Statute of Limitations on Debt in Maryland (2026): The 3-Year Rule

Last updated 07/30/2026 by

Andrew Latham

Edited by

Andrew Latham

Summary:

The statute of limitations on debt in Maryland is three years for most debt, including credit cards, measured from your last payment. A longer window applies only to specialty debts under seal.

Three-year limit: Written contracts, credit cards, and open accounts.
Under seal: Up to twelve years for specialty instruments.
Clock from last payment: The countdown starts when you stop paying.

Maryland pairs a short three-year window with one unusual exception for debts signed under seal.

For ordinary credit card debt, the shorter window is what matters.

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What is the statute of limitations on debt in Maryland

Maryland gives creditors and collectors three years to sue on most debt, set by the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article, section 5-101, including credit cards and open accounts.

Once three years pass from your last payment, the 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.

Maryland statute of limitations by debt type

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

Debt type	Time limit	Maryland statute
Written contract	3 years	Cts. & Jud. Proc. 5-101
Credit card / open account	3 years	Cts. & Jud. Proc. 5-101
Oral agreement	3 years	Cts. & Jud. Proc. 5-101
Debt under seal	12 years	Cts. & Jud. Proc. 5-102

What “under seal” means in Maryland

A debt under seal is a specialty instrument executed with a formal seal, which Maryland gives a twelve-year window under the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article, section 5-102.

This mostly covers certain mortgages, deeds, and older sealed promissory notes, not standard credit card accounts.

Ordinary consumer credit card debt is not under seal, so the three-year limit is the one that applies.

When the clock starts in Maryland

The clock starts on the date of your last payment or last account activity, not the day you opened the account.

If you made your final credit card payment in June 2023, the three-year window would generally close around June 2026.

Pro Tip: In Maryland, making a payment or acknowledging an old debt in writing 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 Maryland 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.

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

Key takeaways

Maryland allows three years to sue on most debt, including credit cards, under Courts and Judicial Proceedings 5-101.
Debts under seal carry a much longer twelve-year limit under 5-102.
Standard credit card debt is not under seal, so the three-year limit applies.
The clock starts on your last payment or account activity.
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 Maryland?

Three years. Maryland applies its 5-101 limit to credit card and open-account debt, 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 Maryland?

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 Maryland?

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.