Michigan Debt Collection Statute of Limitations: Time Limits by Debt Type
Michigan uses a 6-year statute of limitations on most contract debts under MCL §600.5807 — covering written contracts, oral contracts, open accounts, and most consumer debts. Judgments enforce for 10 years from entry, renewable under MCL §600.5809, with revival via new action on the judgment.
Michigan statutes of limitations on debt collection actions are codified primarily in MCL §600.5805 et seq. The most commonly applied provision for general contract debts is MCL §600.5807, providing a 6-year limitation period for actions to recover damages or sums due for breach of contract. The 6-year window covers most consumer and commercial debt actions: credit card debts, personal loans, medical bills, store accounts, written and oral contracts, and most consumer-purpose obligations. Michigan’s 6-year general contract SOL aligns with the longer end of state-by-state SOL frameworks.
Specialized debt categories have their own SOL frameworks. Negotiable instruments are governed by MCL §440.3118 (the Michigan codification of UCC Article 3), generally with 6-year periods. Tort actions including personal injury use MCL §600.5805 (3 years from accrual). Sealed instruments use MCL §600.5803 (10 years). And critically, judgments themselves enforce for 10 years from entry under MCL §600.5809, renewable through a new action on the judgment within the 10-year window — a procedural revival rather than an application-based renewal.
This page covers the SOL framework by debt type, the rules governing accrual, tolling and acknowledgment effects under MCL §600.5831 and related provisions, the relationship between Michigan SOLs and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Michigan-specific consumer-protection statutes layered on top of the SOL framework, and the practical implications for both creditors evaluating collection rights and debtors evaluating defenses against time-barred-debt collection.
📺 In this video
💡 Michigan’s 6-year contract SOL plus 10-year judgment SOL
Michigan’s framework provides up to 16 years of total potential collectibility on a contract debt: 6 years to obtain a judgment, then 10 years to enforce the judgment, plus periodic revival opportunities. Add tolling for nonresidence, partial payment, and other extending events, and a debt that originated 20 years ago may still be enforceable through a properly-managed enforcement timeline. This makes calendar discipline particularly important for both creditors and debtors.
Need to enforce a Michigan judgment or evaluate a debt?
Court-admissible asset and locate searches for judgment-enforcement and pre-litigation evaluation contexts. Banking, real property, employer verification, and address skip tracing under FCRA-permitted-purpose framework — delivered in 5–7 business days.
Michigan SOL by claim type
| Claim Type | Limitation Period | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Contract (general) | 6 years | MCL §600.5807(8) |
| Open account / store account | 6 years (from last activity) | MCL §600.5807 |
| Credit card debt | 6 years | MCL §600.5807 |
| Promissory notes / negotiable instruments | 6 years from demand or due date | MCL §440.3118 |
| Sealed instruments | 10 years | MCL §600.5803 |
| Real property (recovery) | 15 years | MCL §600.5801 |
| Tort / personal injury | 3 years from accrual | MCL §600.5805 |
| Wrongful death | 3 years from death | MCL §600.5805 |
| Property damage | 3 years | MCL §600.5805(10) |
| Michigan judgments | 10 years from entry, renewable | MCL §600.5809 |
| Tolling for nonresidence/concealment | Period excluded | MCL §600.5853 |
| Acknowledgment / partial payment | Restarts clock if in writing | MCL §600.5866 |
| Minor/incapacitated tolling | Tolled during minority/incapacity | MCL §600.5851 |
The 6-year contract SOL under MCL §600.5807
MCL §600.5807 sets the 6-year period for actions on contracts. The general 6-year period covers most consumer and commercial debt actions, including written contracts, oral contracts, open accounts, store accounts, credit card debts, personal loans, and most consumer-purpose obligations. Specialized contract types have their own provisions within §600.5807 — actions on bonds, certain real-property contracts, and statutory obligations may use different periods.
The accrual date — when the SOL begins to run — depends on the debt type. For installment debts (credit cards, installment loans), each missed payment may create a separate cause of action accruing on the missed payment date, with the full balance becoming immediately due upon acceleration. For open accounts, the SOL typically runs from the last activity date — last charge, last payment, or written acknowledgment. For lump-sum demand obligations, the SOL runs from when the creditor first had the right to demand payment. The accrual analysis is fact-specific and produces case-by-case variation.
