# New York statute of limitations on debt

> In New York, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 6 years under N.Y. C.P.L.R. §§ 213(2), 214-i. Periods for oral contracts, open accounts and promissory notes.

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

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In New York, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 6 years under N.Y. C.P.L.R. §§ 213(2), 214-i.

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

**Authority.** [N.Y. C.P.L.R. §§ 213(2), 214-i](https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/CVP/214-I)

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

## What the statute says

> An action arising out of a consumer credit transaction where a purchaser, borrower or debtor is a defendant must be commenced within three years

— [N.Y. C.P.L.R. §§ 213(2), 214-i](https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/CVP/214-I)

## When does the clock start?

On default/breach. CPLR 214-i fixes the consumer-credit period at three years from accrual and then forecloses extension: once the period expires, "any subsequent payment toward, written or oral affirmation of or other activity on the debt does not revive or extend the limitations period."

## What pauses it?

CPLR 207 ("If, when a cause of action accrues against a person, he is without the state, the time within which the action must be commenced shall be computed from the time he comes into or returns to the state."); CPLR 208 (infancy and insanity). NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED — I did not fetch CPLR 207 or 208.

Last reviewed 2026-07-26

## Related

- [Connecticut statute of limitations](https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/connecticut/) — Neighbouring jurisdiction — written contract, oral contract, open account and promissory note.
- [Massachusetts statute of limitations](https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/massachusetts/) — Neighbouring jurisdiction — written contract, oral contract, open account and promissory note.
- [New Jersey statute of limitations](https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/new-jersey/) — Neighbouring jurisdiction — written contract, oral contract, open account and promissory note.

## 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.