# Illinois statute of limitations on debt

> In Illinois, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 10 years under 735 ILCS 5/13-206. Periods for oral contracts, open accounts and promissory notes.

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

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In Illinois, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 10 years under 735 ILCS 5/13-206.

**Rule.** A written contract claim in Illinois must be brought within 10 years.

**Authority.** [735 ILCS 5/13-206](https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/073500050K13-206.htm)

| Contract type | Limitations period |
| --- | --- |
| Written contract | 10 yr |
| Oral contract | 5 yr |
| Open account | — |
| Promissory note | 10 yr |

## What the statute says

> Except as provided in Section 2-725 of the "Uniform Commercial Code", actions on bonds, promissory notes, bills of exchange, written leases, written contracts, or other evidences of indebtedness in writing and actions brought under the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act shall be commenced within 10 years next after the cause of action accrued; but if any payment or new promise to pay has been made, in writing, on any bond, note, bill, lease, contract, or other written evidence of indebtedness, within or after the period of 10 years, then an action may be commenced thereon at any time within 10 years after the time of such payment or promise to pay.

— [735 ILCS 5/13-206](https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/073500050K13-206.htm)

## When does the clock start?

Both periods run "next after the cause of action accrued" (735 ILCS 5/13-205, 5/13-206). For post-1997 promissory notes, § 13-206 fixes accrual on the stated due date or the acceleration date; for a demand note, ten years after demand, with the action barred if neither principal nor interest has been paid for a continuous ten years and no demand was made.

## What pauses it?

735 ILCS 5/13-208 (Absence from State) — but subsection (b) neutralizes it for any period when the defendant is subject to Illinois long-arm jurisdiction, which is the usual case for a consumer debtor. 735 ILCS 5/13-211 (minors and persons under legal disability), capped so that a § 13-205 or § 13-206 period is never stayed more than 10 years from the adjudication of disability.

Last reviewed 2026-07-26

## Related

- [Indiana statute of limitations](https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/indiana/) — Neighbouring jurisdiction — written contract, oral contract, open account and promissory note.
- [Iowa statute of limitations](https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/iowa/) — Neighbouring jurisdiction — written contract, oral contract, open account and promissory note.
- [Kentucky statute of limitations](https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/kentucky/) — Neighbouring jurisdiction — written contract, oral contract, open account and promissory note.
- [Promise to pay](https://ottoforfirms.com/glossary/promise-to-pay/) — A promise to pay, or PTP, is a consumer's commitment during a contact to pay a stated amount on a stated date, logged on the account and used to schedule follow-up and suppress other collection activity until the date passes.

## 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.