Montana debt: up to eight years, so check what you signed
Montana has one of the longer time limits for written contracts, eight years, and five for accounts with nothing in writing. With that much time on the clock, a payment that restarts it matters even more.
Free check first. If a dispute letter makes sense, it costs $29 ($19 for military, veterans, seniors and people with disabilities) with three follow-ups.
Who is asking you to pay?
Look at the company name at the top of the letter or in the caller ID.
Montana at a glance
- Written contracts
- 8 years (27-2-202(1))
- Unwritten contracts, accounts
- 5 years (27-2-202(2))
- Other obligations
- 3 years (27-2-202(3))
- Credit cards
- Unsettled: 5 or 8
- Restarting the clock
- Part payment or written acknowledgment
- Judgments
- 10 years
General information about Montana law, with sources below. Not legal advice.
Eight years, five or three in Montana
Eight years on a contract founded on an instrument in writing (MCA 27-2-202(1)), five years on a contract, account or promise not founded on a writing (27-2-202(2)), and three years on other obligations (27-2-202(3)). Credit cards sit in an unsettled zone between the eight-year written period and the five-year account period.
A partial payment or written acknowledgment restarts the time limit from that date (MCA 27-2-409).
Medical debt in Montana
In 2025 the legislature rejected HB 273, a bill that would have delayed and limited medical debt collection, including wage garnishment; it failed in the House on February 11, 2025, so medical debts are collected under the same rules as other debts. If you see a guide saying Montana bans wage garnishment for medical bills, it is describing that failed bill, not the law.
For hospital bills, ask about the hospital's financial assistance policy before paying: tax-exempt hospitals must have one under federal rules.
Whether a payment would restart the 5-year limit is covered, state by state, in our page on time-barred debt.
Limits vary a lot between states: by comparison, North Carolina sets 3 years and Vermont sets 6 years for similar debts.
Not sure a Montana collector is genuine? Check our guide to fake debt collectors, then ask for validation in writing.
Montana residents often hear from national agencies like Unifin and United Collection Bureau; see our guides to each.
If you have been served in Montana, our guide to responding to a debt lawsuit explains how to answer and which defenses to raise.
Garnishment and judgments
Montana follows the federal garnishment limit (MCA 25-13-614). When a creditor levies on wages or a bank account, the process server must give you a notice of seizure that lists the exemptions you can claim: read it, because exemptions are not applied for you. Judgments can be enforced for ten years (MCA 27-2-201).
A written dispute inside the validation period makes a collector stop until it mails verification.
For the federal floor beneath Montana's rule, and what to do if your pay is already being garnished, see how much of your wages can be garnished.
Questions people ask about debt in Montana
What is the statute of limitations on credit card debt in Montana?
Unsettled: eight years if treated as a written contract (MCA 27-2-202(1)), five if treated as an account not in writing (27-2-202(2)).
Does a payment restart a Montana debt?
Yes. A partial payment or written acknowledgment restarts the time limit from that date.
Can medical debt lead to wage garnishment in Montana?
Yes, on the same terms as other debts. A 2025 bill (HB 273) that would have limited this failed in the House.
How long does a judgment last in Montana?
Ten years under MCA 27-2-201.