Credit Card Debt Statute of Limitations in Utah

Last verified 2026-07 · Source: Utah Code § 78B-2-307(1) ✓ verified · 3 sources

The deadline to sue over unpaid credit card debt in Utah is 4 years, set by Utah Code § 78B-2-307(1). It starts running on Date of the last charge made or the last payment received, whichever is later (the statute itself fixes accrual in this way); in practice this is the point of default/last activity on the account.. This page covers the exceptions, the government-claim trap, and the steps to take before time runs out.

Utah Deadlines for Related Claims

When the Clock Starts

In Utah, the limitations period for credit card debt collection generally begins on Date of the last charge made or the last payment received, whichever is later (the statute itself fixes accrual in this way); in practice this is the point of default/last activity on the account.. Utah does not apply a general discovery rule to this claim type — the date of the event controls, which makes early action critical.

Exceptions That Can Extend the Deadline

• Fraudulent concealment: if the defendant actively hid the wrongdoing, the deadline may be extended until it was or should have been uncovered.
• Defendant leaves the state: absence can pause the clock in many circumstances.

CORRECT PERIOD IS 4 YEARS (drafter). Credit-card debt in Utah is treated as an 'open account' / a 'contract, obligation, or liability not founded upon an instrument in writing' under 78B-2-307(1)(a)-(b) — NOT the 6-year written-contract period of 78B-2-309. A typical unsigned cardholder agreement is not an 'instrument in writing' in the sense required for the 6-year period, so courts, collectors, and 50-state debt charts apply the 4-year open-account limit to credit-card suits. Accrual: the statute expressly runs the 4 years from 'the last charge is made or the last payment is received,' i.e., last activity/last payment (functionally the default date). REVIVAL TRAP: Utah has NO anti-revival statute (unlike NY CPLR 214-i). A new written acknowledgment or promise to pay restarts the clock under Utah Code 78B-2-113, and a voluntary partial payment is likewise treated as an acknowledgment that restarts the limitations period. discovery_rule = false (no discovery rule for ordinary debt). Category = open account / contract not founded on a written instrument.

Source: Utah Code § 78B-2-307(1), official Utah statute · verified 2026-07

What to Do Before the Deadline Runs

1. Pin down your accrual date — the day the clock started — and calendar the deadline conservatively.
2. Preserve evidence now: photos, records, witness contacts, bills. Evidence decays faster than deadlines.
3. Send preservation/notice letters where required (especially for Utah government defendants).
4. If the deadline is inside 6 months, treat it as urgent — filing suit is the only reliable way to stop the clock.

How Utah Compares to Nearby States

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

This page is legal information, not legal advice. Deadlines have exceptions that depend on your facts — confirm with a licensed Utah attorney.