How long can someone take you to court over an old debt? Time limits by province
Quick summary
Each province sets a time limit for starting a court case over a debt. It is often 2 years in the places we checked, but it is 3 in Quebec and 6 for ordinary debts in Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Yukon is also 6 according to secondary sources. A payment or a signed acknowledgment can restart the clock. See Manitoba's rules in ourManitoba debt time limit guide.
Checked November 3, 2026. Main source: Province of British Columbia: Limitation Act Explained. See all 15 sources.
What a limitation period is
A limitation period is a deadline for starting a court case. When the deadline passes, the creditor can usually no longer win a case to force you to pay. It does not automatically erase the debt, and it does not remove the debt from your credit report.
Lawyers call a deadline that runs from when the creditor found out about the claim a discovery-based period. Many provinces also have a longer outside limit counted from the act that caused the claim. Which period applies depends on the province and the kind of debt, so this page is a guide, not legal advice.
Time limits by province and territory
| Province or territory | What the official text says | Outside limit |
|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | 2 years (basic period) | 15 years |
| Saskatchewan | 2 years from the day the claim is discovered | 15 years |
| New Brunswick | 2 years from the day the claim is discovered | 15 years |
| Nova Scotia | 2 years from the day the claim is discovered | 15 years |
| Manitoba | 2 years from when the creditor discovers the claim (see our Manitoba guide) | 15 years |
| Quebec | 3 years to enforce a personal right (Civil Code of Québec, article 2925) | Not applicable |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 6 years for claims not listed with a shorter period. A 2 year period applies to certain listed claims, such as injury | 30 years |
| Northwest Territories | 6 years for an action to recover money on a simple contract | Not stated in the section we read |
| Prince Edward Island | 6 years for any action not given another period (Statute of Limitations, s. 2(1)(g)). The text we read is an unofficial consolidation current to November 17, 2021 | Not stated in the section we read |
| Nunavut | 6 years for an action to recover money on a simple contract (Limitation of Actions Act, s. 2(1)(f), consolidation current to November 8, 2022) | Not stated in the section we read |
| Ontario | 2 years. Source is a licensed insolvency trustee, not the Act itself, so read the Act or ask a lawyer | Not confirmed |
| Alberta | 2 years from when you knew, or should have known, about the claim, and 10 years at most (Limitations Act, section 3, as described in a law firm guide dated October 2016, so read the current Act or ask a lawyer) | Not confirmed |
| Yukon | 6 years for an action on a debt (Limitation of Actions Act, s. 2(1)(f)). Source is two websites that cite the Act, not the Act itself, because the government site would not open for us. Read the Act or ask a lawyer | Not confirmed |
Sources: Province of British Columbia, Limitation Act Explained; Government of Saskatchewan, The Limitations Act; Government of New Brunswick, Limitation of Actions Act; Government of Nova Scotia, Limitation of Actions Act Q&A; Légis Québec, Civil Code of Québec; Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Limitations Act; Government of the Northwest Territories, Limitation of Actions Act. Checked November 2, 2026. Laws change, and special rules exist for some debts, such as court judgments (10 years in British Columbia).
What can restart the clock
In the provinces we read, a payment or a written acknowledgment of the debt can restart the time limit.
- British Columbia: an acknowledgment of liability, which can be a payment on a debt or written confirmation, resets the periods.
- Saskatchewan: a signed written acknowledgment, or a part payment, restarts the period.
- New Brunswick: a written acknowledgment, or a part payment, restarts the period.
- Nova Scotia: when a defendant acknowledges liability, the periods restart.
- Newfoundland and Labrador: a signed written confirmation can restart the count. It must be given before the period ends.
- Northwest Territories: a signed written acknowledgment, or a part payment, lets an action be brought within 6 years of that date.
- Nunavut: the same rule as the Northwest Territories. A written promise, a signed acknowledgment or a part payment allows an action within 6 years of that date (s. 6).
- Prince Edward Island: a written promise to pay, a signed acknowledgment or a part payment allows an action within 6 years of that date (s. 6).
- Yukon: the same sources say a written acknowledgment or a payment restarts the 6 years (s. 6). They are not the Act, so check the Act.
- Ontario: the source we read says a payment or a written acknowledgment of the debt can start the clock again. It is not the Act, so check the Act.
- Alberta: a written, signed acknowledgment of the debt or a part payment before the time runs out starts the period again (Limitations Act, sections 8 and 9, as described in the 2016 law firm guide, so check the current Act).
Why it matters: before you make a payment on a very old debt, find out whether the time limit has already passed. A small payment may give the creditor a fresh start. Ask a free credit counsellor or a lawyer first. Sources: the provincial statutes listed above. Checked November 2, 2026.
A court deadline is not the same as your credit report
How long a debt appears on your credit report follows different rules. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada says late or unpaid credit cards and loans stay on a report for up to 6 years, and judgments are usually 6 years, with 7 years in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario and Quebec and 10 years in Prince Edward Island. The agency also says TransUnion keeps judgment information longer in some provinces.
The agency lists accounts sent to collection agencies as negative information but does not give them a separate time. We have not found a separate statement from TransUnion on collections, so we do not state one.
Source: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, How long information stays on your credit report (last modified July 1, 2026). Checked November 2, 2026.
If a collector contacts you about an old debt
- Ask for the details in writing: who the creditor is, the amount, and the date of your last payment.
- Do not make a payment or sign anything until you know whether the time limit has passed.
- Keep every letter and note every call.
- Talk to a non-profit credit counsellor or a lawyer in your province.
This is general guidance. The steps are not from one official page.
Where to go next
Questions people ask
Does a debt disappear when the time limit passes?
No. The creditor can usually no longer win a court case to make you pay, but the debt is not erased, and it can still appear on your credit report for its own period.
Does a small payment restart the clock?
In the provinces we read, a part payment or a written acknowledgment can restart it. Check before you pay an old debt.
What is the time limit in Quebec?
Three years to enforce a personal right under article 2925 of the Civil Code of Québec, unless another period is set.
Why does the time limit differ from my credit report?
They are separate rules. The limitation period is a court deadline. The credit report period is how long a bureau keeps the information.
What is the time limit for an old debt in Ontario or Alberta?
Two years in both, according to an insolvency trustee (Ontario) and a university legal clinic and a 2016 law firm guide (Alberta). We could not open the Acts, so confirm with the current Act or a lawyer.
What is the time limit in Prince Edward Island or Nunavut?
Six years for an action on a debt or simple contract. Prince Edward Island's text is an unofficial consolidation current to November 17, 2021. Nunavut's is the official consolidation current to November 8, 2022.
What is the time limit for an old debt in Yukon?
Six years for an action on a debt, according to two websites that cite section 2(1)(f) of the Limitation of Actions Act. We could not open the Act on the Yukon government site, so confirm it with the Act or a lawyer.