Missouri Statute of Limitations on Debt
Missouri splits its statute of limitations significantly between debt types. Open-ended accounts like credit cards have a five-year SOL, while formal written contracts carry a ten-year window — one of the longest for that category in the country.
| Debt Type | Statute of Limitations | |---|---| | Credit card debt (open account) | 5 years | | Medical debt | 5 years | | Auto loans (written contract) | 10 years | | Personal loans (written contract) | 10 years | | Oral contracts | 5 years | | Promissory notes | 10 years |
This distinction is important: a credit card balance expires in five years, but a signed personal loan or promissory note can remain legally actionable for a full decade. Always identify the debt type before concluding it's time-barred.
The SOL clock runs from the date of default or last payment.
Missouri-Specific Consumer Protections
Missouri Merchandising Practices Act (MMPA, Mo. Rev. Stat. § 407.010 et seq.) The MMPA is Missouri's primary consumer protection statute. It prohibits deceptive, unfair, and illegal practices in connection with the sale of merchandise or services. Courts have applied it to debt collection contexts. Consumers can sue under the MMPA and recover actual damages plus attorney's fees. Willful violations can result in punitive damages.
Missouri Collection Agency Regulations Missouri requires debt collection agencies to be licensed under the state's financial services laws. The Missouri Division of Finance oversees licensing. An unlicensed collector has no legal standing to sue in Missouri.
Missouri Wage Garnishment Missouri follows federal garnishment limits: 25% of disposable earnings or amounts exceeding 30 times the federal minimum wage. Missouri courts can reduce garnishment amounts on hardship claims.
How to File a Complaint in Missouri
Missouri Attorney General's Office — Consumer Protection
- Website: ago.mo.gov/consumers
- Phone: 1-800-392-8222
- Online complaint form available
Missouri Division of Finance
- Website: finance.mo.gov
- Phone: (573) 751-3242
- For complaints about licensed collection agencies
Federal Rights That Apply Regardless of State
- Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA): Dispute inaccurate items on your credit report within 30 days of bureau acknowledgment.
- Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA): Third-party collector conduct standards.
- Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA): Billing error protections on revolving credit.
File at consumerfinance.gov/complaint.
Your First Action Step
Missouri's ten-year SOL on written contracts means auto loans and personal loans from as far back as 2016 may still be legally actionable. Identify every collection account's debt type before assuming it's expired. Pull your credit reports at annualcreditreport.com, then dispute any inaccurate information — particularly incorrect delinquency dates or balance amounts — in writing to each bureau by certified mail.