# Texas statute of limitations on debt

> In Texas, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 4 years under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004(a)(3). Periods for oral contracts, open accounts and promissory notes.

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

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In Texas, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 4 years under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004(a)(3).

**Rule.** A written contract claim in Texas must be brought within 4 years.

**Authority.** [Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004(a)(3)](https://tcss.legis.texas.gov/Docs/CP/htm/CP.16.htm)

| Contract type | Limitations period |
| --- | --- |
| Written contract | 4 yr |
| Oral contract | 4 yr |
| Open account | 4 yr |
| Promissory note | 6 yr |

## When does the clock start?

Four years from the day the cause of action accrues — for a card balance, the date of the breach or charge-off relied on. For an open or stated account, § 16.004(c) supplies its own rule: "the cause of action accrues on the day that the dealings in which the parties were interested together cease."

## What pauses it?

Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.063 suspends the period for the period of the defendant's absence from the state; § 16.062 suspends it 12 months after a party's death (running again once an executor or administrator qualifies); § 16.064 suspends it between filings when the first suit is dismissed for lack of jurisdiction and refiled within 60 days; § 16.001 excludes time under a legal disability existing at accrual, with no tacking. NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED — I did not fetch §§ 16.001, 16.062, 16.063 or 16.064 in this pass.

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.