Statute of Limitations on Debt in Texas (2026): The 4-Year Rule

Last updated 07/23/2026 by

Andrew Latham

Edited by

Andrew Latham

Summary:

The statute of limitations on debt in Texas is four years for nearly every type of debt, including credit cards, measured from your last payment or account activity. Texas applies one window across debt types.

Four-year limit: Written contracts, credit cards, and open accounts all fall under the same window.
No wage garnishment: Texas bars garnishing wages for most consumer debt.
No revival: Texas law blocks collectors from reviving a debt already past the limit.

Texas is one of the friendlier states for someone facing old debt, and the rules are unusually clear-cut.

One date drives everything: the day you last paid or used the account.

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What is the statute of limitations on debt in Texas

Texas gives creditors and collectors four years to sue on a debt, set by Section 16.004 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. The same four-year window covers written contracts, credit cards, and open accounts.

Once four years pass from your last payment, the debt is time-barred and a collector cannot win a lawsuit to collect it.

The debt still exists after four years, but Texas law is strict about what a collector can do with it.

Texas statute of limitations by debt type

Texas keeps this simple by applying a four-year limit to the debt types consumers deal with most.

Debt type	Time limit	Texas statute
Written contract	4 years	Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.004
Credit card / open account	4 years	Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.004
Oral agreement	4 years	Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.004
Promissory note	4 years	Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.004

When the clock starts in Texas

The four-year clock starts on the date the debt became due and you stopped paying, usually your last payment or last account activity.

If you made your final credit card payment in June 2023, the four-year window would generally close around June 2027.

Texas collectors are barred from re-aging an account to make the debt look newer, so check your reported date of first delinquency against your own records.

Pro Tip: Texas law bars collectors from suing on time-barred debt, and a payment on an out-of-statute debt does not revive the right to sue.

Under Section 392.307 of the Texas Finance Code, once a consumer debt passes the four-year limit, a partial payment or acknowledgment cannot restart the limitations period. Texas is one of the few states that closes this trap, but confirm the debt is truly time-barred first.

Can Texas creditors garnish your wages

No, not for most consumer debt. Texas is one of a small group of states that prohibits wage garnishment for credit cards, medical bills, and similar debts, even after a creditor wins a judgment.

The narrow exceptions are court-ordered child support, spousal support, unpaid federal taxes, and defaulted federal student loans.

A judgment creditor in Texas can still pursue funds in a bank account or place a lien, so a lawsuit is not harmless even without garnishment.

Time-barred debt and your Texas credit report

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

Key takeaways

Texas allows four years to sue on nearly all debt, including credit cards, under Civil Practice and Remedies Code 16.004.
The clock starts on your last payment or account activity.
Under Finance Code 392.307, a payment cannot revive a debt already past the four-year limit.
Texas bars wage garnishment for most consumer debt, with narrow exceptions for support, taxes, and federal student loans.
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 Texas?

Four years. Texas applies its Civil Practice and Remedies Code 16.004 limit to credit card and open-account debt, running from your last payment. After four years the debt is time-barred and a collector cannot win a lawsuit over it.

Can a creditor garnish my wages in Texas?

Not for consumer debt like credit cards or medical bills, even with a judgment. Texas only permits wage garnishment for child support, spousal support, federal taxes, and defaulted federal student loans.

Does making a payment restart the clock in Texas?

Not once the debt is already time-barred. Texas Finance Code 392.307 prevents a payment or acknowledgment from reviving the right to sue on a consumer debt that has passed the four-year limit.

If you are juggling several aging balances, comparing structured debt relief options can consolidate them into one negotiated plan.