In Texas, you generally have four years to file suit on most commercial debts — written contracts, open accounts, and promissory notes. After that window closes, the debt still exists, but your ability to enforce it in court is largely gone.
The four-year rule
Texas law sets a four-year limitations period for breach of contract and open-account claims, which covers the vast majority of commercial debt. The clock generally starts when the debt becomes due and payable — typically the invoice due date or the date of default — not when you got around to chasing it.
Why waiting costs you
The statute of limitations is the outer boundary, not the goal. Recovery odds fall long before four years: assets move, businesses dissolve, principals scatter, and records go stale. The strongest time to pursue a debt is the moment it's clearly past due.
Partial payments and acknowledgments
A debtor's partial payment or written acknowledgment can affect the limitations calculation, but the rules are technical and Texas limits reviving time-barred debt. Don't rely on a stray payment to reset the clock — treat the original due date as your deadline and act well before it.
This article is general information for Texas commercial creditors, not legal advice. Statutes and deadlines change and depend on the facts — confirm specifics with qualified counsel.