State file — Texas

Texas debt collection: the deadlines and limits that decide your case

Every number below names the law it comes from (its statute citation), checked October 18, 2026. Where a number comes from a secondary source instead of the official text, this page says so — double-check it before you rely on it.

How long they have to sue you — credit-card debt4 years · Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004 From a secondary source — double-check before you rely on it
Section 16.004(a)(3) sets a single 4-year period for suit on 'debt' and § 16.004(c) the same 4 years for open/stated accounts - no written/open split. Text capitol.texas.gov page was not opened, so status is secondary under the batch discipline.
If the clock has run outSigning a written statement that the debt is yours — or a signed promise to pay — can restart it. Paying alone cannot.
Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.065
TRIPLE-TRAP POINT: a payment alone does NOT restart a Texas limitations clock. Section 16.065 makes an acknowledgment of a time-barred claim inadmissible to defeat limitations unless it is in writing and signed by the party to be charged, unequivocally acknowledges the justness of the obligation and expresses willingness to pay (Stine v. Stewart). Separate overlay: for debt BUYERS, Tex. Fin. Code § 392.307(d) provides a barred action is not revived by payment or oral/written reaffirmation at all.
Deadline to answer a lawsuitby 10:00 a.m. on the Monday next after the expiration of 20 days from service of citation (justice-court cases carry a shorter court-set deadline) · Tex. R. Civ. P. 99(b) From a secondary source — double-check before you rely on it
Taking your paycheck (wage garnishment)Effectively banned for credit-card judgments. BANNED for consumer debt: 'No current wages for personal service shall ever be subject to garnishment,' except for court-ordered child support and spousal maintenance. Federal levies (IRS, federal student loans) operate under federal law despite the state ban.
Tex. Const. art. XVI, § 28; Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 63.004
Taking your bank account (a levy)The wage ban does NOT protect money after it lands in a bank account: a judgment creditor can garnish the account itself, and the debtor must trace and claim exempt funds (e.g. benefit deposits). Texas's aggregate personal-property exemption ($50,000 single / $100,000 family) can be claimed toward cash on hand/account funds.
Tex. Prop. Code §§ 42.001, 42.0021 From a secondary source — double-check before you rely on it
Federal benefits deposited directly get an automatic two-month shield everywhere (31 CFR Part 212).
Original creditor calling?Yes — the Texas Debt Collection Act (Tex. Fin. Code ch. 392) applies FDCPA-style rules to original creditors. CONFIRMED broad scope: ch. 392 defines 'debt collector' as a person who directly or indirectly engages in debt collection (§ 392.001) and Texas courts/AG guidance apply the Act to original creditors collecting their own consumer debts - unlike the federal FDCPA, which generally exempts first-party collectors. Third-party collectors must also post the § 392.101 $10,000 surety bond.
How long a judgment lasts10 years — dormant after 10 years if no execution is issued; a dormant judgment may be revived by scire facias or an action of debt filed within 2 years after it becomes dormant · Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §§ 34.001, 31.006 From a secondary source — double-check before you rely on it

Run my dates through the free checker

Card agreements often pick another state's law (Delaware for Chase, Bank of America, Discover, Barclays; South Dakota for Citi and Wells Fargo). A court may use the shorter of the two deadlines, under a rule called a borrowing statute — the free checker works out both clocks for you.

Included in the $39 DebtDecoded Kit

  • The letter builder — answer a few questions and it writes your letters: the one that makes them prove the debt is yours, and the one that orders them to stop calling. Wording follows the federal rulebook (Regulation F). Ready to print and mail
  • The old-debt trap worksheet — checks your dates against your state's restart rule before you pay or sign anything, so one small payment can't quietly restart the clock on an old debt (the trap lawyers call 'revival')
  • The call log — counts their calls against the legal line: more than 7 calls in 7 days about one debt counts as harassment (12 CFR 1006.14(b)(2))
  • The 'what they can't take' pack — what a court judgment can and cannot take in your state, including the rule that shields two months of federal benefits sitting in your bank account (31 CFR Part 212)
  • The offer-math worksheet — what a 'deal' really costs once fees and the tax on the written-off part are counted (that tax shows up on Form 1099-C)
  • The complaint walkthrough and the honest directory — who to call instead when a free or better route fits you

One payment. Every stage of the road, and the deadline tables for all 50 states — every number with its law cited. No account, no subscription — and the free checker above stays free whether you buy or not.

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Quick answers

What is the statute of limitations on credit card debt in Texas?

4 years under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004. The clock usually starts at the first missed payment that was never made up. Debt collectors may still call after it runs out, but Regulation F (12 CFR 1006.26(b)) bars them from suing — or threatening to sue — over a debt that is too old (time-barred).

Can paying a little restart the clock in Texas?

Signing a written statement that the debt is yours — or a signed promise to pay — can restart it. Paying alone cannot. (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.065).

How long do I have to answer a debt-collection lawsuit in Texas?

by 10:00 a.m. on the Monday next after the expiration of 20 days from service of citation (justice-court cases carry a shorter court-set deadline) (Tex. R. Civ. P. 99(b)). Most of these cases are lost by default — by never answering at all.

Can a debt collector garnish my wages in Texas?

BANNED for consumer debt: 'No current wages for personal service shall ever be subject to garnishment,' except for court-ordered child support and spousal maintenance. Federal levies (IRS, federal student loans) operate under federal law despite the state ban. (Tex. Const. art. XVI, § 28; Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 63.004).

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