Michigan Credit Card Debt: Statute of Limitations & Laws (2026)
Michigan statute of limitations on credit card debt is 6 years (MCL 600.5807). Wage garnishment caps at 25% disposable earnings; homestead protects 47,925.
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Michigan credit card debt laws, what collectors can and cannot do
Reviewed by CC Payoff Calc Editorial Team. Last verified May 13, 2026. Citation: MCL § 600.5807.
The Michigan statute of limitations on credit card debt is 6 years from the date of last payment or written acknowledgment, under Michigan Compiled Laws § 600.5807(9). Wage garnishment is capped at 25 percent of disposable earnings under MCL § 600.4015 using periodic writs valid for 182 days. The Michigan homestead exemption protects 47,925 dollars of home equity (71,888 dollars if the owner is 65 or older or disabled). Michigan is the strictest debt-buyer evidentiary state in the Midwest after Michigan Court Rule 2.112(D) was revised in 2020 to require attached documentation at filing.
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Michigan’s 6-year limitations period and the 2020 court rule change
Credit card debt is a written contract or open account claim in Michigan. MCL § 600.5807(9) sets a 6-year limitations period running from the cardholder’s last payment or last written acknowledgment. After that window closes, the debt is time-barred and a Michigan district or circuit court must dismiss the case if the consumer raises the limitations defense in a written answer.
Michigan added an extra protective layer in 2020. Michigan Court Rule 2.112(D) was amended to require every debt-collection complaint to attach: the original cardholder agreement or affidavit-based proof of the account, the chain of assignment from the original creditor through every intermediate owner, the bill of sale, and a sworn balance statement at charge-off. The amendment was a direct response to the debt-buyer industry filing thousands of cases without underlying documentation. Cases that lack these attachments are subject to dismissal under MCR 2.116(C)(8) for failure to state a claim.
The Michigan Legal Help collection-defense guide walks consumers through filing an answer with the SOL defense and the MCR 2.112(D) failure-to-attach defense.
Periodic versus non-periodic garnishment writs
Michigan is one of only a few states that distinguishes between periodic and non-periodic writs. Wage garnishment is a periodic writ valid for 182 days under MCL § 600.4015. The creditor must re-file the writ every 182 days, pay a re-filing fee, and serve the employer again. Non-periodic writs reach bank accounts and tax refunds with a single deduction and a 91-day duration for state income tax refunds.
For wages, the employer withholds the lesser of:
- 25 percent of disposable earnings for the pay period, or
- The amount by which weekly disposable earnings exceed 30 times the federal minimum wage (217.50 dollars in 2026).
A Michigan employer that fails to comply with a writ can be held liable for the entire underlying judgment under MCL § 600.4015(2).
Calculator
Settlement math for a Michigan cardholder with a 7,800 dollar judgment
A Wayne County resident with a 7,800 dollar credit card judgment from a debt buyer faces this math. Disposable weekly earnings of 690 dollars produce a periodic garnishment of 172.50 dollars per week, or 8,970 dollars per year. Post-judgment interest accrues at 6 percent annually under MCL § 600.6013, adding 468 dollars to the balance in year one.
A lump-sum settlement at 30 percent of the principal is 2,340 dollars. With a stipulated dismissal with prejudice filed in district court, the garnishment writ is dissolved within 7 to 14 days. The pillar payoff calculator compares the multi-year garnishment total against settlement cash today.
Michigan in regional context
| State | SOL written contract | Wage garnishment writ duration | Homestead exemption |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 6 years | 182 days | 47,925 dollars |
| Ohio | 6 years | continuing | 161,375 dollars |
| Indiana | 6 years | continuing | 22,750 dollars |
| Wisconsin | 6 years | 13 weeks | 75,000 dollars |
| Illinois | 5 years | continuing | 15,000 dollars |
The 182-day periodic writ in Michigan is more debtor-favorable than continuing writs in neighboring states because it forces the creditor to re-pay filing fees and re-serve the employer twice per year.
Strategies
Five Michigan-specific paths
1. File an answer asserting SOL and MCR 2.112(D) defenses together. Even if the limitations period has not expired, the failure-to-attach defense alone defeats many debt-buyer cases. The combined answer is filed within 21 days of personal service in district court or 28 days for substituted service.
2. Demand discovery on the chain of assignment. Michigan permits discovery in district court debt cases under MCR 4.201 with relaxed limits. A request for production of every assignment, bill of sale, and the original cardholder agreement frequently produces a dismissal when the buyer cannot locate the chain.
3. Negotiate before the garnishment writ is filed. Once the writ is served, the employer becomes a party to the action and notifying them of dismissal adds 7 to 14 days. Settling before the writ avoids workplace disclosure of the judgment.
4. Stack Michigan exemptions for the federal-versus-state election. Michigan filers choose either MCL § 600.5451 state exemptions or 11 U.S.C. § 522(d) federal bankruptcy exemptions. The state homestead of 47,925 dollars (or 71,888 dollars for elderly or disabled) beats the federal 31,575 dollars per individual for most homeowners. For renters, the federal wildcard of 1,675 dollars plus 15,800 dollars unused homestead may exceed Michigan’s wildcard.
5. File Chapter 7 or Chapter 13. Michigan median household income for Chapter 7 means test purposes is 76,498 dollars for 2026 per the U.S. Trustee Program. Filers under the median qualify automatically. The automatic stay halts every garnishment writ at the moment of filing under 11 U.S.C. § 362.
