# Time-barred debt — definition

> A time-barred debt is a debt for which the applicable statute of limitations has expired, and Regulation F flatly prohibits a debt collector from bringing or threatening to bring legal action to collect it.

- Source: https://ottoforfirms.com/glossary/time-barred-debt/
- Publisher: Otto — https://ottoforfirms.com
- Updated: 2026-07-26
- Status: in attorney review. Served noindex and excluded from the sitemap; do not cite as settled.

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**Time-barred debt** — A time-barred debt is a debt for which the applicable statute of limitations has expired, and Regulation F flatly prohibits a debt collector from bringing or threatening to bring legal action to collect it.

The definition and prohibition sit at 12 C.F.R. § 1006.26(a)(2) and (b), effective November 30, 2021; the ban carries no knowledge or intent element, so a good-faith miscalculation of the limitations period is still a violation. The rule excepts proofs of claim filed in bankruptcy. Earlier CFPB practice went further by contract: the September 9, 2015 Encore consent order required specific scripted disclosures on out-of-statute accounts, including "The law limits how long you can be sued on a debt. Because of the age of your debt, we will not sue you for it." Which state's limitations period applies, and whether a partial payment revives it, remain matters of state law that Regulation F does not resolve.

## Primary sources

1. [12 C.F.R. § 1006.26; In re Encore Capital Grp., 2015-CFPB-0022 (Sept. 9, 2015)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/12/1006.26)

## See also

- [Suit-readiness](https://ottoforfirms.com/glossary/suit-readiness/)
- [Consent order](https://ottoforfirms.com/glossary/consent-order/)
- [Promise to pay](https://ottoforfirms.com/glossary/promise-to-pay/)

## Where this appears

- [Manual compliance versus enforced compliance](https://ottoforfirms.com/manual-vs-enforced/)
- [What Is the FDCPA (15 U.S.C. 1692), and Who Does It Actually Cover?](https://ottoforfirms.com/compliance/fdcpa/)
- [What Is Regulation F (12 CFR Part 1006), and What Did It Add to the FDCPA?](https://ottoforfirms.com/compliance/regulation-f/)
- [What Evidence Must a Firm Hold Before Filing Suit on a Consumer Debt?](https://ottoforfirms.com/compliance/competent-reliable-evidence/)

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This is an informational reference, not legal advice, and using it creates no attorney-client relationship. Limitations periods turn on facts this page cannot know — which state's law governs, the contract type, when the claim accrued, and whether anything tolled or revived it. Confirm against the primary source and your own counsel before acting.