All jurisdictions

Illinois

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

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

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.