Sued for Debt in Missouri? Here’s What to Do.

Statute of limitations

5 years in Missouri

Missouri’s statute of limitations on debt is 5 years, codified at Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120. The clock typically runs from: date of last payment or last charge, whichever is later.

If the time-bar has run, the debt may not be legally collectible in court — but you generally have to raise the defense yourself. It is not raised automatically.

Your rights

What Missouri law gives you

• Missouri Merchandising Practices Act (Mo. Rev. Stat. §§ 407.010-407.130) gives you state-level protections beyond federal debt-collection law.
• Missouri Rule 55.22 (effective July 1, 2021) requires debt buyers to attach assignment documents establishing the complete chain of title to complaints filed on or after that date.
• Missouri's arbitration act excludes contracts of adhesion, but the Federal Arbitration Act preempts that exclusion for credit card agreements involving interstate commerce.
• Cases in Missouri are heard in Missouri Circuit Court.

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