# Maryland statute of limitations on debt

> In Maryland, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 3 years under Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-101. Periods for oral contracts, open accounts and promissory notes.

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

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In Maryland, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 3 years under Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-101.

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

**Authority.** [Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-101](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gcj&section=5-101&enactments=false)

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

## What the statute says

> A civil action at law shall be filed within three years from the date it accrues unless another provision of the Code provides a different period of time within which an action shall be commenced.

— [Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-101](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gcj&section=5-101&enactments=false)

## When does the clock start?

Three years "from the date it accrues" (CJP § 5-101). The statute does not define accrual; Maryland's discovery rule is judge-made and neither pass read the case law establishing it.

## What pauses it?

CJP § 5-1202(b)(2) contains the one tolling-adjacent carve-out that matters for consumer debt: the no-revival rule does not reach a separate written agreement or payment plan entered into before the limitations period expired. General tolling for minority and mental incompetence (CJP § 5-201) and fraud (CJP § 5-203) exists but neither pass fetched either section — do not rely on any statement of their terms.

Last reviewed 2026-07-26

## Related

- [Delaware statute of limitations](https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/delaware/) — Neighbouring jurisdiction — written contract, oral contract, open account and promissory note.
- [District of Columbia statute of limitations](https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/district-of-columbia/) — Neighbouring jurisdiction — written contract, oral contract, open account and promissory note.
- [Pennsylvania statute of limitations](https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/pennsylvania/) — Neighbouring jurisdiction — written contract, oral contract, open account and promissory note.

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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.