Do credit card bills go away after 7 years?
Matthew Harrington
Updated on February 20, 2026
Even though debts still exist after seven years, having them fall off your credit report can be beneficial to your credit score. Note that only negative information disappears from your credit report after seven years. Open positive accounts will stay on your credit report indefinitely.
Can a debt come back after 7 years?
In most states, if the debt is yours, the amount is correct, and the debt collector is entitled to collect, the collector can continue to ask you to pay the debt. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, debts can appear on your credit report generally for seven years and in a few cases, longer than that.
What happens to unpaid credit card debt after seven years?
Credit Reporting Confusion. A common misconception exists that credit card debt you owe disappears after seven years when it disappears off of your credit report. In reality, credit card debt you left unpaid does not go away. However, a creditor has a limited time in which to sue you for the debt, called the statute of limitations.
What happens to a negative debt after seven years?
Certain other negative items, like some judgments, unpaid tax liens, and Chapter 7 bankruptcy, can remain on your credit report for more than seven years. 1 Most negative items will simply fall off your credit report automatically after seven years from the date of your first missed payment.
How long does a debt stay on your credit report?
The Fair Credit Reporting Act says a delinquent account stays on your credit report for for 7 years from the first time you missed a payment on of the debt. So even if a debt is expired, the payment history stays on your credit report for 7 years.
What happens when you default on a credit card?
If you default on a credit card debt, the late pays and charge off from the default will stay on your credit reports for 7 years. What about the debt? Once it comes off your credit report, do you still owe it? Get the facts, as how you manage old debt is a critical part of the credit repair process.
