# South Carolina statute of limitations on debt

> In South Carolina, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 3 years under S.C. Code Ann. § 15-3-530(1). Periods for oral contracts, open accounts and promissory notes.

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

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In South Carolina, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 3 years under S.C. Code Ann. § 15-3-530(1).

**Rule.** A written contract claim in South Carolina must be brought within 3 years.

**Authority.** [S.C. Code Ann. § 15-3-530(1)](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t15c003.php)

| Contract type | Limitations period |
| --- | --- |
| Written contract | 3 yr |
| Oral contract | 3 yr |
| Open account | — |
| Promissory note | 6 yr |

## When does the clock start?

§ 15-3-20 runs the period from the time the cause of action has accrued (breach). For a mutual, open and current account with reciprocal demands, § 15-3-610 fixes accrual at the last item proved in the account on either side. NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED: I did not fetch § 15-3-20 in this pass; § 15-3-610 is verified verbatim below.

## What pauses it?

S.C. Code Ann. § 15-3-30: "If when a cause of action shall accrue against any person he shall be out of the State, such action may be commenced within the terms in this chapter respectively limited after the return of such person into this State. And if, after such cause of action shall have accrued, such person shall depart from and reside out of this State or remain continuously absent therefrom for the space of one year or more, the time of his absence shall not be deemed or taken as any part of the time limited for the commencement of such action."

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.