# Alaska statute of limitations on debt

> In Alaska, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 3 years under AS 09.10.053. Periods for oral contracts, open accounts and promissory notes.

- Source: https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/alaska/
- Publisher: Otto — https://ottoforfirms.com
- Updated: 2026-09-01

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In Alaska, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 3 years under AS 09.10.053.

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

**Authority.** [AS 09.10.053](https://www.akleg.gov/basis/statutes.asp?media=print&type=fetch&secStart=09.10.050#09.10.053)

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

## What the statute says

> Unless the action is commenced within three years, a person may not bring an action upon a contract or liability, express or implied, except as provided in AS 09.10.040, or as otherwise provided by law, or, except if the provisions of this section are waived by contract.

— [AS 09.10.053](https://www.akleg.gov/basis/statutes.asp?media=print&type=fetch&secStart=09.10.050#09.10.053)

## When does the clock start?

Three years after the cause of action accrues (AS 09.10.010), i.e. on breach or default; AS 09.10.210 restarts the clock from the date of the last past-due payment.

## What pauses it?

AS 09.10.130 excludes time the defendant is out of state or concealed; AS 09.10.140 excludes minority or incompetency, capped at two years after the disability ends.

Last reviewed 2026-07-26

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- [What documents you need to file suit on a credit-card debt](https://ottoforfirms.com/guides/documents-to-file-suit/) — The evidence a collections firm needs in hand before a credit-card complaint goes out: chain of title, account-level documentation, the signed agreement and its alternatives, affidavit requirements, and how proof expectations differ across Florida, Georgia, Texas and New York.

## About Otto

This table is a free reference and it is not the product. Otto is case management for US collections law firms; the rules engine ships all fifty states configured — four shown in end-to-end depth in the demo — and it checks a date like this one before a file moves rather than after.

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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.