# District of Columbia statute of limitations on debt

> In District of Columbia, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 3 years under D.C. Code § 12-301(a)(7). Periods for oral contracts, open accounts and promissory notes.

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

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In District of Columbia, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 3 years under D.C. Code § 12-301(a)(7).

**Rule.** A written contract claim in District of Columbia must be brought within 3 years.

**Authority.** [D.C. Code § 12-301(a)(7)](https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/12-301)

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

## What the statute says

> (7) on a simple contract, express or implied— 3 years; (8) for which a limitation is not otherwise specially prescribed— 3 years;

— [D.C. Code § 12-301(a)(7)](https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/12-301)

## When does the clock start?

Three years from the time the right to maintain the action accrues, i.e. on breach or default.

## What pauses it?

§ 12-302 suspends the period for a claimant who at accrual is under 18, non compos mentis, or imprisoned; the disability list expressly includes imprisonment, which is unusual.

Last reviewed 2026-07-26

## Related

- [Maryland statute of limitations](https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/maryland/) — Neighbouring jurisdiction — written contract, oral contract, open account and promissory note.
- [Virginia statute of limitations](https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/virginia/) — Neighbouring jurisdiction — written contract, oral contract, open account and promissory note.
- [What Is the FDCPA (15 U.S.C. 1692), and Who Does It Actually Cover?](https://ottoforfirms.com/compliance/fdcpa/) — The FDCPA's scope, the 15 U.S.C. 1692a(6) debt collector definition, the conduct floor in sections 1692c-1692i, and the 1692k damages and one-year clock.

## 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.