District of Columbia
In District of Columbia, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 3 years under D.C. Code § 12-301(a)(7).
Rule
A written contract claim in District of Columbia must be brought within 3 years.
- Written contract
- 3 yr
- Oral contract
- 3 yr
- Open account
- —
- Promissory note
- 6 yr
What the statute says
(7) on a simple contract, express or implied— 3 years; (8) for which a limitation is not otherwise specially prescribed— 3 years;
When does the clock start?
Three years from the time the right to maintain the action accrues, i.e. on breach or default.
What pauses it?
§ 12-302 suspends the period for a claimant who at accrual is under 18, non compos mentis, or imprisoned; the disability list expressly includes imprisonment, which is unusual.
Last reviewed 2026-07-26
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.