In Michigan, the deadline to sue over most debts is 6 years. The main exception is a contract for the sale of goods, which gets 4 years [1][2]. After the deadline passes, the debt is “time-barred”: you may still owe it, but a collector can’t sue you over it [4].
At a glance
- Most contract debts
- 6 years (MCL 600.5807) [1][2]
- Contracts for the sale of goods
- 4 years (MCL 440.2725) [1][2]
- Open accounts and agreed balances
- 6 years, per the Michigan Supreme Court [1]
- After the deadline
- Collectors can't sue or threaten to sue [4]
- Credit report
- About 7 years, a separate federal rule [3]
| Type of debt | Deadline | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Breach of contract (most consumer debts) | 6 years | MCL 600.5807 |
| Open account or account stated (such as a running account balance) | 6 years | MCL 600.5807; Fisher Sand & Gravel (2013) |
| Breach of a contract for the sale of goods | 4 years | MCL 440.2725 (Uniform Commercial Code) |
| Motor vehicle installment sales contract | 4 years | Michigan Legal Help |
Six years vs. four years
Michigan law gives 6 years to sue for breach of contract, and that covers most consumer debts [1][2]. A separate rule in the Uniform Commercial Code gives 4 years for breach of a contract for the sale of goods [1].
Running accounts and agreed balances
In 2013, the Michigan Supreme Court decided that claims on an open account or an account stated are separate from the underlying purchases. So they get the general 6-year contract deadline, not the 4-year sale-of-goods rule, even when the account was used to buy goods [1].
According to Michigan Legal Help, a creditor must sue within 4 years when the case is about an installment sales contract to buy a motor vehicle or another sale of goods [2].
When the clock starts and what restarts it
Michigan Legal Help explains the 6 years as running from the last activity on the account. Using the account, making a payment, communicating with the creditor, or otherwise acknowledging the debt can count as activity [2]. Michigan courts have long treated a partial payment as an acknowledgment of the debt that renews the time to sue from the date of the payment [1].
If you’re sued on an old debt
The deadline doesn’t stop a lawsuit by itself. You have to raise it as a defense: put it in your answer, say when the last activity on the account was, and attach any proof you have [2]. If you don’t respond, the court can enter a judgment against you even on an old debt [4].
The credit report clock is different
How long a debt can stay on your credit report is a separate, federal rule. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, collection accounts and charged-off accounts generally can’t be reported once they’re more than seven years old, and the seven years start 180 days after the delinquency began [3]. Michigan’s deadline to sue doesn’t change that date.
If an old account is still on your report after that, you can dispute it with the credit bureaus for free.
Where to get help
- Michigan Legal Help (michiganlegalhelp.org): free guides to answering a debt collection lawsuit [2].
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (consumerfinance.gov): takes complaints about debt collectors [4].
Sources
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How long can a creditor sue on a debt in Michigan?
Usually 6 years for contract debts, counted from the last activity on the account. Debts from a contract for the sale of goods, including motor vehicle installment sales contracts, generally have 4 years.
Can a debt collector sue me after the statute of limitations runs out?
Under federal rules, a collector can't sue or threaten to sue on a debt once the deadline has passed. If you're sued anyway, you have to raise the deadline as a defense in your answer, or the court may still rule against you.
Does the Michigan deadline change how long a debt stays on my credit report?
No. Under federal law, most collection and charged-off accounts come off a credit report seven years after a date that starts 180 days after the delinquency began, no matter what Michigan's deadline to sue is.