If so how many years does it take? I know that hospital bills disappear differently for each state, but how long does it take for other bills?
From financialcrisis2009.com:
You are looking at 3 different things when you talk about debt.
1) Your credit report. This holds 7 years worth of basic information, both good and bad. Certain things such as Bankruptcy will show for up to 10 years. For most information, after 7 years it drops off. This is governened by the Fair Debt Collection Act linked below. http://funadvice.com/r/3kcpfsqsrd
2) The statute of limitations for debt collection. The statute of limitations is the amount of time a collector has to bring suit against you in a court of law and get a judgement. This varies by type of debt and by state law. You can find the basics on most states at the below link. http://funadvice.com/r/3kcpfsqsvh
3) Your obligation to pay the debt. Your obligation to pay the debt continues until you die (at which time it passes to your estate) or you pay it. Even after the 7 years have passed, it falls off your credit report, and they are no longer legally able to collect a judgement a creditor can continue call you as long as they do not violate the collection standards listed in the Fair Debt Collection Act.
A good site for credit information is linked below.
http://funadvice.com/r/3kcpfsqt31