Decision tree
- Sued by debt buyer and complaint lacks attached cardholder agreement: answer with MCR 2.112(D) defense, expect dismissal.
- Last payment more than 6 years ago: answer with MCL § 600.5807(9) SOL defense.
- Garnishment writ already filed and balance under 10,000 dollars: negotiate lump-sum settlement at 25 to 40 percent.
- Multiple judgments totaling over 25,000 dollars: model Chapter 7 with the state homestead election.
Resources
Primary Michigan and federal sources
- MCL § 600.5807, statute of limitations
- MCL § 600.4015, periodic garnishment writs
- MCL § 600.5451, Michigan bankruptcy exemptions
- Michigan Court Rule 2.112(D), pleading requirements for debt actions
- Michigan Legal Help, Answer a Debt Collection Lawsuit
- Michigan Attorney General Consumer Protection
- Michigan DIFS, Collection Agency Complaints
Sibling state pages
- Ohio credit card debt laws
- Indiana credit card debt laws
- Wisconsin credit card debt laws
- Illinois credit card debt laws
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the statute of limitations on credit card debt in Michigan?
Six years from the date of last payment or written acknowledgment, under Michigan Compiled Laws section 600.5807(9). The same 6-year period applies to written contracts and open accounts. After expiration, the debt is time-barred and a Michigan court must dismiss any collection lawsuit when the consumer raises the limitations defense in a timely answer filed within 21 days of service in district court or 28 days in circuit court.
How does Michigan periodic wage garnishment work for credit card debt?
After a judgment, the creditor files a periodic garnishment writ under MCL section 600.4015 that remains in effect for 182 days. The employer withholds the lesser of 25 percent of disposable earnings or the amount over 30 times the federal minimum wage. The creditor must renew the writ every 182 days. Michigan also recognizes a non-periodic writ for bank accounts and tax refunds.
What is the Michigan homestead exemption against credit card judgments?
Michigan offers two systems. The state exemption under MCL section 600.5451(1)(n) is 47,925 dollars (47,925 dollars for owners under 65, increased to 71,888 dollars if the owner is 65 or older or disabled) for 2026 after the State Court Administrative Office triennial inflation adjustment. Michigan filers can elect federal bankruptcy exemptions under 11 U.S.C. section 522(d) instead, which currently protect 31,575 dollars per individual.
Can a debt buyer sue me in Michigan without proof of the original account?
No. Michigan Court Rule 2.112(D), revised in 2020, requires any debt-collection plaintiff to attach the original signed contract or affidavit-based proof of the account, the assignment chain from the original creditor, and a sworn balance statement at filing. Cases lacking these attachments are subject to dismissal under MCR 2.116(C)(8). Many debt-buyer cases are dismissed at the motion-to-dismiss stage when the plaintiff cannot produce the original cardholder agreement.
Where do I file a Michigan consumer complaint against a credit card collector?
The Michigan Attorney General Consumer Protection Division accepts complaints online at michigan.gov/ag/consumer-protection. The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services regulates licensed collection agencies; complaints against licensees go through DIFS at michigan.gov/difs. For Fair Debt Collection Practices Act violations, also file with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
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Quick answers
What is the statute of limitations on credit card debt in Michigan?
Six years from the date of last payment or written acknowledgment, under Michigan Compiled Laws section 600.5807(9). The same 6-year period applies to written contracts and open accounts. After expiration, the debt is time-barred and a Michigan court must dismiss any collection lawsuit when the consumer raises the limitations defense in a timely answer filed within 21 days of service in district court or 28 days in circuit court.
How does Michigan periodic wage garnishment work for credit card debt?
After a judgment, the creditor files a periodic garnishment writ under MCL section 600.4015 that remains in effect for 182 days. The employer withholds the lesser of 25 percent of disposable earnings or the amount over 30 times the federal minimum wage. The creditor must renew the writ every 182 days. Michigan also recognizes a non-periodic writ for bank accounts and tax refunds.
What is the Michigan homestead exemption against credit card judgments?
Michigan offers two systems. The state exemption under MCL section 600.5451(1)(n) is 47,925 dollars (47,925 dollars for owners under 65, increased to 71,888 dollars if the owner is 65 or older or disabled) for 2026 after the State Court Administrative Office triennial inflation adjustment. Michigan filers can elect federal bankruptcy exemptions under 11 U.S.C. section 522(d) instead, which currently protect 31,575 dollars per individual.
Can a debt buyer sue me in Michigan without proof of the original account?
No. Michigan Court Rule 2.112(D), revised in 2020, requires any debt-collection plaintiff to attach the original signed contract or affidavit-based proof of the account, the assignment chain from the original creditor, and a sworn balance statement at filing. Cases lacking these attachments are subject to dismissal under MCR 2.116(C)(8). Many debt-buyer cases are dismissed at the motion-to-dismiss stage when the plaintiff cannot produce the original cardholder agreement.
Where do I file a Michigan consumer complaint against a credit card collector?
The Michigan Attorney General Consumer Protection Division accepts complaints online at michigan.gov/ag/consumer-protection. The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services regulates licensed collection agencies; complaints against licensees go through DIFS at michigan.gov/difs. For Fair Debt Collection Practices Act violations, also file with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.