Three years in North Carolina, six in Georgia. That is how long a collector has to sue over card debt, and twelve point nine percent of U.S. card balances are already ninety days late.
Correction (October 3, 2026): the state figures spoken in this video (Florida $10,920 and 12.4% ninety days late, Georgia’s delinquency highest at 13.1%, North Carolina $7,840) came from an earlier version of our household debt study that did not match the New York Fed’s state data. In the NY Fed’s Q4 2025 state figures, among the six states in the study, credit-card balance per consumer with a credit report is highest in Florida ($5,050) and lowest in North Carolina ($4,160), and Florida also has the highest share of card balances 90+ days delinquent (14.9%; Georgia 13.9%). See Table 1 of the corrected study. The national figures in the video are unchanged.
Sourcing note (October 3, 2026): this video was recorded before our source check. These figures spoken in it are general estimates we could not trace to a primary source, or are corrected here: the 27-year, $17,800 minimum-payment example (paying the greater of interest plus 1% or $35 a month, the CFPB’s formula, a $10,000 balance at 25% takes about 23 years and about $19,200 in interest) and the statement that the clock always starts at first delinquency and never resets when a debt is sold. Florida fully exempts a head of family’s disposable earnings only up to $750 a week; above that they are exempt unless waived in writing (Fla. Stat. § 222.11). The figures in the text of this page are the sourced ones.
General information, not professional financial, tax, legal, or insurance advice. The Dreamy Leads Research is an editorial and data team, not a licensed advisor.
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Chapters
- 0:00 3 years to sue in North Carolina, 6 in Georgia and Arizona.
- 0:14 I. The national picture
- 0:35 II. The clock, by state
- 0:52 III. The balances behind it
- 1:13 IV. When the clock starts
- 1:33 V. The minimum-payment math
- 1:48 VI. What a judgment can take
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Full transcript
I. The national picture
Start with the national picture. U.S. credit card balances stood at one point two six trillion dollars in the second quarter of twenty twenty-six, and total household debt at eighteen point eight trillion. Twelve point nine percent of card balances were ninety or more days delinquent.
II. The clock, by state
Now the clock. The statute of limitations on credit card debt runs three years in North Carolina, four in Texas and California, five in Florida, and six in Georgia and Arizona. Six states are in the free study.
III. The balances behind it
The balances behind it vary too. Florida has the highest average card balance of the six, ten thousand nine hundred twenty dollars, with twelve point four percent ninety days late. Georgia's delinquency is highest, at thirteen point one percent. North Carolina has the lowest balance, seven thousand eight hundred forty.
IV. When the clock starts
Two details decide where that clock stands. In all six study states, it begins on the date of first delinquency, and it does not reset when the debt is sold to a collection agency. Across the six, the window to sue runs three to six years.
V. The minimum-payment math
Meanwhile, the balance itself compounds. A ten thousand dollar card balance at twenty-five percent, paying only the minimum, takes twenty-seven years to clear and costs seventeen thousand eight hundred dollars in interest.
VI. What a judgment can take
State law also limits what a judgment can take. Texas has no wage garnishment for consumer debts, and Florida exempts one hundred percent of wages for heads of household. The full study is free at Dreamy Leads Research. What state are you in, and how many years old is the oldest debt a collector has contacted you about? Tell us in the comments.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a debt collector sue you?
It depends on your state's statute of limitations: for written debt, 3 years in North Carolina to 6 in Georgia and Arizona. After it expires the debt is time-barred, and a collector cannot win a lawsuit if you respond and raise the expired deadline.
Can making a payment restart the debt clock?
It can, but the rules differ by state and by who holds the debt. In some states a signed written acknowledgment can restart the clock (for example A.R.S. § 12-508, Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 360), and the rules on payments differ: in Texas a payment does not revive a debt buyer's time-barred claim (Tex. Fin. Code § 392.307). Confirm a debt's age before you pay or promise to pay.
Does the statute of limitations remove debt from my credit report?
No. Most negative marks stay on your credit report for about seven years regardless of whether anyone can still sue. The legal clock and the credit-reporting clock are separate timelines.
Sources
- Dreamy Leads Research Financial Data Explorer
- Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Household Debt and Credit Report (Q2 2026) and state data (Q4 2025)
- CFPB, Consumer Credit Card Market Report (2025)
- State statutes of limitations: A.R.S. § 12-548; Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 337; Fla. Stat. § 95.11; N.C.G.S. § 1-52; Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004
- Fla. Stat. § 222.11; Tex. Const. art. XVI, § 28
