# Minnesota statute of limitations on debt

> In Minnesota, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 6 years under Minn. Stat. § 541.053. Periods for oral contracts, open accounts and promissory notes.

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

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In Minnesota, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 6 years under Minn. Stat. § 541.053.

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

**Authority.** [Minn. Stat. § 541.053](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/541.053)

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

## What the statute says

> Notwithstanding section 541.31, subdivision 1, actions upon an obligation arising out of a consumer debt primarily for personal, family, or household purposes shall be commenced within six years. After its expiration, the statute of limitations is not revived by the collection of a payment on an account, a discharge in a bankruptcy proceeding, or an oral or written reaffirmation of the debt.

— [Minn. Stat. § 541.053](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/541.053)

## When does the clock start?

Six years after the cause of action accrues; Minn. Stat. § 541.05, subd. 1(1) (https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/541.05) covers an action "upon a contract or other obligation, express or implied, as to which no other limitation is expressly prescribed." For the mutual-account category, Minn. Stat. § 541.10 supplies a last-item accrual rule; I did not re-fetch § 541.10 in this pass.

## What pauses it?

Minn. Stat. § 541.13 (absence from the state) and § 541.15 (periods of disability not counted) are the general provisions; neither pass fetched their text. The provision that matters most, § 541.053's opening "Notwithstanding section 541.31, subdivision 1" clause, was fetched and verified — see notes.

Last reviewed 2026-07-26

## Related

- [Iowa statute of limitations](https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/iowa/) — Neighbouring jurisdiction — written contract, oral contract, open account and promissory note.
- [North Dakota statute of limitations](https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/north-dakota/) — Neighbouring jurisdiction — written contract, oral contract, open account and promissory note.
- [South Dakota statute of limitations](https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/south-dakota/) — Neighbouring jurisdiction — written contract, oral contract, open account and promissory note.

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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.