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Rhode Island Debt Collection Laws: Time Limits, Garnishment and Your Rights

Rhode Island debt rules: statute of limitations, wage garnishment limits, protected bank and home exemptions, judgments, collector rules and how to answer a debt lawsuit.

Quick answers for Rhode Island

Time limit to sue on a written contract
10 years. Rhode Island's general civil limitations period covers contract claims, written or oral. Contracts under seal have 20 years. R.I. Gen. Laws 9-1-13(a); 9-1-17
Wage garnishment limit
Rhode Island's own wage exemption protects only $50 of wages for most debtors, so the federal limit (no more than 25% of disposable earnings, and nothing below 30 times the federal minimum wage per week) is what usually controls. R.I. Gen. Laws 9-26-4(8)-(9); 10-5-8(a) (eff. Jan. 1, 2026)
Money protected in a bank account
$500 in savings or other deposits in a bank or financial institution. R.I. Gen. Laws 9-26-4(18)
Answering a debt lawsuit
In a District Court civil case, file an answer with the court clerk within 20 days after you are served with the summons and complaint, admitting or denying the claims and stating your defenses. R.I. District Court, General Info on Civil Matters

Last verified: 2026-10-26

Time limits

Time limit to sue on a written contract10 years. Rhode Island's general civil limitations period covers contract claims, written or oral. Contracts under seal have 20 years.
Sealed contracts: http://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE9/9-1/9-1-17.htm
Source: R.I. Gen. Laws 9-1-13(a); 9-1-17
Time limit for credit cards and open accounts10 years, the same general civil period that applies to written contracts.
Source: R.I. Gen. Laws 9-1-13(a)
How long a judgment lastsAn action on a judgment must be brought within 20 years.
Source: R.I. Gen. Laws 9-1-17

If you are sued

Answering a debt lawsuitIn a District Court civil case, file an answer with the court clerk within 20 days after you are served with the summons and complaint, admitting or denying the claims and stating your defenses. If you do not answer, a default judgment may be entered.
Source: R.I. District Court, General Info on Civil Matters

Garnishment and what creditors can't take

Wage garnishment limitRhode Island's own wage exemption protects only $50 of wages for most debtors, so the federal limit (no more than 25% of disposable earnings, and nothing below 30 times the federal minimum wage per week) is what usually controls. All wages are exempt for a debtor who received public relief, for one year after the relief ends, and wages of a debtor's spouse and minor children are exempt. Since January 1, 2026, wages cannot be garnished at all on a judgment based on medical debt.
State exemptions: http://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE9/9-26/9-26-4.htm. Federal limit is 15 U.S.C. 1673.
Source: R.I. Gen. Laws 9-26-4(8)-(9); 10-5-8(a) (eff. Jan. 1, 2026)
Money protected in a bank account$500 in savings or other deposits in a bank or financial institution.
Source: R.I. Gen. Laws 9-26-4(18)
Homestead exemption$500,000 in a home (land and buildings, or personal property used as a residence) occupied or intended as the principal residence. It applies automatically without filing, but not to debts contracted before the homestead was acquired, the purchase-money mortgage, taxes and certain other liens, or debts owed to banks and other institutions regulated under Title 19. Since January 1, 2026, no attachment may be filed against a principal residence for a judgment based on medical debt.
Medical debt rule: http://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE10/10-5/10-5-2_10-5-2.htm
Source: R.I. Gen. Laws 9-26-4.1; 10-5-2(a) (eff. Jan. 1, 2026)
Vehicle exemptionMotor vehicles up to a total of $12,000 in value.
Source: R.I. Gen. Laws 9-26-4(13)

