Is credit card debt enforceable after death?
Sarah Martinez
Updated on February 01, 2026
After someone has passed, their estate is responsible for paying off any debts owed, including those from credit cards. Relatives typically aren’t responsible for using their own money to pay off credit card debt after death.
What happens when someone passes away with credit card debt?
Unfortunately, credit card debts do not disappear when you die. The executor of your estate, the person who carries out your wishes, will use your assets to pay off your credit card debts. But when your credit card debts have depleted your assets, your heirs can be left with little or no inheritance.
What happens when statute of limitations runs out on credit card debt?
If the statute of limitations—the time period in which a creditor must sue you—has run on an old credit card debt, a collection agency can still contact you and ask you to pay up. Read on to learn what the statute of limitations is, and why the creditor or collector can still demand payment from you.
Is there Statute of limitations on American Express debt?
American Express) that the statute of limitations on an unpaid credit card debt was six years. The Georgia code sets the limit on open-ended accounts at four years, but the appeals court applied the law for written contracts to card debt in this case.
What’s the Statute of limitations on credit card debt in Kentucky?
Kentucky specifies a five-year expiration period for oral contracts and 15 years for written contracts. The period that will apply to card debt is unclear; some courts in other states have held that credit card agreements, because they can be changed unilaterally by the card issuer, do not qualify as written contracts.
Is there Statute of limitations on debt collectors?
If, at any time in between, you got tired of debt collectors harassing you and decided to make just one payment or sign an agreement to make a payment, the clock could start again on that date. Check the laws in your state to find out how long the statute of limitations applies and whether payment of any kind restarts the clock.