Statute of Limitations on Debt in Utah (2026): The 6-Year Rule

Last updated 07/31/2026 by

Andrew Latham

Edited by

Andrew Latham

Summary:

The statute of limitations on debt in Utah is six years for credit card debt and written contracts, and four years for oral or open accounts, measured from your last payment.

The limit depends on the type of debt.

Written contracts and credit cards: Six years under Utah Code 78B-2-309.
Oral or open store accounts: Four years under Utah Code 78B-2-307.
Clock from last payment: The countdown starts when you stop paying.

Utah treats a credit card agreement as a written contract, which places most card debt in the longer six-year window.

Your last payment date is what starts the count.

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What is the statute of limitations on debt in Utah

Utah gives creditors and collectors six years to sue on credit card debt and written contracts, set by Utah Code 78B-2-309, and four years on an oral or open store account under 78B-2-307.

Most credit card debt is treated as a written contract in Utah, so it carries the six-year limit. Once the window closes, the debt is time-barred and a collector cannot win a lawsuit to force payment.

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

Utah statute of limitations by debt type

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

Debt type	Time limit	Utah statute
Written contract	6 years	Utah Code 78B-2-309
Credit card	6 years	Utah Code 78B-2-309
Oral agreement	4 years	Utah Code 78B-2-307
Open store account	4 years	Utah Code 78B-2-307

How credit card debt is classified in Utah

Credit card debt in Utah usually falls under the six-year written-contract limit because courts treat the cardholder agreement as a written contract.

If a creditor instead pursues the balance as an account stated, or the account is a simple open store account, the four-year limit can apply.

This matters most with older accounts sold between debt buyers, where the original signed paperwork is often missing.

When the clock starts in Utah

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 April 2021, the six-year window would generally close around April 2027.

Pro Tip: In Utah, making a payment or acknowledging an old debt in writing can restart the six-year clock from zero.

Before you respond to a collector, pull your credit report and confirm the date of last payment. A single partial payment can hand the collector a fresh six-year window to sue.

Time-barred debt and your Utah credit report

The six-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 Utah credit card debt can be time-barred for suing after six years yet remain on your credit report for one more.

Key takeaways

Utah allows six years to sue on credit card debt and written contracts, under Utah Code 78B-2-309.
Oral agreements and open store accounts carry a shorter four-year limit under 78B-2-307.
The clock starts on your last payment or account activity.
A payment or written acknowledgment can restart the six-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 Utah?

Six years. Utah treats credit card agreements as written contracts under Utah Code 78B-2-309, running from your last payment. It can drop to four years if the balance is pursued as an account stated or open store account.

Can a debt collector still contact me after six years in Utah?

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 Utah?

It can. A payment or a written acknowledgment that the debt is yours generally restarts the six-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.