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

Last updated 07/28/2026 by

Andrew Latham

Edited by

Andrew Latham

Summary:

The statute of limitations on debt in Washington is six years for written contracts and credit card debt, and three years for oral agreements, measured from your last payment. The limit depends on the type of debt.

Written contracts: Six years under RCW 4.16.040.
Credit cards and open accounts: Six years from the last payment or charge.
Oral agreements: Three years under RCW 4.16.080.

Washington gives creditors a longer runway than many states, so old debt stays enforceable here for years.

The type of debt, and your last payment date, decide the deadline.

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What is the statute of limitations on debt in Washington

Washington gives creditors and collectors six years to sue on a written contract, set by RCW 4.16.040, and three years on an oral agreement under RCW 4.16.080.

Credit card debt is generally treated as a written contract in Washington, 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.

Washington statute of limitations by debt type

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

Debt type	Time limit	Washington statute
Written contract	6 years	RCW 4.16.040
Credit card / open account	6 years	RCW 4.16.040
Oral agreement	3 years	RCW 4.16.080
Promissory note	6 years	RCW 4.16.040

When the clock starts in Washington

The clock starts on the date of your last payment or last charge, 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.

Check your reported date of first delinquency against your own records, since an inaccurate date can make a debt look newer than it is.

Pro Tip: In Washington, 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 Washington 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 Washington credit card debt can be time-barred for suing after six years yet remain on your credit report for one more.

Key takeaways

Washington allows six years to sue on written contracts and credit card debt, under RCW 4.16.040.
Oral agreements carry a shorter three-year limit under RCW 4.16.080.
The clock starts on your last payment or charge.
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 Washington?

Six years. Washington treats credit card agreements as written contracts under RCW 4.16.040, running from your last payment or charge. After six years the debt is time-barred and a collector cannot win a lawsuit over it.

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

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 Washington?

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.