Credit card debts and revolving credit
Credit card debts are 6-year contract obligations under MCL §600.5807. The SOL typically runs from the date of default — generally the last payment date or the date the account was charged off, depending on the cardholder agreement and creditor policy. Once 6 years pass without suit (or written acknowledgment / payment that resets the clock), the creditor cannot obtain a judgment on the time-barred debt. Federal FDCPA further prohibits debt collectors from suing on time-barred debts.
Medical debts
Medical debts are typically contract obligations under MCL §600.5807 with the standard 6-year SOL. Michigan has additional consumer-protection provisions for medical debt collection layered on top of the SOL framework. Specialized rules under healthcare-finance and consumer-protection laws may further restrict collection in specific circumstances.
Open accounts
For open accounts, the SOL accrual analysis is complex. Some courts treat each transaction as creating its own SOL clock; others treat the running balance as a single open obligation with the SOL running from the last activity date. The most-creditor-favorable interpretation in Michigan tends toward the “last activity date” rule. Creditors evaluating older accounts should specifically identify the last activity date before concluding the SOL has run.
Negotiable instruments, sealed instruments, and judgments
Negotiable instruments — promissory notes, checks, certificates of deposit — are governed by MCL §440.3118 (the Michigan codification of UCC Article 3). The framework provides specific SOLs by instrument type generally aligned with the 6-year period: actions on a note payable at a definite time (6 years after due date); actions on a demand note (6 years after demand or 10 years from accrual, whichever is earlier); actions on certificates of deposit (6 years after demand); actions on dishonored checks (3 years after dishonor).
Sealed instruments use a 10-year SOL under MCL §600.5803. Real property recovery actions use 15 years under MCL §600.5801. These longer periods apply to contracts executed under formal seal (a historical contractual device for important obligations) and to actions to recover possession or ownership of real property. Modern practice has reduced the use of seals for typical commercial transactions, but contracts explicitly executed under seal retain the longer 10-year limitation period.
Michigan money judgments enforce for 10 years from entry under MCL §600.5809. Within the 10-year window, the creditor can renew by filing a new lawsuit on the judgment — a procedural revival that produces a new judgment with a fresh 10-year window. Renewal can be repeated for additional 10-year cycles. The renewal is required before the original 10-year period expires; lapsed judgments generally cannot be revived after expiration. Practitioners typically file renewal actions in years 8–9 to maintain a buffer.
When the SOL pauses or restarts
MCL §600.5853 provides for tolling during the debtor’s nonresidence in Michigan and during fraudulent concealment of the cause of action. Periods when the debtor is outside Michigan are excluded from the SOL calculation; periods of fraudulent concealment by the debtor that prevent the creditor from discovering the cause of action are also excluded. These tolling provisions can substantially extend SOLs in specific circumstances — a debtor who moves out of Michigan for 5 years and returns may face actions on debts that would otherwise be time-barred under the unstopped clock.
MCL §600.5866 governs the effect of partial payment and acknowledgment. A written acknowledgment of the debt by the debtor — a signed document or letter acknowledging the obligation — restarts the SOL clock from the date of acknowledgment. A partial payment may restart the clock under appropriate circumstances, particularly when the payment is accompanied by acknowledgment of the underlying debt or when the payment context implies recognition of the broader obligation.
⚠️ Partial payment can revive time-barred debt
Debtors with aged consumer debts in Michigan should be cautious about making any payment without explicit written non-revival language. A small payment on a 7-year-old debt — apparently de minimis — can restart the entire 6-year SOL clock under MCL §600.5866, exposing the debtor to a fresh 6-year period of collectibility. Aged-debt collectors sometimes specifically target debtors near the SOL deadline to obtain revival-triggering payments.
Other tolling mechanisms include: minor/incapacitated debtor tolling under MCL §600.5851 (SOL paused during minority or incapacity, with one-year grace period after the disability ends); bankruptcy automatic stay tolling (SOL paused during the debtor’s bankruptcy case under federal law); and military service tolling under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SOL paused during active military service). Each tolling mechanism has procedural specifics that require fact-specific analysis.
Michigan-specific consumer protections
Beyond the SOL framework, Michigan provides additional consumer-protection provisions affecting debt collection. The Michigan Collection Practices Act (Public Act 70 of 1981, codified in MCL §445.251 et seq.) governs collection conduct and provides remedies for unfair collection practices. The Michigan Regulation of Collection Practices Act layers on top of the federal FDCPA, sometimes providing more debtor-favorable provisions in specific contexts.