Debt collectors and interest

State debt collection lawYes. The Rhode Island Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 19-14.9) restricts communications, harassment, false or misleading statements and unfair practices. It covers third-party debt collectors and creditors that collect their own debts under a name suggesting a third party; a creditor's own employees collecting in the creditor's name are excluded.
Source: R.I. Gen. Laws 19-14.9-3
Debt collector licensingYes. Debt collectors must register annually with the Director of Business Regulation ($750 fee). Exceptions include mortgage servicers, banks and credit unions, and out-of-state collectors collecting out-of-state debts for out-of-state creditors only by phone, fax or mail.
Source: R.I. Gen. Laws 19-14.9-12
Medical debt protectionsMedical debt may not be reported to credit bureaus, and credit bureaus may not record or report it (since Jan. 1, 2025). Collection letters must say that Rhode Island law prohibits credit bureaus from reporting medical debt. Collection, lawsuits and credit reporting must pause while an insurance appeal is pending. Since January 1, 2026, a judgment based on medical debt cannot be collected by wage garnishment or by attaching the debtor's principal residence.
Section text: http://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE6/6-60/6-60-4.htm
Source: R.I. Gen. Laws 6-60-2 to 6-60-4; 10-5-2; 10-5-8
Interest rate limitsJudgments for money bear 12% interest per year until paid. In civil damages cases, 12% prejudgment interest is also added from the date the claim arose, unless a contract already provides for interest.
Prejudgment interest: http://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE9/9-21/9-21-10.htm
Source: R.I. Gen. Laws 9-21-8; 9-21-10(a)

Where to get help in Rhode Island

Debt & Collections FAQ

What is the statute of limitations on debt in Rhode Island?
10 years. Rhode Island's general civil limitations period covers contract claims, written or oral. Contracts under seal have 20 years.
How long can a creditor sue on a credit card debt in Rhode Island?
10 years, the same general civil period that applies to written contracts.
How long does a court judgment last in Rhode Island?
An action on a judgment must be brought within 20 years.
How much of my wages can be garnished in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island's own wage exemption protects only $50 of wages for most debtors, so the federal limit (no more than 25% of disposable earnings, and nothing below 30 times the federal minimum wage per week) is what usually controls. All wages are exempt for a debtor who received public relief, for one year after the relief ends, and wages of a debtor's spouse and minor children are exempt. Since January 1, 2026, wages cannot be garnished at all on a judgment based on medical debt.
How much money in a bank account is protected from creditors in Rhode Island?
$500 in savings or other deposits in a bank or financial institution.
What is the homestead exemption in Rhode Island?
$500,000 in a home (land and buildings, or personal property used as a residence) occupied or intended as the principal residence. It applies automatically without filing, but not to debts contracted before the homestead was acquired, the purchase-money mortgage, taxes and certain other liens, or debts owed to banks and other institutions regulated under Title 19. Since January 1, 2026, no attachment may be filed against a principal residence for a judgment based on medical debt.
Can a creditor take my car in Rhode Island?
Motor vehicles up to a total of $12,000 in value.
What debt collection practices are illegal in Rhode Island?
Yes. The Rhode Island Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 19-14.9) restricts communications, harassment, false or misleading statements and unfair practices. It covers third-party debt collectors and creditors that collect their own debts under a name suggesting a third party; a creditor's own employees collecting in the creditor's name are excluded.
Do debt collectors need a license in Rhode Island?
Yes. Debt collectors must register annually with the Director of Business Regulation ($750 fee). Exceptions include mortgage servicers, banks and credit unions, and out-of-state collectors collecting out-of-state debts for out-of-state creditors only by phone, fax or mail.
What protections apply to medical debt in Rhode Island?
Medical debt may not be reported to credit bureaus, and credit bureaus may not record or report it (since Jan. 1, 2025). Collection letters must say that Rhode Island law prohibits credit bureaus from reporting medical debt. Collection, lawsuits and credit reporting must pause while an insurance appeal is pending. Since January 1, 2026, a judgment based on medical debt cannot be collected by wage garnishment or by attaching the debtor's principal residence.
What is the maximum legal interest rate in Rhode Island?
Judgments for money bear 12% interest per year until paid. In civil damages cases, 12% prejudgment interest is also added from the date the claim arose, unless a contract already provides for interest.
How do I respond to a debt collection lawsuit in Rhode Island?
In a District Court civil case, file an answer with the court clerk within 20 days after you are served with the summons and complaint, admitting or denying the claims and stating your defenses. If you do not answer, a default judgment may be entered.

Debt & Collections in other states

More Rhode Island law

General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.