Iowa
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.
- Written contract
- 10 yr
- Oral contract
- 5 yr
- Open account
- —
- Promissory note
- 10 yr
What the statute says
5. Written contracts — judgments of courts not of record — recovery of real property and rent. a. Except as provided in paragraph "b", those founded on written contracts, or on judgments of any courts except those provided for in subsection 6, and those brought for the recovery of real property, within ten years. b. Those founded on claims for rent, within five years.
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
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.