Rhode Island
In Rhode Island, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 10 years under R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-13(a).
Rule
A written contract claim in Rhode Island must be brought within 10 years.
- Written contract
- 10 yr
- Oral contract
- 10 yr
- Open account
- —
- Promissory note
- 6 yr
What the statute says
Except as otherwise specially provided, all civil actions shall be commenced within ten (10) years next after the cause of action shall accrue, and not after.
When does the clock start?
The period runs from accrual of the cause of action — for contract claims, the date of breach; § 9-1-13(a) reads "next after the cause of action shall accrue, and not after."
What pauses it?
R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-18 tolls during the defendant's absence from the state, but bars any claim accruing outside Rhode Island that was already barred where it arose. § 9-1-19 (disability) and § 9-1-20 (fraudulently concealed cause of action accrues on discovery) also apply. NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED — I did not fetch §§ 9-1-18, 9-1-19 or 9-1-20 in this pass.
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.