U.S. STATES — Seven U.S. states enforce three-year statutes of limitations on credit card debt, the shortest timeframe nationally for creditors to file lawsuits over unpaid balances. Arkansas, Delaware, Mississippi, North Carolina, Alaska, South Carolina and New Hampshire all limit creditors to three years from the date of the last payment or account activity to pursue legal action.

Borrowers nationwide are carrying nearly $1.3 trillion in credit card debt. Statutes of limitations for credit card debt typically fall between three and six years, with the length depending on how each state legally classifies credit card agreements.

In Arkansas, creditors have three years from the date of the last payment or account activity to file a lawsuit to collect unpaid credit card balances. Delaware has a three-year statute of limitations for many credit card debt claims, with the statute of limitations typically starting on the date of the last payment or the borrower's last account activity.

Mississippi law gives creditors three years to pursue legal action over credit card debt tied to open accounts. North Carolina has a three-year statute of limitations for many credit card debt claims. Alaska has a three-year statute of limitations for certain open credit accounts, while South Carolina has a three-year statute of limitations for credit card debt and New Hampshire has a three-year statute of limitations for many credit-related claims.

Several larger states maintain longer timeframes for debt collection lawsuits. New York, Texas and California typically have four-year statutes of limitations for credit card debt.

In many states, credit card debts are treated as either written contracts or open-ended accounts, which can affect the length of the statute of limitations. Some states extend the statute of limitations for credit card debt to five years depending on how the debt is categorized. Some states extend the statute of limitations for credit card debt to six years depending on how the debt is categorized.

Once the statute of limitations on credit card debt expires, creditors generally cannot file a lawsuit to enforce repayment. However, creditors and collection agencies can still attempt to collect credit card debt voluntarily after the statute of limitations has expired, and in some states, making a payment or acknowledging a debt can restart the statute of limitations.

The statute of limitations is separate from credit reporting timelines. Most negative credit items, including collection accounts, can remain on a credit report for up to seven years from the date of the original delinquency.