Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in California

Exactly how many years? In California the legal time limit for filing a lawsuit on a credit card debt is four years from the first date your payment became overdue. If they sue you beyond the time limit, you might have a lawsuit against the card issuer (or more likely a junk debt buyer) under the fair debt collection practice laws.

Just to clarify Mr. Stone's correct answer: It is four years from the first date your payment became overdue AND no subsequent charges or payments were made. In other words, it is from the last date of a transaction on the account (other than posting interest and fees).