# Rhode Island statute of limitations on debt

> In Rhode Island, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 10 years under R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-13(a). Periods for oral contracts, open accounts and promissory notes.

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

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In Rhode Island, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 10 years under R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-13(a).

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

**Authority.** [R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-13(a)](https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE9/9-1/9-1-13.HTM)

| Contract type | Limitations period |
| --- | --- |
| Written contract | 10 yr |
| Oral contract | 10 yr |
| Open account | — |
| Promissory note | 6 yr |

## What the statute says

> Except as otherwise specially provided, all civil actions shall be commenced within ten (10) years next after the cause of action shall accrue, and not after.

— [R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-13(a)](https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE9/9-1/9-1-13.HTM)

## When does the clock start?

The period runs from accrual of the cause of action — for contract claims, the date of breach; § 9-1-13(a) reads "next after the cause of action shall accrue, and not after."

## What pauses it?

R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-18 tolls during the defendant's absence from the state, but bars any claim accruing outside Rhode Island that was already barred where it arose. § 9-1-19 (disability) and § 9-1-20 (fraudulently concealed cause of action accrues on discovery) also apply. NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED — I did not fetch §§ 9-1-18, 9-1-19 or 9-1-20 in this pass.

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.
- [What Is the FDCPA (15 U.S.C. 1692), and Who Does It Actually Cover?](https://ottoforfirms.com/compliance/fdcpa/) — The FDCPA's scope, the 15 U.S.C. 1692a(6) debt collector definition, the conduct floor in sections 1692c-1692i, and the 1692k damages and one-year clock.

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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.