# Utah statute of limitations on debt

> In Utah, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 6 years under Utah Code §§ 78B-2-307, 78B-2-309. Periods for oral contracts, open accounts and promissory notes.

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

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In Utah, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 6 years under Utah Code §§ 78B-2-307, 78B-2-309.

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

**Authority.** [Utah Code §§ 78B-2-307, 78B-2-309](https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title78B/Chapter2/C78B-2-S309_2019051420190514.pdf)

| Contract type | Limitations period |
| --- | --- |
| Written contract | 6 yr |
| Oral contract | 4 yr |
| Open account | 4 yr |
| Promissory note | 6 yr |

## What the statute says

> (1) An action may be brought within six years: ... (b) subject to Subsection (2), upon any contract, obligation, or liability founded upon an instrument in writing, except those mentioned in Section 78B-2-311 ... (2) For a credit agreement, as defined in Section 25-5-4, the six-year period described in Subsection (1) begins the later of the day on which: (a) the debt arose; (b) the debtor makes a written acknowledgment of the debt or a promise to pay the debt; or (c) the debtor or a third party makes a payment on the debt.

— [Utah Code §§ 78B-2-307, 78B-2-309](https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title78B/Chapter2/C78B-2-S309_2019051420190514.pdf)

## When does the clock start?

For open accounts and unwritten contracts the four years runs from the date the last charge is made or the last payment is received — the clause sits in the stem of § 78B-2-307(1) and so governs all three of its branches. For a written credit agreement the six years begins on the later of the day the debt arose, the day the debtor makes a written acknowledgment or promise to pay, or the day the debtor or a third party makes a payment (§ 78B-2-309(2)).

## What pauses it?

Absence from the state where the person is not otherwise subject to Utah jurisdiction under § 78B-3-205 (§ 78B-2-104); minority under 18 or mental incompetence without a legal guardian (§ 78B-2-108); and a one-time one-year savings period to refile after a timely action fails other than on the merits (§ 78B-2-111). NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED — I did not fetch §§ 78B-2-104, 78B-2-108 or 78B-2-111 in this pass.

Last reviewed 2026-07-26

## Related

- [Arizona statute of limitations](https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/arizona/) — Neighbouring jurisdiction — written contract, oral contract, open account and promissory note.
- [Colorado statute of limitations](https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/colorado/) — Neighbouring jurisdiction — written contract, oral contract, open account and promissory note.
- [Idaho statute of limitations](https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/idaho/) — Neighbouring jurisdiction — written contract, oral contract, open account and promissory note.
- [Promise to pay](https://ottoforfirms.com/glossary/promise-to-pay/) — A promise to pay, or PTP, is a consumer's commitment during a contact to pay a stated amount on a stated date, logged on the account and used to schedule follow-up and suppress other collection activity until the date passes.

## 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.