Statute of Limitations on Debt in Alabama (2026): The 3-Year Credit Card Rule

Last updated 07/30/2026 by

Andrew Latham

Edited by

Andrew Latham

Summary:

The statute of limitations on debt in Alabama is three years for credit card debt and open accounts, and six years for other written contracts, measured from your last payment.

A 2016 law locked in the three-year rule for cards.

Credit cards and open accounts: Three years under Alabama Code 6-2-37.
Written contracts: Six years under Alabama Code 6-2-34.
Clock from last payment: The countdown starts when you stop paying.

Alabama settled a long-running debate in 2016 by writing a three-year credit card rule directly into the statute.

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What is the statute of limitations on debt in Alabama

Alabama gives creditors and collectors three years to sue on credit card debt and open accounts, set by Alabama Code 6-2-37, and six years on other written contracts under Alabama Code 6-2-34.

A 2016 law amended the open-account statute to confirm that delinquent credit card accounts fall under the three-year limit. Once three years pass from your last payment, card debt is time-barred and a collector cannot win a lawsuit to force payment.

The debt still exists after three years. You continue to owe it, but the legal power to sue over it is gone.

Alabama statute of limitations by debt type

The limit that applies depends on how your debt is classified under Alabama law.

Debt type	Time limit	Alabama statute
Credit card / open account	3 years	Ala. Code 6-2-37
Oral agreement	3 years	Ala. Code 6-2-37
Written contract	6 years	Ala. Code 6-2-34
Promissory note	6 years	Ala. Code 6-2-34

How the 2016 law settled credit card debt in Alabama

Credit card debt in Alabama carries a three-year limit because a 2016 amendment to Alabama Code 6-2-37 confirmed that delinquent credit card accounts are open accounts.

Before that change, collectors sometimes argued a cardholder agreement was a written contract subject to the six-year limit.

The statute now measures the three years from the date of the last item on the account, which is typically your last payment or charge.

When the clock starts in Alabama

The clock starts on the date of your first missed payment, or the last item on the account, not the day you opened it.

If your first missed payment landed in June 2023, the three-year window would generally close around June 2026.

Pro Tip: In Alabama, making a payment or a written acknowledgment on an old debt can restart the three-year clock from zero.

With a window this short, confirm your date of last payment before you respond to a collector, because a single payment can undo years of aging.

Time-barred debt and your Alabama credit report

The three-year lawsuit limit is separate from credit reporting. Under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, most negative debts stay on your report for seven years from the first delinquency.

An Alabama credit card debt can be time-barred for suing after three years yet remain on your credit report for four more.

Key takeaways

Alabama allows three years to sue on credit card debt and open accounts, under Alabama Code 6-2-37.
A 2016 law confirmed that delinquent credit card accounts fall under the three-year limit.
Other written contracts carry a six-year limit under Alabama Code 6-2-34.
The clock starts on your first missed payment or the last item on the account.
A payment or written acknowledgment can restart the three-year clock from zero.
Time-barred debt can still appear on your credit report for up to seven years.

Frequently asked questions

What is the statute of limitations on credit card debt in Alabama?

Three years. A 2016 amendment to Alabama Code 6-2-37 confirmed credit card debt is an open account subject to the three-year limit, running from your last payment. After three years the debt is time-barred and a collector cannot win a lawsuit over it.

Can a debt collector still contact me after three years in Alabama?

Yes. The statute of limitations only bars lawsuits, not contact. A collector can still ask you to pay, but under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act they cannot sue or threaten to sue over a time-barred debt.

Does making a payment restart the clock in Alabama?

It can. A payment or a written acknowledgment that the debt is yours generally restarts the three-year period, so confirm whether the debt is already time-barred before you pay anything.

If old balances are piling up, comparing structured debt relief options can consolidate several collector accounts into one negotiated plan.