# Connecticut statute of limitations on debt

> In Connecticut, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 6 years under Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 52-576, 52-581. Periods for oral contracts, open accounts and promissory notes.

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

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In Connecticut, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 6 years under Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 52-576, 52-581.

**Rule.** A written contract claim in Connecticut must be brought within 6 years.

**Authority.** [Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 52-576, 52-581](https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_926.htm)

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

## What the statute says

> No action for an account, or on any simple or implied contract, or on any contract in writing, shall be brought but within six years after the right of action accrues, except as provided in subsection (b) of this section.

— [Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 52-576, 52-581](https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_926.htm)

## When does the clock start?

Six years after the right of action accrues; Connecticut treats the right of action on a demand note as accruing on its execution and delivery.

## What pauses it?

§ 52-590 excludes time the defendant is outside the state, but the exclusion is capped at seven years; § 52-576(b) gives a person legally incapable at accrual three years after regaining capacity; § 52-595 defers accrual for fraudulent concealment.

Last reviewed 2026-07-26

## Related

- [Massachusetts statute of limitations](https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/massachusetts/) — Neighbouring jurisdiction — written contract, oral contract, open account and promissory note.
- [New York statute of limitations](https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/new-york/) — Neighbouring jurisdiction — written contract, oral contract, open account and promissory note.
- [Rhode Island statute of limitations](https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/rhode-island/) — Neighbouring jurisdiction — written contract, oral contract, open account and promissory note.

## 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.