Statute of limitations

Once the deadline passes, the debt becomes time-barred, and Regulation F bars a collector from suing or threatening to sue on it, though in most states it can still ask you to pay. In some states a payment can restart the clock. The CFPB says that if you're sued anyway, a court can still enter judgment if you don't respond and raise the expired deadline as a defense.

Keep the two clocks apart. The credit reporting limit is federal: seven years from 180 days after the original delinquency, and a payment never restarts it. The lawsuit deadline is state law and can work differently. Before paying an old debt, find your state's rule and check whether a partial payment would revive the collector's right to sue.