# Indiana statute of limitations on debt

> In Indiana, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 6 years under IC 34-11-2-9. Periods for oral contracts, open accounts and promissory notes.

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

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In Indiana, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 6 years under IC 34-11-2-9.

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

**Authority.** [IC 34-11-2-9](https://iga.in.gov/ic/2025/Title_34.html)

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

## What the statute says

> (b) Except as provided in subsection (c), an action upon promissory notes, bills of exchange, or other written contracts for the payment of money executed after August 31, 1982, must be commenced within six (6) years after the cause of action accrues.

— [IC 34-11-2-9](https://iga.in.gov/ic/2025/Title_34.html)

## When does the clock start?

All periods run "after the cause of action accrues." For accounts, IC 34-11-3-1 (Mutual, open, and current accounts): "In an action brought to recover a balance due upon a mutual, open, and current account between the parties, the cause of action is considered to have accrued from the date of the last item proved in the account on either side."

## What pauses it?

IC 34-11-4-1: time during which the defendant is a nonresident is not computed, except while the defendant maintains an Indiana agent for service of process. IC 34-11-5-1 (concealment): if a person liable conceals the fact, the action may be brought within the limitation period after discovery. IC 34-11-6-1 (legal disabilities): two years after the disability is removed.

Last reviewed 2026-07-26

## Related

- [Illinois statute of limitations](https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/illinois/) — 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.
- [Michigan statute of limitations](https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/michigan/) — Neighbouring jurisdiction — written contract, oral contract, open account and promissory note.
- [Service of process](https://ottoforfirms.com/glossary/service-of-process/) — Service of process is the formal delivery of the summons and complaint that gives a court personal jurisdiction over the defendant and starts the defendant's response 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.