Oral Contract Statute of Limitations: State-by-State Comparison

How does your state’s oral contract deadline compare to the rest of the country? Breach of a verbal or handshake agreement. Here’s the full picture.

Range: Oral Contract deadlines span from 2 years (Alaska, California, Delaware, and 7 others) to 13 years (Rhode Island). The most common deadline is 4 years, used by 22 states.

States Grouped by Filing Window

2-Year States — Shortest Deadline

Alaska — 2 years

Alaska Stat. § 09.10.053. No major statutory exception documented.

Alaska Details →

California — 2 years

Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 339. No major statutory exception documented.

California Details →

Delaware — 2 years

Del. Code Ann. tit. 10, § 8107. No major statutory exception documented.

Delaware Details →

District of Columbia — 2 years

D.C. Code § 12-301(8). No major statutory exception documented.

District of Columbia Details →

Maryland — 2 years

Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-101. No major statutory exception documented.

Maryland Details →

Mississippi — 2 years

Miss. Code Ann. § 15-1-29. No major statutory exception documented.

Mississippi Details →

New Hampshire — 2 years

N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 508:4. No major statutory exception documented.

New Hampshire Details →

North Carolina — 2 years

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-52(1). No major statutory exception documented.

North Carolina Details →

Pennsylvania — 2 years

42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5525(8). No major statutory exception documented.

Pennsylvania Details →

South Carolina — 2 years

S.C. Code Ann. § 15-3-530(1). No major statutory exception documented.

South Carolina Details →

4-Year States — The Most Common Deadline

StateDeadlineOfficial StatuteKey Exception
Alabama4 yearsAla. Code § 6-2-37
Arizona4 yearsAriz. Rev. Stat. § 12-543
Colorado4 yearsColo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-101
Connecticut4 yearsConn. Gen. Stat. § 52-581
Florida4 yearsFla. Stat. § 95.11(3)(k)
Georgia4 yearsO.C.G.A. § 9-3-25
Hawaii4 yearsHaw. Rev. Stat. § 657-1
Maine4 yearsMe. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 752
Michigan4 yearsMich. Comp. Laws § 600.5807(7)
Minnesota4 yearsMinn. Stat. § 541.05(1)
Nevada4 yearsNev. Rev. Stat. § 11.190(2)(c)
New Jersey4 yearsN.J. Stat. Ann. § 2A:14-1
New Mexico4 yearsN.M. Stat. Ann. § 37-1-4
North Dakota4 yearsN.D. Cent. Code § 28-01-16(2)
Oregon4 yearsOr. Rev. Stat. § 12.080(3)
South Dakota4 yearsS.D. Codified Laws § 15-2-13(2)
Tennessee4 yearsTenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-105
Texas4 yearsTex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004
Utah4 yearsUtah Code Ann. § 78B-2-307
Vermont4 yearsVt. Stat. Ann. tit. 12, § 511
Washington4 yearsWash. Rev. Code § 4.16.080(3)
Wisconsin4 yearsWis. Stat. § 893.43

Other Deadlines

StateDeadlineOfficial StatuteKey Exception
Arkansas3 yearsArk. Code Ann. § 16-56-105
Idaho3 yearsIdaho Code § 5-217
Kansas3 yearsKan. Stat. Ann. § 60-512(1)
Nebraska3 yearsNeb. Rev. Stat. § 25-206
Oklahoma3 yearsOkla. Stat. tit. 12, § 95(A)(2)
Virginia3 yearsVa. Code Ann. § 8.01-246(4)
Illinois5 years735 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/13-205
Kentucky5 yearsKy. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 413.120(1)
Indiana6 yearsInd. Code § 34-11-2-7
Massachusetts6 yearsMass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2
Montana6 yearsMont. Code Ann. § 27-2-202(2)
New York6 yearsN.Y. C.P.L.R. § 213(2)
Ohio6 yearsOhio Rev. Code § 2305.07
Wyoming6 yearsWyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-3-105(a)(ii)
Iowa8 yearsIowa Code § 614.1(4)
Louisiana8 yearsLa. Civ. Code Ann. art. 3499
Missouri8 yearsMo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120(1)
West Virginia8 yearsW. Va. Code § 55-2-6

13-Year States — Longest Deadline

Rhode Island — 13 years

R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-13(b). No major statutory exception documented.

Rhode Island Details →

Key Observations

Most Plaintiff-Friendly States

Most Defendant-Friendly States

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⚠️ Legal Disclaimer: This comparison is for general informational purposes. Statutes change frequently and exceptions apply. Always verify the current rule with a licensed attorney in your state.