# Illinois statute of limitations on debt

> In Illinois, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 10 years under 735 ILCS 5/13-206. Periods for oral contracts, open accounts and promissory notes.

- Source: https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/illinois/
- Publisher: Otto — https://ottoforfirms.com
- Updated: 2026-07-26

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In Illinois, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 10 years under 735 ILCS 5/13-206.

**Rule.** A written contract claim in Illinois must be brought within 10 years.

**Authority.** [735 ILCS 5/13-206](https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/073500050K13-206.htm)

| Contract type | Limitations period |
| --- | --- |
| Written contract | 10 yr |
| Oral contract | 5 yr |
| Open account | — |
| Promissory note | 10 yr |

## When does the clock start?

Both periods run "next after the cause of action accrued" (735 ILCS 5/13-205, 5/13-206). For post-1997 promissory notes, § 13-206 fixes accrual on the stated due date or the acceleration date; for a demand note, ten years after demand, with the action barred if neither principal nor interest has been paid for a continuous ten years and no demand was made.

## What pauses it?

735 ILCS 5/13-208 (Absence from State) — but subsection (b) neutralizes it for any period when the defendant is subject to Illinois long-arm jurisdiction, which is the usual case for a consumer debtor. 735 ILCS 5/13-211 (minors and persons under legal disability), capped so that a § 13-205 or § 13-206 period is never stayed more than 10 years from the adjudication of disability.

Last reviewed 2026-07-26

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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.