# Iowa statute of limitations on debt

> In Iowa, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 10 years under Iowa Code § 614.1(5). Periods for oral contracts, open accounts and promissory notes.

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

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In Iowa, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 10 years under Iowa Code § 614.1(5).

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

**Authority.** [Iowa Code § 614.1(5)](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/614.pdf)

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

## When does the clock start?

Iowa Code § 614.1 opening: actions may be brought within the stated times "after their causes accrue, and not afterwards, except when otherwise specially declared." For accounts, § 614.5 (Open account): "When there is a continuous, open, current account, the cause of action shall be deemed to have accrued on the date of the last item therein, as proved on the trial."

## What pauses it?

Iowa Code § 614.6: the periods in §§ 614.1 through 614.5 are "computed omitting any time when ... The defendant is a nonresident of the state." § 614.8 extends the period one year past removal of disability for minors and persons with mental illness. § 614.13 excludes time during which suit is stayed by injunction or statutory prohibition. § 614.7 imports a foreign bar as a defense.

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.