# Kentucky statute of limitations on debt

> In Kentucky, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 10 years under KRS 413.160. Periods for oral contracts, open accounts and promissory notes.

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

[All jurisdictions](https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/)

In Kentucky, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 10 years under KRS 413.160.

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

**Authority.** [KRS 413.160](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=43544)

| Contract type | Limitations period |
| --- | --- |
| Written contract | 10 yr |
| Oral contract | 5 yr |
| Open account | 5 yr |
| Promissory note | 6 yr |

## When does the clock start?

KRS 413.160 and 413.120 run from when "the cause of action accrued"; KRS 413.090 runs from when the cause "first accrued." For store/merchant accounts, KRS 413.130(1) is unusual and specific: "the limitation shall be computed from January 1 next succeeding the respective dates of the delivery of the several articles charged in the account," and judgment may be rendered only for articles charged or delivered within five years preceding the year suit was brought.

## What pauses it?

KRS 413.190(1): if a resident is absent from the state when a cause under KRS 413.090 to 413.160 accrues, the period is computed from the time of return. KRS 413.190(2): time during which a resident "by absconding or concealing himself or by any other indirect means obstructs the prosecution of the action" is not counted. KRS 413.170(1): infancy or unsound mind at accrual extends the period by the same number of years after removal of the disability or death, whichever comes first. KRS 413.265 addresses the validity of agreements extending limitations periods.

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.