Pennsylvania debt: four years to sue, and your paycheck is off-limits
Pennsylvania gives creditors four years to sue on most consumer debts, written or not. If they do sue and win, a credit card company or hospital still cannot take money from your paycheck: Pennsylvania protects wages from ordinary creditors. Its own collection law also reaches the original lender.
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.
Pennsylvania at a glance
- Most consumer debt
- 4 years (42 Pa.C.S. 5525)
- Credit cards
- Four years
- Restarting the clock
- Partial payment or written acknowledgment
- Wage garnishment
- Not for credit cards or medical bills
- Exceptions
- Support, divorce, board, some rent, state student loans
- Suing elsewhere to avoid this
- Unlawful (8128)
- State collection law
- FCEUA, covers creditors
General information about Pennsylvania law, with sources below. Not legal advice.
Four years to sue in Pennsylvania
Four years for actions on contracts, written or oral, including credit card and other consumer debt (42 Pa.C.S. 5525). Pennsylvania has no separate open-account period.
A partial payment or a written acknowledgment of the debt can restart the four years. Before paying anything on an older account, check when you last paid. Federal law bars suits and threats of suits on time-barred debt.
Your paycheck is protected
Wages, salaries and commissions are exempt from attachment while in the employer's hands, except in proceedings for divorce, support, board for four weeks or less, some residential-lease judgments, and state student loan collection (42 Pa.C.S. 8127).
Credit card and medical debts are not among the exceptions, so a creditor who wins a Pennsylvania judgment on them cannot garnish your paycheck. A collector who threatens to garnish wages over a Pennsylvania credit card judgment is describing something the law does not allow.
It is unlawful for a creditor to sue a Pennsylvania resident in, or transfer a claim to, a forum with weaker exemptions in order to get around Pennsylvania's protection of wages (42 Pa.C.S. 8128). A Pennsylvania consumer attorney notes one caveat: a valid judgment from another state that is transferred to Pennsylvania may be enforced against wages. Bank accounts are a separate question, and a judgment still matters.
Already facing a garnishment in Pennsylvania? Our wage garnishment guide covers exemption claims, hardship and how long a garnishment lasts.
Whether a payment would restart the 4-year limit is covered, state by state, in our page on time-barred debt.
Limits vary a lot between states: by comparison, Vermont sets 6 years and Connecticut sets 6 years for similar debts.
Our guide on how to dispute a debt with a collector applies in Pennsylvania, with a free sample letter.
If your letter comes from a national company such as Radius Global Solutions or Tate & Kirlin Associates, our collector guides explain who they are and how to dispute.
Sued in Pennsylvania? Do not miss the deadline: read how to get a debt lawsuit dismissed before you respond.
Pennsylvania's collection law covers the original lender
The Fair Credit Extension Uniformity Act makes it an unfair or deceptive practice for a creditor collecting its own debts in Pennsylvania to use listed harassing, false or unfair practices. The same act treats any federal FDCPA violation by a debt collector as a violation of Pennsylvania law.
The federal dispute right is the same as everywhere: a written dispute inside the validation period makes the collector stop until it mails verification.
Two collectors on this site have Pennsylvania offices: Transworld Systems in Fort Washington, and Radius Global Solutions in Ambler.
Questions people ask about debt in Pennsylvania
What is the statute of limitations on credit card debt in Pennsylvania?
Four years under 42 Pa.C.S. 5525, the same as most other contract debts.
Can my wages be garnished for credit card debt in Pennsylvania?
No. Under 42 Pa.C.S. 8127, wages are exempt from attachment except for support, divorce, board, some residential-lease judgments and state student loans.
Can a creditor sue me in another state to garnish my wages?
Section 8128 makes it unlawful to sue or transfer a claim elsewhere to avoid Pennsylvania's wage protection, though a valid out-of-state judgment may still be enforced in some cases.
Does Pennsylvania's collection law cover my bank?
Yes. The Fair Credit Extension Uniformity Act sets rules for creditors collecting their own debts.
Does a payment restart the clock in Pennsylvania?
A partial payment or written acknowledgment can restart the four years.