Letter · time-barred debt

Time-barred-debt notice

States that you believe the debt is past your state's statute of limitations and asks the collector not to sue. Does not admit the debt or restart the clock. It draws on 15 U.S.C. § 1692e — False or misleading representations and the CFPB's 12 C.F.R. § 1006.26 — Collection of time-barred debts (Regulation F), which together bar a collector from suing or threatening to sue on a time-barred debt.

This letter carefully avoids admitting the debt or promising to pay, because in many states a payment or written acknowledgment can restart the limitations clock. Run your dates through the decoder first, and confirm with a consumer-law attorney before sending if you are unsure.

States that you believe the debt is past your state's statute of limitations and asks the collector not to sue. Does not admit the debt or restart the clock.

You (sender)Full nameStreet addressAddress line 2 (optional)City, State ZIP

The collector / creditorNameAddress

The debtAccount / reference numberLetter date

Time-barred detailsYour stateAuto-fills the limitations period and statute citation from our verified data.Date of last activity / service (optional)

Before sending this, be sure you have NOT made a payment or signed anything acknowledging the debt recently — in many states that restarts the clock and the debt may no longer be time-barred. When unsure, talk to a consumer-law attorney first.

Time-barred-debt notice — preview

[Your full name]
[Your street address]
[City, State ZIP]

[Date]

[Collector / creditor name]
[Collector address]

Re: Account/Reference No. [account / reference number]

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing regarding the account referenced above. This letter is not an acknowledgment that the debt is valid, owed by me, or accurate, and nothing in this letter should be treated as a promise to pay or a payment that revives any limitations period.

Based on the information available to me, I believe this debt is past the statute of limitations for collection in my state, which I understand to be approximately the applicable for this type of obligation.

A debt that is past the statute of limitations is "time-barred." Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1692e, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Regulation F, 12 C.F.R. § 1006.26, a debt collector may not sue or threaten to sue to collect a time-barred debt. I therefore request that you not file suit on this debt and that you not threaten to do so.

If you contend that the limitations period has not expired — for example, because of a payment, written acknowledgment, or other event you believe restarted it — please provide written documentation supporting that position.

Please direct all further communication regarding this matter to me in writing at the address above.

Sincerely,


[Your full name]

What this letter is grounded in

Tip: send by mail and keep a copy. For the debt-validation letter, certified mail with return receipt creates a dated record. None of your input here is sent to us.