For consumer debt evaluation, Michigan debtors should consider both the SOL framework (which determines whether suit can be initiated) and the consumer-protection framework (which governs how collection efforts may be conducted regardless of SOL status). Federal FDCPA prohibits collection of time-barred debts and misleading representations about debt collectibility; Michigan-state-law consumer-protection adds additional remedies for unfair or abusive collection practices. Debtors facing collection on potentially time-barred debts should consider both SOL defenses (asserted in any collection lawsuit) and consumer-protection counter-claims.
Practical takeaways for Michigan debt SOL analysis
Michigan’s 6-year contract SOL combined with the 10-year judgment enforcement window and renewable revival framework produces substantial total enforcement potential — up to 16 years from initial cause of action through judgment renewal cycles. The framework rewards both prompt creditor action (filing suit before the 6-year contract SOL expires) and disciplined post-judgment maintenance (filing renewal actions before the 10-year window expires). Calendar systems are essential for both phases.
Michigan’s automotive and manufacturing employment base produces distinctive enforcement patterns relevant to SOL analysis. Layoffs, plant closures, and industry transitions can affect debtor employment status during the SOL window, which interacts with nonresidence tolling under MCL §600.5853 if debtors relocate for employment. Practitioners with significant Michigan caseloads should specifically track debtor employment and residence patterns through the SOL window — apparent SOL expiration may not be effective if substantial nonresidence tolling applies.
For consumer debt evaluation, Michigan debtors should be particularly aware of the partial-payment revival risk under MCL §600.5866. The Michigan Collection Practices Act provides additional remedies beyond the federal FDCPA for unfair or abusive collection practices on time-barred or near-time-barred debts. Consumer attorneys defending Michigan debtors typically combine SOL defenses with Michigan-state-law and FDCPA counter-claims to maximize defensive leverage. Professional asset and locate searches support both creditor enforcement work and debtor defense investigation across the Michigan SOL framework.
Bankruptcy interaction with the Michigan SOL framework
Federal bankruptcy proceedings substantially interact with Michigan SOL analysis. The automatic stay under 11 USC §362 effectively pauses most state-court collection actions during the pendency of a bankruptcy case, including SOL clocks for state-law debt collection. After bankruptcy discharge, debts that were dischargeable are typically extinguished — not merely SOL-barred but actually unenforceable as a substantive matter. Non-dischargeable debts (certain tax obligations, student loans without undue hardship, debts arising from fraud, and others under 11 USC §523) emerge from bankruptcy with their original SOL clocks effectively tolled during the bankruptcy pendency. Practitioners evaluating debts where the debtor has had bankruptcy proceedings should specifically analyze the dischargeability and SOL-tolling status of each debt category.
Practitioners should also be aware of the interaction between the Michigan SOL framework and federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) requirements. Recent FDCPA case law has increasingly held that suit on a time-barred debt is a per se FDCPA violation, even without specific misrepresentation about the debt’s collectibility. The Sixth Circuit (which includes Michigan) has produced specific guidance on time-barred debt collection that practitioners should consider before initiating collection litigation. Comprehensive SOL analysis combined with FDCPA compliance review is now standard pre-litigation practice for collection attorneys.
Common questions
What is the statute of limitations on debt in Michigan?
For most contract debts (credit cards, personal loans, medical bills, store accounts, written and oral contracts), Michigan uses a 6-year statute of limitations under MCL §600.5807(8). Negotiable instruments follow MCL §440.3118 with generally 6-year periods. Sealed instruments use 10 years under MCL §600.5803. Real property recovery uses 15 years under §600.5801. Michigan judgments enforce for 10 years from entry under MCL §600.5809, with renewal available within the 10-year window.
When does the statute of limitations start running?
The accrual date depends on the debt type. For installment debts, each missed payment may create its own SOL clock, with the full balance accruing on acceleration. For open accounts, the SOL typically runs from the last activity date. For lump-sum demand obligations, the SOL runs from when the creditor first had the right to demand payment. Specific accrual analysis is fact-intensive.
Can making a payment restart the statute of limitations?
