues at delivery for warranty claims regardless of your knowledge, far shorter than the ten-year writing 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.