Connecticut gives creditors six years to sue on most consumer debts: an account, a simple or implied contract, or a contract in writing [1]. Agreements that were never put in writing get three years [2]. Connecticut also has two consumer protections many states don’t: a company that bought your debt can’t sue once the deadline has passed, and paying on that old debt doesn’t restart its clock [4].
At a glance
| Type of claim | Deadline | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Account, simple or implied contract, or contract in writing | 6 years after the right of action accrues | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-576 |
| Express contract not put in writing | 3 years after the right of action accrues | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-581 |
| Execution on a Superior Court money judgment | 20 years from the judgment | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-598(a) |
| Action on a Superior Court money judgment | 25 years from the judgment | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-598(a) |
| Execution on a small claims judgment | 10 years from the judgment | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-598(b) |
| Action on a small claims judgment | 15 years from the judgment | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-598(b) |
Six years for most consumer debts
Connecticut’s main deadline covers “an account,” “any simple or implied contract,” and “any contract in writing.” For all of them, a lawsuit must be brought within six years after the right of action accrues [1]. Credit cards, personal loans and other accounts built on an agreement to pay generally fall under this rule.
If the agreement was an express contract that was never reduced to writing, and no signed note or memo of it exists, the deadline is shorter: three years [2].
Time out of state can pause the clock
When Connecticut counts these deadlines, time the person being sued spends outside the state is left out of the count, up to a maximum of seven years [6]. So someone who moved away for a few years and came back may find the six-year period hasn’t fully run.
Debt buyers: no lawsuits on old debt
A lot of old consumer debt is sold to debt buyers. Connecticut law says a creditor or consumer collection agency that purchased a debt can’t start a lawsuit to collect it when it knows, or reasonably should know, that the statute of limitations has expired [4].
Connecticut goes a step further. Once the deadline has passed, any later payment, or any oral or written affirmation of the debt, does not extend the time for that debt buyer to sue [4]. In many states, a small payment can restart the clock. In Connecticut, it can’t for a debt buyer.
The notice you should get
Licensed consumer collection agencies in Connecticut must tell you, in their first communication, when a debt is beyond the statute of limitations. The required wording begins: “The law limits how long you can be sued on a debt. Because of the age of your debt, [the owner] will not sue you for it” [5]. Depending on the debt’s age, the notice then says either that the owner may report or keep reporting it to the credit bureaus as unpaid, or that it will not report it [5].
What “time-barred” means
A debt is time-barred once the deadline to sue has passed. Collectors can still ask you to pay, but they can’t sue or threaten to sue you over it [8].
If you’re sued anyway, the deadline doesn’t protect you on its own. You have to raise it in court [8]. Read the court papers, file your appearance on time, and say the debt is too old. If you don’t respond, the court can enter a judgment against you.
Judgments last much longer
Once a creditor wins in court, the deadlines change. For a money judgment from Connecticut’s Superior Court, a creditor can get an execution to collect for 20 years and can bring an action on the judgment for 25 years [3]. Small claims judgments run 10 years for an execution and 15 years for an action [3]. A creditor can also ask the court to revive a judgment before its time runs out [3].
The credit report clock is different
How long a debt can appear on your credit report is a federal rule, separate from Connecticut’s deadline to sue. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, collection accounts and charged-off accounts generally can’t be reported once they’re more than seven years old, with the seven years starting 180 days after the delinquency began [7]. A debt can drop off your report while it’s still collectible, or stay on your report after the deadline to sue has passed.
If an old account is wrong, re-aged, or still listed after its reporting period ends, it can be disputed with the credit bureaus. You can file disputes yourself, for free. Many people prefer to have a credit repair company do it: a company can review all three reports, find the items worth challenging, and file and follow up on the disputes with each bureau for you. Under federal law, a credit repair company has to give you a written contract that spells out the services, total cost and timeline [10], let you cancel within three business days [11], and can’t charge you until it has performed the services it promised [9]. Accurate, current information can’t be removed, and results vary. To learn more, see BestAmerica’s guides to how credit repair works and how long negative items stay on a credit report.
Where to get help
- Legal aid: Connecticut’s legal aid programs can help eligible people answer a debt lawsuit.
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (consumerfinance.gov): takes complaints about debt collectors [8].
- A consumer attorney: worth a call if you’re sued on an old account, especially one a debt buyer purchased.
Sources
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-576: Actions for account or on simple or implied contracts (6 years)
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-581: Action on oral contract (3 years)
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-598: Execution or action upon judgment; motion to revive
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 36a-814: No suit on purchased debt after the statute of limitations; payment doesn't extend it
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 36a-805: Consumer collection agencies, prohibited acts (time-barred debt disclosure)
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-590: Defendant's absence from the state excluded
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681c, Requirements relating to information contained in consumer reports (Cornell LII)
- CFPB: What is a statute of limitations on a debt?
- 15 U.S.C. § 1679b, Prohibited practices (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1679d, Credit repair organizations contracts (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1679e, Right to cancel contract (Cornell LII)
Next steps
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See Credit Squad →Common questions
How long can a creditor sue on a debt in Connecticut?
Six years after the right to sue arises, for an account, a simple or implied contract, or a contract in writing. Oral agreements that were never put in writing have three years.
Does paying on an old debt restart the clock in Connecticut?
Not for a debt buyer. Once the deadline to sue has passed, Connecticut law says a later payment or an oral or written affirmation of the debt doesn't extend the time for a creditor or collection agency that bought the debt. For other creditors, get advice before paying, because the CFPB warns that a payment can restart the clock in some states.
How long does a court judgment last in Connecticut?
A creditor can get an execution on a Superior Court money judgment for 20 years and can bring an action on it for 25 years. For small claims judgments, it's 10 and 15 years. A judgment can also be revived if the creditor asks before the time runs out.
Does the statute of limitations take a debt off my credit report?
No. Credit reporting follows a separate federal rule: most collection and charged-off accounts can be reported for seven years, starting 180 days after the account first went delinquent.