Yes. Under MCL §600.5866, a partial payment on a debt may restart the SOL clock from the date of payment, depending on the circumstances and whether the payment can be construed as acknowledgment of the underlying obligation. Even a small payment on an aged debt can restart the entire 6-year clock. Debtors with aged consumer debts should be cautious about making payments or acknowledgments that may inadvertently revive otherwise-time-barred obligations.
What is the statute of limitations on a Michigan judgment?
Michigan judgments enforce for 10 years from entry under MCL §600.5809. Renewal is available within the 10-year window by filing a new lawsuit on the judgment — a procedural revival producing a new judgment with a fresh 10-year window. Renewal can be repeated for additional 10-year cycles. Calendar discipline is essential because renewal must be initiated before the original window expires; lapsed judgments generally cannot be revived after expiration.
Does the SOL pause if the debtor leaves Michigan?
Yes, under MCL §600.5853. Periods when the debtor is outside Michigan are excluded from the SOL calculation — the clock effectively pauses during the debtor’s absence. This means a debtor who moves out of Michigan for several years and then returns may face actions on debts that would otherwise be time-barred. The nonresidence tolling provision is fact-specific and creditor-friendly.
What happens to a debt after the SOL expires?
The debt is “time-barred” — the creditor cannot obtain a judgment through ordinary collection litigation. However, the debt itself continues to exist: the creditor may continue collection-by-mail efforts, may report the debt to credit bureaus (within FCRA’s 7-year limit), and may attempt to negotiate voluntary payment. The SOL is a defense to lawsuits, not extinguishment. Federal FDCPA prohibits debt collectors from suing on time-barred debts and from making misleading representations.
Can I be sued for a debt after the SOL has run?
Yes — debt collectors sometimes file suits on time-barred debts, betting that defendants won’t raise the SOL defense. If you don’t answer the complaint or fail to assert the SOL defense, the court may enter a default judgment that’s enforceable despite the time-barred underlying obligation. Federal FDCPA provides counter-claim remedies; the SOL defense must be affirmatively raised in any collection lawsuit. Consumer attorneys routinely defend these cases with SOL defenses and FDCPA counter-claims.
What is the SOL for tort or personal injury cases in Michigan?
Tort actions including personal injury use a 3-year SOL under MCL §600.5805, running from accrual of the cause of action (typically the date of injury or the date the injury was reasonably discoverable). Wrongful death actions use 3 years under §600.5805. Property damage uses 3 years under §600.5805(10). The 3-year tort SOL is shorter than the 6-year contract SOL, making tort claims more time-sensitive.
How long can negative debt information stay on my credit report?
Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) at 15 USC §1681c limits negative debt reporting to 7 years from original delinquency — slightly longer than the 6-year Michigan contract SOL for many debts. This means a debt may be time-barred for litigation purposes (after 6 years) but still legally reportable to credit bureaus for an additional year. After 7 years from original delinquency, the debt must be removed from credit reports under federal law.
Is professional skip tracing necessary for Michigan collection work?
For pre-litigation evaluation and post-judgment enforcement against Michigan debtors, professional skip tracing often surfaces banking, employment, and real-property holdings that public-record searches don’t reach effectively. Particularly important for creditors evaluating SOL nonresidence tolling claims and for managing the 91-day periodic garnishment cycle in post-judgment enforcement.
Need to enforce a Michigan judgment or evaluate a debt?
Professional asset and locate searches for judgment-enforcement and pre-litigation evaluation contexts in Michigan. Banking, employer verification (essential for the 91-day cycle), real-property holdings, and address skip tracing under FCRA-permitted-purpose framework.
Reviewed by People Locator Skip Tracing Investigation Team
Established 2004 · 20+ Years Experience · FCRA · GLBA · DPPA Compliant
A professional skip tracing service trusted by attorneys, process servers, and debt collectors since 2004.
Legal Disclaimer. This page is a general legal-reference resource on Michigan debt collection statutes of limitations and is not legal advice. Statute-of-limitations analysis, accrual determination, tolling, and acknowledgment effects are fact-intensive and depend on specific case circumstances; consult licensed Michigan counsel before relying on any framework described here. People Locator Skip Tracing provides investigative services for lawful purposes only. All searches comply with applicable privacy laws. Statutes change; verify current text and any amendments before relying on the citations herein.
© 2026 People Locator Skip Tracing® — All rights reserved.
