What is the statute of limitations on unpaid credit card debt?
Rachel Davis
Updated on January 20, 2026
In Canada, each province and territory has a different statute of limitation on debt, as follows: Alberta → 2 to 10 years. British Columbia → 2 years. Manitoba → 6 years.
What is the statute of limitations for credit cards?
four years
California has a statute of limitations of four years for all debts except those made with oral contracts. For oral contracts, the statute of limitations is two years. This means that for unsecured common debts like credit card debt, lenders cannot attempt to collect debts that are more than four years past due.
How long before credit card debt is written off?
seven years
Most unpaid and delinquent debt disappears from your credit report after seven years — and if it doesn’t vanish on its own, you can ask the credit bureaus to remove your old debt from your credit history.
Can a credit card company come after you after 10 years?
Can I Be Chased for Debt After 10 Years? In most cases, the statute of limitations for a debt will have passed after 10 years. This means that a debt collector may still attempt to pursue it, but they can’t typically take legal action against you.
What happens to unpaid credit card debt after Statute of limitations expires?
But your unpaid debt may continue to affect your credit report well after the statute of limitations expires. However, what can happen is they’ll sell it to another collection agency, who can keep calling until you send a new cease contact letter, Christensen continues.
Which is an example of open end credit?
Open-End Credit. Open-end credit is not restricted to a specific use or duration. Credit card accounts, home equity lines of credit (HELOC), and debit cards are all common examples of open-end credit (though some, like the HELOC, have finite payback periods).
Why is incurring credit card debt not a criminal act?
Because incurring debt is not considered a criminal act. Of course, this is assuming that you just simply failed to pay your credit card debts for whatever reason.
How does a closed end credit card work?
Unlike closed-end credit, there is no set date when the consumer must repay all of the borrowed sums. Instead, these debt instruments set a maximum amount that can be borrowed and require monthly payments based on the size of the outstanding balance. These payments include interest, of course.